Keerthi

“Why are my edges all sharpening—what I am going to gouge?”
― Han Kang, The Vegetarian

“For some people, the mask might become so tightly stuck that they can’t remove it,” I said. “Yes,” she said quietly. “Maybe that’s true.” She gave a faint smile. “But even if a mask gets stuck and can’t be removed, that doesn’t change the fact that beneath it, the real face remains.”
― Haruki Murakami, First Person Singular: Stories

“Once you name something, it stops you seeing the whole of it, or why it matters. You focus on the word, which is just the tiniest part, really, the tip of an iceberg.”
― Alex Michaelides, The Silent Patient

“Steve sighed, wishing for a cigarette. “The Buddha teaches respect for all life.” “Oh.” She considered this. “Are you a Buddhist?” “No. I’m an asshole. But I keep trying.”
― Scott Hawkins, The Library at Mount Char