The most extraordinary thing about writing is that when you've struck the right vein, tiredness goes. It must be an effort, thinking wrong.

He began to search among the infinite series of impressions which time had laid down, leaf upon leaf, fold upon fold softly, incessantly upon his brain; among scents, sounds; voices, harsh, hollow, sweet; and lights passing, and brooms tapping; and the wash and hush of the sea.

The word-coining genius, as if thought plunged into a sea of words and came up dripping.

To make ideas effective, we must be able to fire them off. We must put them into action.

... pure honesty is a doubtful quality; it means often lack of imagination.

... I doubt the capacity of the human animal for being dignified in ceremony.

I often wish I'd got on better with your father,' he said.