He felt with the force of a revelation that to throw up the clods of earth manfully is as beneficent as to revolutionize the world. It was not the matter of the work, but the mind that went into it, that counted - and the man who was not content to do small things well would leave great things undone.

Surely the novel should be a form of art - but art was not enough. It must contain not only the perfection of art, but the imperfection of nature.

But, of course only morons would ever think or speak of themselves as intellectuals. That's why they all look so sad.

It is human nature to overestimate the thing you've never had.

It is easy to convince a man who already thinks as you do.

Women like to sit down with trouble - as if it were knitting.

you could have forgiven my committing a sin if you hadn't feared that I had a committed a pleasure as well.