Every good book should be entertaining. A good book will be more; it must not be less. Entertainment…is like a qualifying examination. If a fiction can’t provide that, we may be excused from inquiring into its higher qualities.

I write for the unlearned about things in which I am unlearned myself.

The Intelligentsia (scientists apart) are losing all touch with, and all influence over, nearly the whole human race. Our most esteemed poets and critics are read by our most esteemed critics and poets (who don't usually like them much) and nobody else takes any notice. An increasing number of highly literate people simply ignore what the 'Highbrows' are doing. It says nothing to them. The Highbrows in return ignore and insult them.

How difficult it is to avoid having a special standard for oneself.

We long for more and God's promise is that there is more awaiting us. More to delight us than we will ever exhaust.

God is the only comfort, He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from.

Perhaps the experience had been so complete that repetition would be vulgarity - like asking to hear the same symphony twice in a day.