It was as if I were writing letters to hold together the pieces of my crumbling life.

Don't feel sorry for yourself. Only arseholes do that.

One foot in front of the other. Repeat as often as necessary to finish.

It is my huge pleasure that my novels are translated into languages that are read among small numbers of people.

We knew exactly what we wanted in each other. And even so, it ended. One day it stopped, as if the film simply slipped off the reel.

Most people are not looking for provable truths. As you said, truth is often accompanied by intense pain, and almost no one is looking for painful truths. What people need is beautiful, comforting stories that make them feel as if their lives have some meaning. Which is where religion comes from.

If we reverse the outer shell and the essence--in other words, consider the outer shell the essence and the essence only the shell--our lives might be a whole lot easier to understand.