A touch of science, even bogus science, gives an edge to the superstitious tale.

A short story is. . .frequently the celebration of character at bursting point.

The Canadian spirit is cautious, observant and critical where the American is assertive.

The peculiar foreign superstition that the English do not like love, the evidence being that they do not talk about it.

Now, practically all reviewers have academic aspirations. The people from the universities are used to a captive audience, but the literary journalist has to please his audience.

How extraordinary it is that one feels most guilt about the sins one is unable to commit.

It is less the business of the novelist to tell us what happened than to show how it happened.