Books are not made to be believed, but to be subjected to inquiry. When we consider a book, we mustn't ask ourselves what it says but what it means.

There are more books in the world than hours in which to read them. We are thus deeply influenced by books we haven't read, that we haven't had the time to read.

A transposable aphorism is a malaise of the urge to be witty, or in other words, a maxim that is untroubled by the fact that the opposite of what it says is equally true so long as it appears to be funny.

It was awkward, revisiting a world you have never seen before: like coming home, after a long journey, to someone else’s house.

Ugliness is more inventive than beauty. Beauty always follows certain camps. I think it's more amusing - ugliness - than beauty.

Yes, I know, it's not the truth, but in a great history little truths can be altered so that the greater truth emerges.

The question of manuscript changes is very important for literary criticism, the psychology of creation and other aspects of the study of literature.