The city, however, does not tell its past, but contains it like the lines of a hand

Thoughtful lightness can make frivolity seem dull and heavy.

Without translation, I would be limited to the borders of my own country. The translator is my most important ally. He introduces me to the world.

An exotic birthplace on its own is not informative of anything.

A classic is a work which persists as a background noise even when a present that is totally incompatible with it holds sway.

Falsehood is never in words; it is in things.