“Sometimes Holly could start to see the order in things, she got a glimmer of a pattern. And that thing everyone seems to say these days, about how things always happen for a reason- Holly was getting close to being willing to concede that that was maybe, possibly true.”

“More and more often these days days, though, Holly found herself thinking that perhaps what God wanted was not to be feared or obeyed or even to be worshiped -but maybe God just wanted to be wondered about.”

“You've got to let people be just, you know, people. Everyone does bad things sometimes, for all sorts of reasons. You've got to at least understand.”

“It was awful, but it's over. And now I feel like I'm finally coming up for air.""Yes, well, it's been a very stressful time for both of us," said Leonard."How has it been stressful for you? said Holly."I had that move."Holly just looked at him."What," said Leonard."You moved apartments" said Holly.”

“Why does anyone stay in an unhappy relationship? Because people do. They do it all the time. And the truth is, when you’re in it, when you’re up to your neck in the everyday part of life with another human being, sometimes you don’t exactly notice how bad things really are. It’s not always as apparent as it would seem. Unhappiness, when it involves another person, can be like that line from The Sun Also Rises about going bankrupt, how it happens two ways: gradually, and then suddenly.”

“Punish you for what?" said Jack."Everything! Nothing. I don't know. That's the problem," said Holly. "That's what happens when you grow up the way I did. You spend the rest of your life just waiting for God to smite the shit out of you.”

“Ordinarily, I am the person who falls in love quickly and somewhat inappropriately and then goes on to destroy what is a good thing. That's always been my style. So, you know: I get it. And I feel right now the way I imagine all those guys felt with me. And I have to say, for the first time in my life, I feel something approaching compassion for them.”