Long books, when read, are usually overpraised, because the reader wishes to convince others and himself that he has not wasted his time.

While her lips talked culture, her heart was planning to invite him to tea

A sentence begins quite simply, then it undulates and expands, parentheses intervene like quick-set hedges, the flowers of comparison bloom, and three fields off, like a wounded partridge, crouches the principal verb, making one wonder as one picks it up, poor little thing, whether after all it was worth such a tramp, so many guns, and such expensive dogs, and what, after all, is its relation to the main subject, potted so gaily half a page back, and proving finally to have been in the accusative case.

The sort of poetry I seek only resides in objects Man can't touch - like England 's grass network of lanes 100 years ago, but today he can destroy them and only Lord Farrer keeps him from doing it.

They go forth [into the world] with well-developed bodies, fairly developed minds and undeveloped hearts. An undeveloped heart - not a cold one. The difference is important.

A facade of skyscrapers facing a lake and behind the facade, every type of dubiousness.

For it is a serious thing to have been watched. We all radiate something curiously intimate when we believe ourselves to be alone.