"He paid close attention to his appearance"

"He paid close attention to his appearance" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"The double entendre is noted"

"The double entendre is noted" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"For how could I give you any aid in such a matter?"

"For how could I give you any aid in such a matter?" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"Thank you for not making a scene"

"Thank you for not making a scene" - The Confusion by Neal Stephenson

"I remembered the first time a dentist gave me an injection"

"I remembered the first time a dentist gave me an injection" - Complicity by Julian Barnes

"We were never warned about heartbreak"

"We were never warned about heartbreak" - Complicity by Julian Barnes

"There's something about closing your eyes that makes you more vulnerable"

"There's something about closing your eyes that makes you more vulnerable" - Complicity by Julian Barnes

"I was trying to be myself, whatever that might be"

"I was trying to be myself, whatever that might be" - Complicity by Julian Barnes

"She never takes any notice of me, anyway"

"She never takes any notice of me, anyway" - Complicity by Julian Barnes

"I was the most solitary of all"

"I was the most solitary of all" - The Godchildren by Tessa Hadley

"We were really close, weren't we?"

"We were really close, weren't we?" - The Godchildren by Tessa Hadley

"We could go out in the garden; we could find a local pub"

"We could go out in the garden; we could find a local pub" - The Godchildren by Tessa Hadley

"I don't want anything"

"I don't want anything" - The Godchildren by Tessa Hadley

"You can't leave me here on my own"

"You can't leave me here on my own" - The Godchildren by Tessa Hadley

"She used to seem so glamorous"

"She used to seem so glamorous" - The Godchildren by Tessa Hadley

"The curtains were drawn across the windows in all the rooms"

"The curtains were drawn across the windows in all the rooms" - The Godchildren by Tessa Hadley

"He tries to formulate the words to explain"

"He tries to formulate the words to explain" - The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade

"He's proud, can't keep the smile from creeping in"

"He's proud, can't keep the smile from creeping in" - The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade

"He felt like a good influence"

"He felt like a good influence" - The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade

"The pipes hiss and gurgle in the wall near his head"

"The pipes hiss and gurgle in the wall near his head" - The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade

"He can hear every little thing you say"

"He can hear every little thing you say" - The Five Wounds by Kirsten Valdez Quade

"The sun is gone now; it will be dark soon"

"The sun is gone now; it will be dark soon" - The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade

"Was she shaking like a leaf?"

"Was she shaking like a leaf?" - Victory Lap by George Saunders

"Nothing had ever been weird around here before"

"Nothing had ever been weird around here before" - Victory Lap by George Saunders

"There was so much she didn't know!"

"There was so much she didn't know!" - Victory Lap by George Saunders

"He had come expecting to be welcomed"

"He had come expecting to be welcomed" - The Lower River by Paul Theroux

"Y lo que cambió ayer tendrá que cambiar mañana"

"Y lo que cambió ayer tendrá que cambiar mañana" - Todo cambia by Julio Numhauser

"The thump of the drums echoed in his skull"

"The thump of the drums echoed in his skull" - The Lower River by Paul Theroux

"They left on the motorcycle later in the morning"

"They left on the motorcycle later in the morning" - The Lower River by Paul Theroux

"They are waiting for you"

"They are waiting for you" - The Lower River by Paul Theroux

"He marvelled at the crowded dirty city"

"He marvelled at the crowded dirty city" - The Lower River by Paul Theroux