"Well, in any case it is certainly an improvement on your appearance the last time I saw you"

"Well, in any case it is certainly an improvement on your appearance the last time I saw you" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"But to express cogitations is not to perform them"

"But to express cogitations is not to perform them" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"Most people assumed it was just a stage-trick"

"Most people assumed it was just a stage-trick" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"All of it made noise that merged together into a mad grind"

"All of it made noise that merged together into a mad grind" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"They appeared to be celebrating something"

"They appeared to be celebrating something" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"Working late hours?"

"Working late hours?" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"You and I are but earth"

"You and I are but earth" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"But naturally, Cap'n - we're all in a panic, don't you see?"

"But naturally, Cap'n - we're all in a panic, don't you see?" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"Just so - if only we could jump fast enough, or had a strong enough wind at our backs, we could all be planets"

"Just so - if only we could jump fast enough, or had a strong enough wind at our backs, we could all be planets" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"Damn me, I'd almost forgotten about that old thing"

"Damn me, I'd almost forgotten about that old thing" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"What can he possibly be thinking"

"What can he possibly be thinking" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"It was a sincere request for information"

"It was a sincere request for information" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"What if Newton was right, and all the others wrong?"

"What if Newton was right, and all the others wrong?" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"Nothing here is going according to plan"

"Nothing here is going according to plan" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"Do you have any idea why I'm different?"

"Do you have any idea why I'm different?" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"State your intentions, Muse. I know you're there"

"State your intentions, Muse. I know you're there" - Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson

"We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same"

"We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same" - The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

"Don't worry," the old man said, winking. "I'll sing one of my short ones."

"Don't worry," the old man said, winking. "I'll sing one of my short ones." - War Dances by Sherman Alexie

"It's hard to tell sometimes what people are"

"It's hard to tell sometimes what people are" - War Dances by Sherman Alexie

"I unpacked my bag and found a dead cockroach"

"I unpacked my bag and found a dead cockroach" - War Dances by Sherman Alexie

"It was as if he were seeing her for the first time"

"It was as if he were seeing her for the first time" - The Valetudinarian by Joshua Ferris

"They don't give you a manual"

"They don't give you a manual" - The Valetudinarian by Joshua Ferris

"I didn't mean to make such terrible decisions"

"I didn't mean to make such terrible decisions" - The Valetudinarian by Joshua Ferris

"He knew none of the street names or city centers"

"He knew none of the street names or city centers" - The Valetudinarian by Joshua Ferris

"She would devote her life to these creatures"

"She would devote her life to these creatures" - Remembering Babylon by David Malouf

"Slipping out in the dark he would track night-scented flowers in the summer woods"

"Slipping out in the dark he would track night-scented flowers in the summer woods" - Remembering Babylon by David Malouf

"She would not let them see how they had unsettled her"

"She would not let them see how they had unsettled her" - Remembering Babylon by David Malouf

"He had several favourite retreats"

"He had several favourite retreats" - Remembering Babylon by David Malouf

"Such happy memories of earlier days"

"Such happy memories of earlier days" - Remembering Babylon by David Malouf

"It did not occur to her that he might be protecting himself"

"It did not occur to her that he might be protecting himself" - Remembering Babylon by David Malouf

"She was a puzzle to him"

"She was a puzzle to him" - Remembering Babylon by David Malouf