If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it fall, does it make a — Paul Auster

"The story is not in the words; its in the struggle."

"[G]overnments always need enemies, even when theyre not at war. If you dont have a real enemy, you make one up and spread the word. It scares the population, and when the people are scared, they tend not to step out of line."

"Every time my nose gushed blood, I felt like a little boy whod wet his pants. I jumped out of the chair, pressed a handkerchief against my face, and hustled toward the nearest bathroom [...] How red the blood looked against the whiteness of the porcelain sink, I thought. How vividly imagined that color was, how aesthetically shocking. The other fluids that came out of us were dull in comparison, the palest of squirts. Whitish spittle, milky semen, yellow pee, green-brown mucus. We excreted autumn and winter colors, but running invisibly through our veins, the very stuff that kept us alive, was the crimson of a mad artist—a red as brilliant as fresh paint."

"I didnt say I was afraid of dying, I answered, I said that I was afraid to get on a plane. There is a difference. (David to Dr. Singh)"

"Thats what makes his story so impossible, David. Because hes told me the truth. (Alma to David on Hector)"

"Men dont begin to live fully until their backs are against the wall."