The belly comes before the soul.

It is also true that one can write nothing readable unless one constantly struggles to efface one's own personality. Good prose is like a windowpane.

It was soon noticed that when ever there was work to be done the cat could never be found.

After 40, a man is responsible for his face.

In moments of crisis one is never fighting against an external enemy but always against one's own body.

But you could not have pure love or pure lust nowadays. No emotion was pure, because everything was mixed up with fear and hatred. Their embrace had been a battle, the climax a victory. It was a blow struck against the Party. It was a political act.

His answer to every problem, every setback was “I will work harder!” —which he had adopted as his personal motto.