Immediately I give myself a little mental slap. Fishing for compliments is a cardinal sin. “Never mind, I was only joking.

There’s a bookcase lining an entire wall. By the window there’s an armchair and another lamp, with a stack of books illuminated beneath it. Even more books on the coffee table. I’m intensely relieved by this. What would I have done if he turned out to be a beautiful illiterate?

Los Gamins se acurrucan en sus cubículos, como dulces palomas en un campanario, y examinan manuscritos en busca de la próxima sensación literaria. El aire que los rodea huele a té de jazmín y a papel impreso. Tienen en la pared a Shakespeare, como si fuera un chico de calendario.

Books were, and always would be, something a little magic and something to respect.

The trick is to find that one person who can give it back as good as they can take it.

It's one of the greatest compliments you can get when the guy who's taking the bullets behind you says you did a great job. That makes you want to block and protect that much harder.