V. S. Pritchett

The secret of happiness is to find a congenial monotony.

How extraordinary it is that one feels most guilt about the sins one is unable to commit.

In our family, as far as we are concerned, we were born and what happened before that is myth.

The flaw of an amateur is to assume what's in our head is what's on the page.

I much prefer a compliment, even if insincere, to sincere criticism.

With my early work I got eviscerated by my male professors, and so you learned to disguise your impulses, as many women have done. And that's definitely changed.