You're all mad for words. Words are just farts from a lot of fools who have swallowed too many books. Give me things!

No people in the world can make you feel so small as the English.

There are times when I think that the reading I have done in the past has had no effect except to cloud my mind and make me indecisive

He was a genius - that is to say, a man who does superlatively and without obvious effort something that most people cannot do by the uttermost exertion of their abilities.

If I had my way books would not be written in English but in an exceedingly difficult secret language.... This plan would have the advantage of scaring off all amateur authors, retired politicians, country doctors...who would not have the patience to learn the secret language.

I think of the author as somebody who goes into the marketplace and puts down his rug and says, 'I will tell you a story' and then he passes the hat.

A man must be obedient to the promptings of his innermost heart.