But he thought all the strange words were beautiful, and he had never had a book of his own before.

It was a particularly good evening to begin a book.

There are those who stay at home and those who go away, and it has always been so. Everyone can choose for himself, but he must choose while there is still time and never change his mind.

One has to discover everything for oneself. And get over it all alone.

... 'I've been doing everything for an awfully long time, and I've seen and lived as hard as I could, and it's been unbelievable, I tell you, unbelievable. But now I have the feeling everything's gliding away from me, and I don't remember, and I don't care, and yet now is right when I need it!'. [pp. 84-85]

...now and then a giggling trail of mermaids appeared in our wake. We fed them oatmeal.

The thing about God, she thought, is that He usually does help, but not until you've made an effort on your own.