The memories of long love gather like drifting snow, poignant as the mandarin ducks who float side by side in sleep.
—Murasaki Shikibu
Anything whatsoever may become the subject of a novel, provided only that it happens in this mundane life and not in some fairyland beyond our human ken.
—Murasaki Shikibu
People who have become so precious that they go out of their way to try and be sensitive in the most unpromising situations, trying to capture every moment of interest, are bound to look ridiculous and superficial.
—Murasaki Shikibu
Foolish indeed are those who trust to fortune.
—Murasaki Shikibu
Topics: Luck
Wondering Whom to Read Next?
Anthony Powell English Novelist
C. S. Lewis Irish-born Author, Scholar
Nikolai Gogol Russian Novelist, Dramatist
Haruki Murakami Japanese Novelist
Yasunari Kawabata Japanese Novelist, Short Story Writer
Tanizaki Jun’ichiro Japanese Novelist
Karen Blixen (Isak Dinesen) Danish Novelist, Short-story Writer
Etty Hillesum Dutch Diarist
James Boswell Scottish Biographer, Diarist
William Blake English Poet