“It’s very hard, feeling that you’re no more than a piece of unwanted furniture in this world.”

Exquisite nature, daydreams, and music say one thing, real life another.

Not one of our mortal gauges is suitable for evaluating non-existence, for making judgments about that which is not a person.

You will not become a saint through other people’s sins.

The government is not God. It does not have the right to take away that which it can’t return even if it wants to.

Oh, I have now a mania for shortness. Whatever I read – my own or other people’s works – it all seems to me not short enough.

The happy man only feels at ease because the unhappy bear their burden in silence. Without this silence, happiness would be impossible.

He is an emancipated thinker who is not afraid to write foolish things.

I kept thinking how marvellous it would be if I could somehow tear my heart, which felt so heavy, out of my chest.

My own experience is that once a story has been written, one has to cross out the beginning and the end. It is there that we authors do most of our lying.

In short stories it is better to say not enough than to say too much, because, because–I don’t know why.

It’s not a matter of old or new forms; a person writes without thinking about any forms, he writes because it flows freely from his soul.

The aim of fiction is absolute and honest truth.

Write, write, write-till your fingers break.

The role of the artist is to ask questions, not answer them.

A woman can become a man’s friend only in the following stages – first an acquantaince, next a mistress, and only then a friend.

You must trust and believe in people or life becomes impossible.

We went from apartment to apartment by ourselves. One of the best memories I had was when we moved into our first apartment, no bed, no furniture and we just sat in the living room and just hugged each other. We thought we made it.

… if they [your children] write their names in the dust on the furniture, don’t let them put the year.

I couldn’t live a week without a private library – indeed, I’d part with all my furniture and squat and sleep on the floor before I’d let go of the 1500 or so books I possess.

No animal should ever jump up on the dining-room furniture unless absolutely certain that he can hold his own in the conversation.

Science is an excellent piece of furniture to have in the second story, providing that you have common sense on the ground floor.

When every piece of furniture and your underwear are taken by the bank, when you lose your house in Florida, in New York,

As a girl, my favorite toy was my dollhouse; if I could still play with it now, I would! I used to love a well-arranged room: the furniture, the fabric, the lighting.

I love to decorate a room – from the furniture to the objects to the books.