Poor people never, or hardly ever, ask for an explanation of all they have to put up with. They hate one another, and content themselves with that.

The best way to make a sort of peace, a fragile armistice to be sure, but precious all the same, with men, officers or not, is to let them bask and wallow in childish self-glorification. There’s no such thing as intelligent vanity. It’s an instinct. And you’ll never find a man who is not first and formenost vain. The role of admiring doormat is about the only one that one man is glad to tolerate in another. With these soldiers I had no need to tax my imagination.

Love is the infinite placed within the reach of poodles. I have my dignity!

The beginning of genius is being scared shitless.

An Immense hatred keeps me alive... i would live for a thousand years if i were certain of seeing the whole world croak.

To hell with reality! I want to die in music, not in reason or in prose.

The novel can't compete with cars, the movies, television, and liquor. A guy who's had a good feed and tanked up on good wine gives his old lady a kiss after supper and his day is over. Finished.