Given enough time, I guess anything can look good. All it has to do is survive.

Living in a foreign country is one of those things that everyone should try at least once. My understanding was that it completed a person, sanding down the rough provincial edges and transforming you into a citizen of the world. What I find appealing in life abroad was the inevitable sense of helplessness it would inspire. Equally exciting would be the work involved in overcoming that helplessness. There would be a goal involved, and I like having goals.

I had to wrestle daily with both my inadequacy and my uncontrollable jealousy. I didn't want to kill her, but hoped someone else might do the job for me.

In Paris you're always surrounded by French people.

There is still the outside world to contend with. A world of backfiring cars, and their human equivalents.

Remember that the most important thing is to try and love other people as much as they love you.

Most people would have found it grotesque, but when you're in love nothing is so abstract or horrible that it can't be thought of as cute.