The Portrait of a Lady is entirely successful in giving one the sense of having met somebody far too radiantly good for this world.

God forbid that any book should be banned. The practice is as indefensible as infanticide.

If ever peace is to be imposed on the world it will only be because a large number of men who could have taken part in the drill display by the Guards or Marines or at the Royal Tournament turn that strength and precision to the service of life.

You must always believe that life is as extraordinary as music says it is.

I am not so repelled by Communism: an element of Communism in politics is necessary and inevitable. In any involved society there must be a feeling that something must be done about poverty - which is the basis of communism.

Sex, which ought to be an incident of life, is the obsession of the well-fed world.

... A La Recherche du Temps Perdu is like a beautiful hand with long fingers reaching out to pluck a perfect fruit, without error,for the accurate eye knows well it is growing just there on the branch, while Ulysses is the fumbling of a horned hand in darkness after a doubted jewel.