“She almost reminds the engineer of certain types in high school whom everyone adored because you sensed it made no difference to them whether you adored them.”

“If you aren't adorable, it's only because you won't let yourself be adored.”

“Very often among a certain highly intelligent type of people, quite paradoxical ideas will establish themselves. But they have suffered so much in their lives for these ideas, and have paid so high a price for them that it becomes very painful, indeed almost impossible, for them to part with them.”

“I understand what you mean, and I believe in this girl. Anyone you love must be marvellous, and any girl that has the effect you describe must be fine and noble. To spiritualise one's age--that is something worth doing. If this girl can give a soul to those who have lived without one, if she can create the sense of beauty in people whose lives have been sordid and ugly, if she can strip them of their selfishness and lend them tears for sorrows that are not their own, she is worthy of all your adoration, worthy of the adoration of the world.”

“Kids. You gotta love them. I adore children. A little salt, a squeeze of lemon--perfect.”

“Let's not forget, a lot of people have children for selfish reasons, Jessica said. In order to have someone to play with, or to take care of them when they're old. Or because they're bored and don't have anything to do...She wanted to adore her children in a way that she had never been adored.”