“A novel must be exceptionally good to live as long as the average cat.”

“Reading a good long novel is in many ways like having a long and satisfying affair”

“Statisticians report that television is watched over six hours a day in the average American household. I don't know any fiction writers who live in average American households. I suspect Louise Erdrich might. Actually I have never seen an average American household. Except on TV.”

“The pigment must be mixed with the tears of spinsters of good family, who must live long lives of impeccable virtue and die without ever having had a day of true happiness.”

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”

“Exceptional estimable, good, nice, dear people they all were but they all, unluckily, kept asking me about the new novel, and that was excrutiating.”