Julian Barns

Books say: She did this because. Life says: She did this. Books are where things are explained to you; life is where things aren't. I'm not surprised some people prefer books.

This was another of our fears: that Life wouldn't turn out to be like Literature.

To be stupid, and selfish, and to have good health are the three requirements for happiness - though if stupidity is lacking, the others are useless.

It strikes me that this may be one of the differences between youth and age: when we are young, we invent different futures for ourselves; when we are old, we invent different pasts for others.

What you end up remembering isn't always the same as what you have witnessed.

The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously.

Women were brought up to believe that men were the answer. They weren't. They weren't even one of the questions.