I don't think I've ever been particularly scared of death - but scared of dying, the process. It doesn't seem to be a good way of doing it.

Amis is acutely, vibrantly sensitive to the different registers of laughter. He knows that it can be the most affirming and uniquely human sound, and also the most sinister and animalistic one. He understands every note of every octave that separates the liberating shout of mirth from the cackle of a bully or the snigger of a sadist.

If you feel you have a strong constituency among the young, you can really die happy, because the great unanswered question, the only valid value judgment is whether you're going to last, and that tells you that you are, for a bit at least.

Religious belief is without reason and without dignity, and its record is near-universally dreadful.

I'm afraid the negative things are always the great subjects. Failure is much more interesting than success.

They did more than take our youth away. They also took away the men we were going to be.

I think writers are excited by stupidity and bad behavior, generally.