[The captain] looked at Florentino Ariza, his invincible power, his intrepid love and was overwhelmed by the belated suspicion that it is life, more than death, that has no limits.

How strange women are.

And again, as always, after so many years we were still in the same place we always were.

"Things have a life of their own," the gypsy proclaimed with a harsh accent. "It's simply a matter of waking up their souls."

we had made love without love, half-dressed most of the time and always in the dark so we could imagine ourselves as better than we were.

Faulkner is a writer who has had much to do with my soul, but Hemingway is the one who had the most to do with my craft - not simply for his books, but for his astounding knowledge of the aspect of craftsmanship in the science of writing.

A famous writer who wants to continue writing has to be constantly defending himself against fame.