I'm interested in the Gothic novel because it's very much a woman's form. Why is there such a wide readership for books that essentially say, 'Your husband is trying to kill you'?

Gravity works in your life, the notion of free will works in your life, however problematic it may at times be.

This has been her problem all her life: picturing other people's responses. She's too good at it. She can picture the response of anyone--other people's reactions, their emotions, their criticisms, their demands--but somehow they don't reciprocate. Maybe they can't. Maybe they lack the gift, if it is one.

Truly amazing, what people can get used to, as long as there are a few compensations.

You refuse to own yourself, you permit others to do it for you

There's more than one way to skin a cat, my father used to say; it bothered me, I didn't see why they would want to skin a cat even one way.

...we must be a beacon of hope, because if you tell people there's nothing they can do, they will do worse than nothing.