In other words, it's one of those books you thrust on your partner with an incredulous cry of "This is me!

We're here for such a short amount of time. Why do we spend any of it building sandcastles?

On New Year's Eve he ould make a resolution to recover some his previous scepticism, but until then he would do as the Romans do, and smile at people even if he disapproved of them

She thought I was...soulful, by which I think she means that I don't say much and I always look vaguely pissed off.

I'm not telling you that suicidal people aren't so far away from people who can get by; I'm telling you that people who can get by aren't so far away from being suicidal.

Unhappiness really meant something back then. Now it's just a drag, like a cold or having no money.

Record stores can't save your life. But they can give you a better one.