Lavinia

“You've heard tales of beauty and the beast. How a fair maid falls in love with a monster and sees the beauty of his soul beneath the hideous visage. But you've never heard the tale of the handsome man falling for the monstrous woman and finding joy in her love, because it doesn't happen, not even in a story-teller's tale.”
― Karen Maitland, Company of Liars

“What's terrible is to pretend that second-rate is first-rate. To pretend that you don't need love when you do; or you like your work when you know quite well you're capable of better.”
― Doris Lessing, The Golden Notebook

“King John won't need any persuading that the French have a hand in this. From what I've heard, if a bean gives him a bellyache he swears it was a French one.”
― Karen Maitland, The Gallows Curse

“Toţi suntem trişti, spunea el. Nu se vede întotdeauna, dar toţi oamenii sunt trişti.”
― Mircea Eliade, Noaptea de Sânziene