"Finally a horn sounded from the marshes"

"Finally a horn sounded from the marshes" - The System of the World by Neil Stephenson

"But they were off on a river cruise today"

"But they were off on a river cruise today" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"Why do I encounter them everywhere I go?"

"Why do I encounter them everywhere I go?" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"And what form does Gravity take, that gives it this astonishing power of streaming through the solid earth?"

"And what form does Gravity take, that gives it this astonishing power of streaming through the solid earth?" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"In truth I am no gentleman, though I can be a gentle man"

"In truth I am no gentleman, though I can be a gentle man" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"I said it before, sir, you are a gentle man"

"I said it before, sir, you are a gentle man" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"Once it is before my mind's eye, I may see it as if it were there, and describe it"

"Once it is before my mind's eye, I may see it as if it were there, and describe it" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"I beg your pardon?"

"I beg your pardon?" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"I see incontrovertible signs of nakedness in her"

"I see incontrovertible signs of nakedness in her" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"His eyes were great luminous ice-balls hanging in space"

"His eyes were great luminous ice-balls hanging in space" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"Modest. Nothing gaudy"

"Modest. Nothing gaudy" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"This produced a brief but profound silence"

"This produced a brief but profound silence" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"What the hell are you doing?"

"What the hell are you doing?" - The System of the World by Neal Stephenson

"Why is everything I am conjuring up in black-and-white?"

"Why is everything I am conjuring up in black-and-white?" - Indianapolis (Highway 74) - by Sam Shephard

"She turns to me with a smile and rubs her eyes with the back of her hand"

"She turns to me with a smile and rubs her eyes with the back of her hand" - Indianapolis (Highway 74) by Sam Shepard

"It's just great to see you again"

"It's just great to see you again" - Indianapolis (Highway 74) by Sam Shepard

"For some reason, the background seems to have gone silent"

"For some reason, the background seems to have gone silent" - Indianapolis (Highway 74) by Sam Shepard

"You don't remember me, do you?"

"You don't remember me, do you?" - Indianapolis (Highway 74) by Sam Shepard

"Dead of winter, icy roads, wind blowing sideways across the empty cornfields"

"Dead of winter, icy roads, wind blowing sideways across the empty cornfields" - Indianapolis (Highway 74) by Sam Shepard

"He feels a great weight pressing down on his head"

"He feels a great weight pressing down on his head" - Premium Harmony by Stephen King

"You go past the same scenery time after time, but you don't see it"

"You go past the same scenery time after time, but you don't see it" - Premium Harmony by Stephen King

"These half and quarter truths were the best words he had ever spoken"

"These half and quarter truths were the best words he had ever spoken" - The Use of Poetry by Ian McEwan

"His head was full of maths and girlfriends, physics and drinking"

"His head was full of maths and girlfriends, physics and drinking" - The Use of Poetry by Ian McEwan

"I was myself here, able to see things singly and plainly"

"I was myself here, able to see things singly and plainly" - Midnight in Dostoevsky by Don DeLillo

"I stood and looked, I was always looking"

"I stood and looked, I was always looking" - Midnight in Dostoevsky by Don DeLillo

"He didn't want to know who we were"

"He didn't want to know who we were" - Midnight in Dostoevsky by Don DeLillo

"He stared into the wall at the far end of the room"

"He stared into the wall at the far end of the room" - Midnight in Dostoevsky by Don DeLillo

"Low skies and bare trees, hardly a soul to be seen"

"Low skies and bare trees, hardly a soul to be seen" - Midnight in Dostoevsky by Don DeLillo

"We were two sombre boys hunched in our coats, grim winter settling in"

"We were two sombre boys hunched in our coats, grim winter settling in" - Midnight in Dostoevsky by Don DeLillo

"Do you really think it will go unnoticed?"

"Do you really think it will go unnoticed?" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"At any rate, the Wheel has now turned again"

"At any rate, the Wheel has now turned again" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"My life has been uneventful by comparison"

"My life has been uneventful by comparison" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"A smile might have played round my lips"

"A smile might have played round my lips" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"For confusion is a kind of bewitchment"

"For confusion is a kind of bewitchment" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"Pay attention, that's all. Notice things"

"Pay attention, that's all. Notice things" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"Connect what you've noticed. Connect it into a picture"

"Connect what you've noticed. Connect it into a picture" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"You could not extract the Philosophic Mercury from gold"

"You could not extract the Philosophic Mercury from gold" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"And I am not in the mood to be tender and conciliatory just now"

"And I am not in the mood to be tender and conciliatory just now" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"Gold and silver will appear in our coffers as if by magic"

"Gold and silver will appear in our coffers as if by magic" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"I have begun thinking like an Alchemist"

"I have begun thinking like an Alchemist" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"There are ragged bandit gangs all over the place"

"There are ragged bandit gangs all over the place" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"I do not know the nature of your involvement with this"

"I do not know the nature of your involvement with this" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"That? It is a hole in the wall, a niche, a dovecote"

"That? It is a hole in the wall, a niche, a dovecote" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"I confess that I was observing through the window"

"I confess that I was observing through the window" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"In coming weeks, I'll be moving around quite a bit"

"In coming weeks, I'll be moving around quite a bit" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"It makes me worry that you are about to get in trouble again"

"It makes me worry that you are about to get in trouble again" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"Does anyone else here in London have dough?"

"Does anyone else here in London have dough?" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"It felt as if it had been stung by a bee"

"It felt as if it had been stung by a bee" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"It was the sort of dilemma that might make a fellow anxious"

"It was the sort of dilemma that might make a fellow anxious" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"Because the next thing you'll do is melt it down to extract that mystery"

"Because the next thing you'll do is melt it down to extract that mystery" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson