Madonna in a Fur Coat (Penguin Modern Classics)

Here it was, in all its starkness: the frenetic jubilation of a country no longer at war.

had read enough ideas into that pale face to fill a library; I had imbued it with qualities that were not just unlikely, but impossible.

That said, I had always been one of those quiet boys who preferred dreams to the real world. I was, in addition, absurdly shy, and therefore often mistaken for a fool, which upset me deeply. For nothing terrified me more than the prospect of correcting a false impression.

A soul only came forward when it found its twin, when it felt no need to rely on mere words to explain itself … It was only then that we truly began to live – live with our soul.

In the beginning it was curiosity that kept us talking. We were always looking for new things in each other. Over time, curiosity gave way to habit.

‘If a person truly has the ability to love, then he can never monopolize his beloved. And neither can his beloved monopolize him. The more he spreads his love, the more he adores his one and only true love. When love spreads, it does not diminish.’

The logic in our minds had always been at odds with the logic of life itself.

‘Last night, especially after we came here – oh, the things I hoped for … I dreamed of a magic wand that would change me utterly, give me a new heart, one that combined the innocence of a little girl with the power to embrace all creation, so that when I woke up in the morning I would wake up to a new world. But the truth is another country … the s

They had no interest in being real people: they preferred to be objects of desire and act like dolls.