“A small olive-skinned creature who had hit puberty but never hit it very hard, Ben had been my best friend since fifth grade, when we both finally owned up to the fact that neither of us was likely to attract anyone else as a best friend.”

“I hadn’t been in proper school in three years. My parents were my two best friends. My third best friend was an author who did not know I existed.”

“My parents were my two best friends. My third best friend was an author who did not know I existed.”

“My third best friend was an author who did not know I existed.”

“It’s a mad, mad world when your best friend is a dog and your second-best friend is an automatic rifle, but such was life in the Aze.”

“The champagne had been donated by one of Gus's doctors - Gus being the kind of person who inspires doctors to give their best bottles of champagne to children.”

“And my conclusion is,' he said, 'since I had been in very good terms with Anne, that most parents don't know really their children.”