But deep down she said to herself, Franz maybe strong, but his strength is directed outward; when it comes to the people he lives with, the people he's loves, he's weak. Franz's weakness is called goodness. Franz would never give Sabina orders. He would never command her, as Tomas had, to lay the mirror on the floor and walk back and forth on it naked. Not that he lacks sensuality; he simply lacks the strength to give orders. There are things that can be accomplished only by violence. Physical love is unthinkable without violence.

Since the insignificance of all things is our lot, we should not bear it as an affliction but learn to enjoy it.

The greater the ambiguity, the greater the pleasure.

He took over anger to intimidate subordinates, and in time anger took over him.

"Pick me up," is the message of a person who keeps falling. Tomas kept picking her up, patiently.

...people don't respect the morning. An alarm clock violently wakes them up, shatters their sleep like the blow of an ax, and they immediately surrender themselves to deadly haste.

Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy.