A critic is a person who rationalizes his likes and dislikes in such impressive language that the layman thinks he is reasoning instead of rationalizing.

Habit is far stronger than the lessons of experience.

Nobody believes in ghosts, but everybody is afraid of them.

... law is a substitute for love.

Falling in love is like religious conversion. It goes on for a long time below the threshold before it reaches consciousness.

Civilization is a fiction which becomes a fact only as long as everyone can believe in it. It is the cynic, rather than the rebel, who pulls down the whole flimsy structure periodically throughout history.

The author portrays himself in every line he writes and portrayal is always betrayal.