All the theories of conspiracy were always a way to escape our responsibilities. It is a very important kind of social sickness by which we avoid recognizing reality such as it is and avoid our responsibilities.

Does the novel have to deepen the psychology of its heroes? Certainly the modern novel does, but the ancient legends did not do the same. Oedipus' psychology was deduced by Aeschylus or Freud, but the character is simply there, fixed in a pure and terribly disquieting state.

Contemporary societies have lost the sense of the feast but have kept the obscure drive for it.

The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everybody else.

I wrote a novel because I had a yen to do it. I believe this is sufficient reason to set out to tell a story.

When the poet is in love, he is incapable of writing poetry on love. He has to write when he remembers that he was in love.

In short, Roberto privately concluded, if you would avoid wars, never make treaties of peace.