The characters in my novels are my own unrealised possibilities. That is why I am equally fond of them all and equally horrified by them. Each one has crossed a border that I myself have circumvented.

Our dreams prove that to imagine - to dream about things that have not happened - is among mankind's deepest needs.

Looking out over the courtyard at the dirty walls, he realized he had no idea whether it was hysteria or love.

The ludicrous element in our feeling does not make them any less authentic.

The purpose of the poetry is not to dazzle us with an astonishing thought, but to make one moment of existence unforgettable and worthy of unbearable nostalgia.

Nudity is the uniform of the other side... nudity is a shroud.

The day after his father left, Franz and his mother went into town together, and as they left home Franz noticed that her shoes did not match. He was in a quandary: he wanted to point out the mistake, but was afraid he would hurt her. So, during the two hours they spent walking through the city together he kept his eyes focused on her feet. It was then he had his first inkling of what it means to suffer.