A lie is more comfortable than doubt, more useful than love, more lasting than truth.

She always had a headache, or it was too hot, always, or she pretended to be asleep, or she had her period again, her period, always her period. So much so that Dr. Urbino had dared to say in class, only for the relief of unburdening himself without confession, that after ten years of marriage women had their periods as often as threes times a week.

He governed as if he felt predestined to never die

When one reaches absolute power, one loses total contact with reality.

She knew that he loved her above all else, more than anything in the world, but only for his own sake.

wisdom comes to us when it can no longer do any good.

I must warn you that the books I like are not necessarily the ones I think are the best. I like them for various reasons not always easy to explain.