John Banville

"The universe contains no inherent meaning or purpose."

"Love is the strongest form of self-deception."

"Art exists in the space between intention and accident."

"We are always writing our lives backwards."

"Truth is less important than the search for truth."

"The modern world is a triumph of artifice."

"Kindness is often just fear dressed up."

"Every act of creation is an act of destruction."

"The past is not prologue; it is prisoner."

"Strength lies in accepting your weakness."

"Fear is the truest form of wisdom."

"We live in stories more than in facts."

"Gratitude is the memory of the heart."

"Everything is already over before it begins."

"Imagination fills the spaces reality cannot occupy."

"The pursuit of happiness often ensures its absence."

"Wars are fought over interpretations of the past."

"Justice is an ideal we maintain through constant failure."

"Perseverance is not strength; it is stubbornness elevated."

"Peace is the luxury of those who have suffered enough."

"Health is the state of being unaware of your body."

"Adventure begins where certainty ends."

"Money is frozen time and stolen possibility."

"Work is the religion of those without faith."

"Dreams are the mind's way of speaking truth."

"Humor is the acknowledgment of despair."

"Leadership is the ability to disappoint people effectively."

"Inspiration is what happens when research meets obsession."

"Technology separates us while claiming to unite us."

"Nature is indifferent to our romantic projections."