The termites of reduction have always gnawed away at life: even the greatest love ends up as a skeleton of feeble memories.

The novel's spirit is the spirit of complexity. . . . The novel's spirit is the spirity of continuity . . . a thing made to last, to connect the past with the future.

Every situation is of man's making and can only contain what man contains.

The novel is born not of the theoretical spirit but of the spirit of humor.

Better to shun the bait than struggle in the snare.

A great man does not lose his self-possession when he is afflicted the ocean is not made muddy by the falling in of its banks.

Religion is of general and public concern, and on its support depend, in great measure, the peace and good order of government, the safety and happiness of the people.

Had Calhoun been advised by me, he would have been the Candidate in opposition to General Jackson, and elected and the country saved the misery that followed.

If you can develop a connection, what we call an inner connection with the teacher, then it is not even necessary to be in the physical presence of the teacher, although it will always be stronger.

Man supposes that he directs his life and governs his actions, when his existence is irretrievably under the control of destiny

If you make a film about a pig farmer in Wales and you are a huge hit as the pig farmer's wife, the next thing is you'll be asked to do a film about a sheep farmer in Scotland.

Buying a Ferrari is like buying Château Pétrus if you like fine wines. It's the safe choice.

The US and the European Union needs to help in the translation of the demand for democracy into a political will.

If you want to take it up a step and aim to become a competitive gymnast, you have to be mentally strong and prepared to take on the workload of going to the gym every day, rain or shine.