What a paragon of virtue you are, gunslinger!" the man in black laughed.

Lying in the bed that had once held two, Lisey thought alone never felt more lonely than when you woke up and discovered you still had the house to yourself. That you and the mice in the walls were the only ones still breathing.

We've switched from a culture that was interested in manufacturing, economics, politics - trying to play a serious part in the world - to a culture that's really entertainment-based.

A little arrogance (or even a lot) isn't such a bad thing, although your mother undoubtedly told you different. Mine did. "Pride goeth before a fall, Stephen", she said... and then I found out - right around the age that is 19 x 2 - that eventually you fall down, anyway.

A man without a sense of purpose, even one whose bank accounts are stuffed with money, is always a small man.

The only [working] ritual is making tea. I use the loose leaves and drink it by the gallon.

I wasn't a social drinker. I used to say that I didn't want to go to bars because they were full of assholes like me.