For such is the fate of parody: it must never fear exaggerating. If it strikes home, it will only prefigure something that others will then do without a smile--and without a blush--in steadfast virile seriousness.

Certainly, light fiction exists and encompasses mysteries or second-class romance novels, books that are read on the beach, whose only aim is to entertain. These books are not concerned with style or creativity - instead they are successful because they are repetitive and follow a template that readers enjoy.

But the purpose of a story is to teach and to please at once, and what it teaches is how to recognize the snares of the world.

In other words, although I don't like them, we do need noble-spirited souls.

Since I became a novelist I have discovered that I am biased. Either I think a new novel is worse than mine and I don’t like it, or I suspect it is better than my novels and I don’t like it.

To survive, you must tell stories.

A dream is a scripture, and many scriptures are nothing but dreams.