You never finish writing a novel, you eventually abandon it.

Slowly he took out the clothes in which, ten years beforem Cosette had left Montfermeil; first the little dress, then the black scarf, then the great heavy child's shoes Cosette could still almost have worn, so small was her foot, then the vest of very thich fustian, then the knitted petticoat, the the apron with pockets, then the wool stockings.... Then his venerable white head fell on the bed, this old stoical heart broke, his face was swallowed up, so to speak, in Cosette's clothes, and anybody who had passed along the staircase at that moment would have heard irrepressible sobbing.

Victor Hugo

Tobacco, divine, rare, superexcellent tobacco, which goes far beyond all the panaceas, potable gold, and philosophers stones, a sovereign remedy to all diseases but as it is commonly abused by most men, which take it as tinkers do ale, 'Tis a plague, a mischief, a violent purger of goods, lands, health; hellish, devilish and damned tobacco, the ruin and overthrow of body and soul.

Robert Burton

Will power is only the tensile strength of one's own disposition. One cannot increase it by a single ounce.

Cesare Pavese

When I was eight, I played Little League. I was on first; Istole third; I went straight across. Earlier that week, Ilearned that the shortest distance between two points was adirect line. I took advantage of that knowledge.

Steven Wright

It's a real primal thing, watching someone get hurt. It's funny and accessible.

Johnny Knoxville

There is not in the universe a more ridiculous, nor a more contemptible animal, than a proud clergyman.

Henry Fielding

There is no such thing as a great talent without great will power.

Honore de Balzac

I think to be - for me to be an American is - you know, it's one of the greatest things in the world for - you know, for me just because I've been able to grow up with everything. The freedom. You know, in my eyes this is the greatest country in the world.

Michael Phelps

There had always been a conflict in me between mystery and meaning. I had pursued tha latter, worshipped the latter as a doctor. As a socialist and rationalist. But then I saw that the attempt to scientize reality, to name it and categorize it and vivisect it out of existence, was like trying to remove the air from the atmosphere. In the creating of the vacuum it was the experimenter who died, because he was inside the vacuum.

John Fowles

The Lord has been with me throughout my life. He's never let me down.

Annette Funicello

When they call the slightest spending reductions 'painful', we will say 'If government spending prevents pain, why are we suffering so much of it?' And 'If you want to experience real pain, just stay on the track we are on.'

Mitch Daniels

Confidence doesn't come out of nowhere. It's a result of something... hours and days and weeks and years of constant work and dedication.

Roger Staubach