I wouldn't take the Pope too seriously. He's a Pole first, a pope second, and maybe a Christian third.

Death, when it approaches, ought not to take one by surprise. It should be part of the full expectancy of life. Without an ever-present sense of death life is insipid.

Neurotics are awfully quick to notice other people's mentalities.

One's prime is elusive. You little girls, when you grow up, must be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur. You must then live it to the full.

Looking forward to going home, I was necessarily looking backward.

The true novelist is one who understands the work as a continuous poem, is a myth-maker, and the wonder of the art resides in the endless different ways of telling a story.

From my experience of life I believe my personal motto should be: 'Beware of any man bringing flowers.