My publishers are wonderful because they have let me write what I wanted to. They're wise enough to know that, with any author who's not simply writing formulas - who's trying to create something new - pressuring them to do something for market purposes almost always backfires. I can't imagine working under those circumstances, actually.
Elizabeth KostovaNo book that is written for an external purpose is going to be a passionately felt book for the writer or the reader. I don't see the point in doing that.
Elizabeth KostovaThen you must say to her, 'Madame, I observe that your heart is broken. Allow me to repair it for you.
Elizabeth Kostova...what will we someday do, I always wonder, without the pleasures of turning through books and stumbling on things we never meant to find?
Elizabeth KostovaSometimes people damage paintings or sculpture because they love it. They throw their arms around a statue in a fit of hysterical passion and it falls over.
Elizabeth KostovaBulgarians eat tarator every single day in summer. They think of it as salad although we'd call it a soup. You can make it as thick or thin as you like depending on how much water you add. It's very practical in summer because yogurt cools the body faster than water, but the water hydrates you.
Elizabeth Kostova