It never occurred to any Enlightenment figure in the eighteenth century that law was not preferable to man.

Since I ought to be arrogant, impressed with my social position, overwhelmed by my beauty, therefore I am. Actually I was never my own type so I completely missed my beauty all through my youth. I have no social position and I stay away from what is known as society as much as possible. But people like to re-invent you, according to cliché.

Where there is no desire or pursuits, there is no wholeness. But there are satisfying lesser states, fragments.

I don't seem to be cynical to myself but how what I say goes down with others is their problem. I'm realistic.

You know, I've been around the ruling class all my life, and I've been quite aware of their total contempt for the people of the country.

You can't be both a writer and a politician, at least not a good writer. A writer must always tell the truth as he sees it. And the politician must never give the game away.

The Americans only like things they can label, even if it kills them. Think of those poor Latin American writers. Some of them are very good. But the "magical realism" label has absolutely ruined them. The critics are like tourists who return from a trip saying they've "done" Machu Picchu: "Okay, we've done magical realism," so now we can throw it out.