Real misery cuts off all paths to itself.

Love is the perception of individuals. Love is the extremely difficult realisation that something other than oneself is real.

... a less than perfect meddling in the spiritual world can breed monsters for other people.

Of course reading and thinking are important but, my God, food is important too. How fortunate we are to be food-consuming animals. Each meal should be a treat and one ought to bless every day which brings with it a good digestion and the precious gift of hunger.

There is no substitute for the comfort supplied by the utterly taken-for-granted relationship.

The most essential and fundamental aspect of culture is the study of literature, since this is an education in how to picture and understand human situations.

Only lies and evil come from letting people off.