This world, he thinks, contains just one masterpiece, and that is itself.

I can't bear living in this huge beautiful world and not try to imitate it as best I can.

Two people who are a little bit deluded in each other's favour. That's what love is, isn't it?

I still haven't quite got used to eating live fish.

Have you noticed," said John, "how countries call theirs 'sovereign nuclear deterrents,' but call the other countries' ones 'weapons of mass destruction'?

How vulgar, this hankering after immortality, how vain, how false. Composers are merely scribblers of cave paintings. One writes music because winter is eternal and because, if one didn't, the wolves and blizzards would be at one's throat all the sooner.

I'm a novelist, that's how I make my livelihood, and I concentrate on the novels.