Jane was my wicked stepmother: she was generous, affectionate and resourceful; she salvaged my schooling and I owe her an unknowable debt for that. One flaw: sometimes, early on, she would tell me things designed to make me think less of my mother, and I would wave her away, saying, Jane, this just backfires and makes me think less of you.
Martin AmisBullets cannot be recalled. They cannot be uninvented. But they can be taken out of the gun.
Martin AmisAll writers of fiction will at some point find themselves abandoning a piece of work - or find themselves putting it aside, as we gently say.
Martin Amis