Mankind's true moral test, its fundamental test (which lies deeply buried from view), consists of its attitude towards those who are at its mercy: animals. And in this respect mankind has suffered a fundamental debacle, a debacle so fundamental that all others stem from it.

When graves are covered with stones, the dead can no longer get out. But the dead can't go out anyway! What difference does it make whether they're covered with soil or stones?

Living for Sabina meant seeing. Seeing is limited by two borders: strong light, which blinds, and total darkness. Perhaps that was what motivated Sabina's distaste for all extremism. Extremes mean borders beyond which life ends, and a passion for extremism, in art and in politics, is a veiled longing for death.

...[P]eople who shout joy from the rooftops are often the saddest of all... (p.24)

The novel is a meditation on existence as seen through the medium of imaginary characters.

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

Love is a continual interrogation. I don’t know of a better definition of love.