Painful is the stress when one cannot reproduce or convey vividly to others, however hard he tries, what he's experienced so intensely.

The honour of physical decline is waiting, and you have to get used to that reality.

You can hide memories, but you can’t erase the history that produced them.

What I want is for the two of us to meet somewhere by chance one day, like, passing on the street, or getting on the same bus.

I think people who share my dreams can enjoy reading my novels. And that's a wonderful thing. I said that myths are like a reservoir of stories, and if I can act as a similar kind of "reservoir," albeit a modest one, that would make me very happy.

As a novelist, you could say that I am dreaming while I am awake, and every day I can continue with yesterday's dream. Because it is a dream, there are so many contradictions and I have to adjust them to make the story work. But, in principle, the original dream does not change.

I may not be the most likable person in the world, but I try not to upset people.