For me the whole world is like a gigantic theater in which I am the only spectator without opera glasses. The orchestra plays the prelude to the third act, the stage is far away as in a dream, my heart swells with delightโand you want to blind me with a pair of half-ruble spectacles?
Isaac BabelNo iron can pierce the human heart as chillingly as a full stop placed at the right time.
Isaac BabelWhen a phrase is born, it is both good and bad at the same time. The secret of its success rests in a crux that is barely discernible. One's fingertips must grasp the key, gently warming it. And then the key must be turned once, not twice.
Isaac Babel