An author spends months writing a book, and maybe puts his heart's blood into it, and then it lies about unread till the reader has nothing else in the world to do.

The author always loads his dice, but he must never let the reader see that he has done so, and by the manipulation of his plot, he can engage the reader's attention so that he does not perceive the violence that has been done to him.

When people say they do not care what others think of them, for the most part they deceive themselves. Generally they mean only that they will do as they choose, in the confidence that no one will know their vagaries; and at the utmost only that they are willing to act contrary to the opinion of the majority because they are supported by the approval of their neighbours. It is not difficult to be unconventional in the eyes of the world when your unconventionality is but the convention of your set.

Life is really very fantastic, and one has to have a peculiar sense of humour to see the fun of it. [Virtue]

Sentimentality is the only sentiment that rubs you the wrong way.

We have long passed the Victorian Era when asterisks were followed after a certain interval by a baby.

A woman will always sacrifice herself if you give her the opportunity. It is her favourite form of self indulgence.