She loved him because he had brought her back to life. She had been like a caterpillar in a cocoon, and he had drawn her out and shown her that she was a butterfly.

Without books I would not have become a vivacious reader, and if you are not a reader you are not a writer.

Everybody takes what they life from the teachings of the church, and ignores the parts that don't suit them.

We’re all good when it suits us, he used to say: that doesn’t count. It’s when you want so badly to do something wrong—when you’re about to make a fortune from a dishonest deal, or kiss the lovely lips of your neighbor’s wife, or tell a lie to get yourself out of terrible trouble—that’s when you need the rules. Your integrity is like a sword, he would say: you shouldn’t wave it until you’re about to put it to the test.

But desperate people find courage.

I might not be a good socialist, any more than I'm a good Christian, but I am one.

There is a real connection between Philosopy and fiction.