Dan suggested to Owen and me that we were better off to not involve ourselves with Hester. How true! But how we wanted to be involved in the thrilling real-life sleaziness that we suspected Hester was in the thick-of. We were in a phase, through television and the movies, of living only vicariously. Even faintly sordid silliness excited us if it put us in contact with love.

but writers, Garp knew, were just observers - good and ruthless imitators of human behavior.

Gender mattered a whole lot less to Shakespeare than it seems to matter to us.

If we live long enough, we become caricatures of ourselves.

Nothing moves at the Hotel New Hampshire! We're screwed down here-for life!

People only ask questions when they're ready to hear the answers.

A woman half dressed seemed to have some power, but a man was simply not as handsome as when he was naked, and not as secure as when he was clothed.