We routinely leave our small children in day care among strangers. At the same time, in our guilt we evince paranoia about strangers and foster fear in children.
Life’s too slippery for books, Clarice; anger appears as lust, lupus presents as hives.
I’ll confess it is pleasant to look at you asleep. You’re quite beautiful, Clarice.
Hannibal Lecter: We live in a primitive time – don’t we, Will? – neither savage nor wise. Half measures are the curse of it. Any rational society would either kill me or give me my books.
When Will Graham could open his right eye, he saw the clock and knew where he was- an intensive-care unit. He knew to watch the clock. Its movement assured him that this was passing, would pass. That’s what it was there for.
The advantage of beating a mute is he can’t tell on you.
The most stable elements, Clarice, appear in the middle of the periodic table, roughly between iron and silver. Between iron and silver. I think that is appropriate for you.
One quality in a person doesn’t rule out any other quality. They can exist side by side, good and terrible. Socrates said it a lot better.
It occured to Starling how much Roden would benefit from an elbow smash in the hinge of his jaw.
Shiloh isn’t haunted – men are haunted. Shiloh doesn’t care.
Writing novels is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, including digging irrigation ditches.
He moves smoothly and slowly, carrying his concentration like a brimming cup.
I expect most psychiatrists have a patient or two they’d like to refer to me.
I love myself that much and I will never apologize to you.
In making friends, she was wary of people who foster dependency and feed on it. She had been involved with a few – the blind attract them, and they are the enemy.
Nothing makes us more vulnerable than loneliness except greed.
On a related subject, Signore Pazzi, I must confess to you: I’m giving serious thought to eating your wife.
I am the dragon, and you call me insane.
I’m doing one of three things: I’m writing. I’m staring out the window. Or I’m writhing on the floor.
God’s creatures who cried themselves to sleep stirred to cry again.