But responsibility hardens the heart. It must.

Ford's last Fifth Queen novel is amazing. The whole cycle is a noble conception.

What the artist wishes to do — as far as you are concerned — is to take you out of yourself. As far as he is concerned, he wishes to express himself.

In every man there are two minds that work side by side, the one checking the other; thus emotion stands against reason, intellect corrects passion and first impressions act a little, but very little, before quick reflection.

Yes, a war is inevitable. Firstly, there's you fellows who can't be trusted. And then there's the multitude who mean to have bathrooms and white enamel. Millions of them; all over the world. Not merely here. And there aren't enough bathrooms and white enamel in the world to go round.

The first thing you have to consider when writing a novel is your story, and then your story - and then your story!

And it was a most remarkable, a most moving glance, as if for a moment a lighthouse had looked at me.