Reading is a conversation. All books talk. But a good book listens as well.

I think people believe in heaven because they don't like the idea of dying, because they want to carry on living and they don't like the idea that other people will move into their house and put their things into the rubbish.

I suffer depression only in the sense that I am a writer. We don't have proper jobs to go to. We are on our own all day. Show me a writer who doesn't get depressed: who has a completely stable mood. They'd be a garage mechanic or something.

I think one of the things you have to learn if you're going to create believable characters is never to make generalizations about groups of people.

I want my name to mean me.

Everyone has learning difficulties, because learning to speak French or understanding relativity is difficult.

I like having my back pressed against a wall and being made to work harder so I don't embarrass myself.