So you’ve got a frightened, stupid, even disabled person, silenced, made ugly, and what can you do with someone like that, someone who’s unworthy of being treated well? You treat them badly because that’s what...

The knives of jealousy are honed on details.

To say that Agatha Christie’s characters are cardboard cut-outs is an insult to cardboard cut-outs.

Some say life is the thing, but I prefer reading.

I really do literally put myself into a character’s shoes.

Maybe being married is talking to oneself with one’s other self listening.

She was happiest when sitting about and reading. She had read thousands of books, seeing no point in doing anything else unless you had to.

Goodness, Mr. Cellini, I’ve not time to answer all these questions. I’ve got to get on.’With what? She seldom did anything but read, as far as he knew. She must have read thousands of books,...

People are different in reality from the way you’ve seen them while making scenarios in your mind. For one thing, they’re less consistent. They surprise you all the time.

We always know when we are awake that we cannot be dreaming even though when actually dreaming we feel all this may be real.

I think to be driven to want to kill must be such a terrible burden”.