the English don't go in for imagination: imagination is considered to be improper if not downright alarmist.

Life is not long at all, never long enough, but days are very long indeed.

In the end, in England, when you want to find out how people are feeling, you always go to the pubs.

stop spying on the lawful citizenry. Democracy and dossiers go ill together. It is all right for God but all wrong for the State to keep its eye on sparrows.

It would be a bitter cosmic joke if we destroy ourselves due to atrophy of the imagination.

perhaps these men in the House Caucus Room [Committee on Un-American Activities] are determined to spread silence: to frighten those voices which will shout no, and ask questions, defend the few, attack cruelty and proclaim the rights and dignity of man. ... America is going to look very strange to Americans and they will not be at home here, for the air will slowly become unbreathable to all forms of life except sheep.

In the last camp they all ate grass, until the authorities forbade them to pull it up. They were accustomed to having the fruits of their little communal gardens stolen by the guards, after they had done all the work; but at the last camp everything was stolen.