“Murder isn’t — it really isn’t — a thing to tamper with lightheartedly.”

“It does not make sense. It cannot exist. It’s impossible, and if it isn’t impossible, it’s irrelevant, and if it isn’t either of those things, it’s embarrassing.”

“One of the most puzzling things about a novel is that “the way it really was” half the time is, and half the time isn’t, the way it ought to be in the novel.”

“Isn’t it funny to think that this magnificent piece of matter is in a state of decay? Really, can you think of any other living thing that looks this glorious as it’s dying?”

“Nothing he said indicated that he was that angry. I mean, there’s a difference between angry and murderous. Isn’t there?
Less than you’d think.”

“Love isn’t in the category of normal things. Not any worthwhile kind of love, anyway.”

“Real dialogue isn’t about talking to people who believe the same things as you.”

“isn’t life a kind of corruption? A child is born, and the world sets in upon it. Taking things from it, stuffing things into it.”

“It leaves me wanting to rejoice – isn’t language wonderful, that we can do all these different things with it!”

“That’s the thing when people leave us too suddenly, isn’t it? We always have so many questions.”