There's nothing wrong with being a genius who can fascinate the young. Rather, there's something wrong with the young who can't be fascinated by a genius.

I’ve always thought you are what you are and you shouldn’t pretend to be anyone else. But Oliver used to correct me and explain that you are whoever it is you’re pretending to be.

When I was still quite young I had a complete presentiment of life. It was like the nauseating smell of cooking escaping from a ventilator: you don't have to have eaten it to know that it would make you throw up.

There will always be non-readers, bad readers, lazy readers - there always were.

You lose the world for a glance? Of course you do. That is what the world is for: to lose under the right circunstances.

I'm a complete democrat in terms of who buys my books.

The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously.