It is a common failing of childhood to think that if one makes a hero out of a demon the demon will be satisfied.

There is no virtue in curiosity. In fact, it might be the most immoral desire a man can possess.

if the world changed, i could not exist, and if i changed, the world could not exist

A man isn't tiny or giant enough to defeat anything.

I seemed like a baby bird keeping its truly innocent animal lusts hidden under its wing. I was being tempted, not by the desire of possession, but simply by unadorned temptation itself.

When people concentrate on the idea of beauty, they are, without realizing it, confronted with the darkest thoughts that exist in this world. That, I suppose, is how human beings are made.

A father is a reality-concealing machine, a machine for dishing up lies to kids, and that isn't even the worst of it: secretly he believes that he represents reality.