I am worrying about my country. I feel I have a responsibility as a novelist to do something.

Her smile steps offstage for a moment, then does an encore, all while I'm dealing with my blushing face.

Nobody's going to win all the time. On the highway of life you can't always be in the fast lane.

Whatever it is you're seeking won't come in the form you're expecting.

Writing is fun - at least mostly. I write for four hours every day. After that I go running. As a rule, 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). That's easy to manage.

Most young people were getting jobs in big companies, becoming company men. I wanted to be individual.

I hate requests. They make me feel unhappy. It's like when I take a book out of the library. As soon as I start to read it, all I can think about is when I'll finish it.