“For the first time in his life, he was going to be a goddamn hero.”

“One of the drawbacks of sleeping with whores, he thought lazily. You got what you paid for, and not a goddamn thing more.”

“Goddamn, sometimes it hurt to be free.”

“There are always times in life that you don't fit in. But you have to go forward and make a place for yourselg. That's what growing up is all about. Being strong and believing in yourself-even when you're most afraid.”

“The falling apart of a man's life should make more noise. It should startle passesrby with its Sturm and Drang. It ought to sound like the Parthenon crashing down. Not this ordinary, everyday kind of quiet...He closed his eyes...And still it was quiet, this falling apart of his life, as silent as the last beat of an old man's heart. A quiet, echoing thud, and then...nothing.”

“I might screw up, I might embarrass you, I might yell at you, but I will never, ever stop loving you. You're my first born. The first time I held you... I fell in love so hard it cracked my bones.”

“This time I really am going to light the world on fire,' she said, laughing. 'I finally have a fucking match.”