“Happiness is an allegory, unhappiness a story”

“It's like Tolstoy said. Happiness is an allegory, unhappiness a story.”

“That’s how stories happen — with a turning point, an unexpected twist. There’s only one kind of happiness, but misfortune comes in all shapes and sizes. It’s like Tolstoy said. Happiness is an allegory, unhappiness a story.”

“Human beings are ultimately nothing but carriers-passageways- for genes. They ride us into the ground like racehorses from generation to generation. Genes don't think about what constitutes good or evil. They don't care whether we are happy or unhappy. We're just means to an end for them. The only thing they think about is what is most efficient for them.”

“All my books are weird love stories. I love weird love stories.”

“A story is not something of this world. A real story requires a kind of magical baptism to link the world on this side with the world on the other side.”

“I find writing novels a challenge, writing stories a joy. If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.”