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

Were modern cities only beautiful after darkness hid everything but their lights?

what you fear, you invite.

... law is a substitute for love.

That's the one thing a politician mustn't have - political opinions or principles. He can have prejudices - indeed he must have prejudices and share all the popular political superstitions of the moment as ardently as he can. But he must not have principles. He must never let the people suspect that they cannot eat their cake and have it. He must promise them a defense program and a higher standard of living. He must never use that dreadful little word or.

Other people's children, like other people's love affairs, were so much less interesting than one's own.

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.