In the half darkness I winked to my other self, my mad dictator, and congratulated him on his droll victory. I closed my eyes and felt the warmth flowing from Shosha's head to my face. What did I have to lose? Nothing more than what everyone loses anyway.

Night is a time of rigor, but also of mercy. There are truths which one can see only when it’s dark

I have heard from my father and mother all the answers that faith in God could offer to those who doubt and search for the truth. In our home and in many other homes the eternal questions were more actual than the latest news in the Yiddish newspaper. In spite of all the disenchantments and all my skepticism I believe that the nations can learn much from those Jews, their way of thinking, their way of bringing up children, their finding happiness where others see nothing but misery and humiliation.

In relation to them (animals), all people are Nazis for the animals, it is an eternal Treblinka.

It seems that the analysis of character is the highest human entertainment. And literature does it, unlike gossip, without mentioning names.

As much as I can give of myself I give of myself. There's no reason why not. And when I have to hide something, I let the character speak.

Of course I believe in free will. Do we have a choice?