“I’m suspicious of the notion of a single book that would benefit everyone to read.”

“The fact that at the moment the distinction is being made, a young adult, as opposed to an adult, is the one reading it. In other words, I don’t entirely believe in the distinction. A great book is a great book, and it’s impossible to say what part of a person is going to connect to it.”

“I don’t often know who should read what book. It’s a little bit like trying to set people up on a date — a good match is unpredictable and mysterious.”

“What a horrifying notion," he said. "A creature with the power to take over one's mind.”

“I don't understand your book. Isn't every book a book of words?”

“Fire sat unbreathing. A life that was an apology for the life of his father: It was a notion she could understand, beyond words and thought. She understood it the way she understood music.”

“A book that bores me to tears is a book that neglects character building and quality of prose.”