“The problem lies not with the characters within the novel, but with the reader itself.”

“The true magic of novels dwells within us individually. Each reader will interpret every single character, scene, and metaphor in a slightly different way”

“To write an excellent novel, make the outcome of the story matter to the reader through the evolving relationships between well-designed characters.”

“Merrick belonged to that class of reader who was able to forget with amazing ease the hand moving the characters behind the scenes of the novel.”

“A good novel is one that shows the complexity of individuals, and creates enough space for all these characters to have a voice; in this way a novel is called democratic - not that it advocates democracy but that by nature it is so. Empathy lies at the heart of Gatsby, like so many other great novels - the biggest sin is to be blind to others' problems and pains. Not seeing them means denying their existence.”

“The sign of a good novel is what it can cause its reader to see, even if this lies beyond the author's own vision.”