As the yellow gold is tried in fire, so the faith of friendship must be seen in adversity.
To define [Canada] or its literature seems like putting a finger on Zeno's arrow: no sooner do you think you have done it than it has moved on.
In Tharoor's hands [the story of modern India] is transformed into Mahabharata magic. . . . Endlessly inventive, irreverent, wise, ingenious,. . . it takes on at one level or another the entire panorama of modern India. . . . Energetic and eventful.
The strange machinery by which a reputation precedes its source we all know is faulty. Yet how much faith we put in it!
The thinker philosophizes as the lover loves. Even were the consequences not only useless but harmful, he must obey his impulse.
If you want to understand human beings, there are plenty of people to go to besides psychologists. . . . Most of these people are incapable of communicating their knowledge, but those who can communicate it are novelists. They are good novelists precisely because they are good psychologists.
The most important thing is to read as much as you can, like I did. It will give you an understanding of what makes good writing and it will enlarge your vocabulary.