“For while Pushkin had enjoyed watching the young man’s words drift by, Irina’s consciousness had closed upon them like the jaws of a trap. With an audible snap, she had taken hold and had no intention of letting go. In fact, so tight was her grip on the young man’s arguments that, should he ever want them back, he would have to gnaw through his own phrases the way a wolf in a trap gnaws through its ankle.”
Amor Towles is an American author born in 1964. His works are known for their exquisite prose and profound character development, with notable titles including 'Rules of Civility' and 'A Gentleman in Moscow'. Towles' novels often set in mid-20th-century New York, exploring themes of social class, love, and moral dilemmas. more
“The smallest part of your brain / is where something holy / resides:...”
“The night is strong in its taxidermy on earth. The parts-dark, parts-bleached.”
“You can't go through the looking-glass without cutting yourself.”