And I am pretty sure that's the point of reading fiction -- so someone else can say in a way you never would have something you recognize immediately.

If a man wants to be romantically involved with you, he tries to kiss you. That's the entire story, and if he doesn't kiss you, there is never a reason to wait around for him.

She really does like him, she likes lying next to him, she wants to be around him; when you get down to it, can you say that about many people?

There are a lot of things in the world that are a lot weirder than psychic abilities, that we accept as true.

I feel that Pride and Prejudice is an incredibly well constructed novel on every level. The dialogue is great. The character development is great. The plotting is great. The pacing is great. The language is great.

The fact is that in this day and age I don't think any novelist can assume that a book will get attention.

Ordinarily, of course, I thought it best to remain inconspicuous, but the gesture had a certain irresistable theatricaility, and an inevitablility. Sometimes you can feel the pull of what other people want from you, and you sacrifice yourself, you risk seeming odd or sunsavory, to keep them entertained.