I must write. If I stop writing my life will have been an abject failure. It is that already to other people. But it could be an abject failure to myself. I will not have earned death.

What you take to be hyprocrisy is sometimes a certain caution, sometimes genuine, though ponderous, childish, sometimes a mixture of both.

If I was bound for hell, let it be hell. No more false heaven. No more damned magic.

I often want to cry. That is the only advantage women have over men — at least they can cry.

very few people change after well say seven or seventeen. Not really. They get more this or more that and of course look a bit different. But inside they are the same.

We can't all be happy, we can't all be rich, we can't all be lucky - and it would be so much less fun if we were... There must be the dark background to show up the bright colours.

I took the red dress down and put it against myself. 'Does it make me look intemperate and unchaste?' I said.