“...the laws of nature have continually all my life offended me more than anything.”

“It's hard to make something that's interesting. It's really, really hard. It's like a law of nature, a law of aerodynamics, that anything that's written or anything that's created wants to be mediocre. The natural state of all writing is mediocrity... So what it takes to make anything more than mediocre is such an act of will...”

“In transgressing the law of nature, the offender declares himself to live by another rule than that of reason and common equity" Ch.2, 8”

“I feared my own kind more than anything the natural world could ever threaten me with.”

“I want to kiss you.” His fingers continue onto her shoulders. “I want to kiss you more than I have ever wanted anything else in my life.”

“That which is really beautiful has no need of anything; not more than law, not more than truth, not more than benevolence or modesty.”