It is only the strong who are strengthened by suffering; the weak are made weaker.

An action doesn't have to be wrong just because it is not logical. It doesn't have to be right just because it has its logic.

There's only a step from the sublime to the ridiculous, but there's no road leading from the ridiculous to the sublime.

After closely examining my conscience, I venture to state that in my historical novels I intended the content to be just as modern and up-to-date as in the contemporary ones.

Like the philosopher, the author views his task as one of establishing a clear connection between life and history, and of making the past bear fruit for the present and future.

An author who sets about to depict events of the past that have run their course is suspected of wishing to avoid the problems of the present day, of being, in other words, a reactionary.

From depicting the past, so goes the suspicion, it is a short step to glorifying the past.