And your dinner for the orchestra officials." "Haven't you ever had people coming over and no time to shop? You have to make do with what's in the fridge, Clarice. May I call you Clarice?

I have no interest in understanding sheep, only eating them.

And be grateful. Our scars have the power to remind us that the past was real.

Human emotions are a gift from our animal ancestors. Cruelty is a gift humanity has given itself.

I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti

You will not persuade me with appeals to my intellectual vanity.

Whenever feasible, one should always try to eat the rude.

You must understand that when you are writing a novel you are not making anything up. It's all there and you just have to find it.

A census taker tried to quantify me once. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a big Amarone. Go back to school, little Starling.

The tragedy is not to die, but to be wasted.

I'm giving serious thought into eating yor wife” - Hannibal Lecter

Want to go really fast? Slow down and focus.

Tragedy makes you grow up.

I don't want to be throwing the football on the front yard when I'm 75. I mean, I'm not opposed to men doing that. But I don't think it's gonna work for me.

I wasn't ever a huge fan of comics. Just not one of those kids, you know?

We cannot set up, out of our heads, something we regard as an ideal society.

The answer will only arrive after we stop looking for it.

As a writer, you have control: You can play around with your own thoughts and when you find those insufficient, draw upon others': their wisdom, their humor, their failings.

Risk is an essential part of progress.

Twenty to one offend more in writing too much than too little.

To know all about anything is to know how to deal with it under all circumstances.