Placing the extraordinary at the center of the ordinary, as realism does, is a great comfort to us stay-at-homes.

Some subjects come up suddenly in our speech and cannot be silenced.

Alone, I am drunk on my thoughts; in company, I am sober again.

Curiosity, easily frightened, takes refuge in puzzles, murder mysteries, and spectator sports.

When love ends, we cry out against destiny. When friendship ends, we cry out against our friend.

Astrology: do we make a hullabaloo among the stars, or do they make a hullabaloo down here?

Deconstruction glorifies the critic, humiliates the author, and makes the reader wonder why he bothered.