From the Bookshelf of Around the World in 80 Books…

You look like you're independent. But did you know that first off, you come across as warm and feminine? My next thought is that you seem neat and organized, like you do everything thoroughly and methodically. On the outside, you act like you don't need other people. You can get things done quickly and well on your own, but at the same time, your mannerisms make you seem sensitive, like you pay strict attention to every last detail. (p. 193)

Why not let yourself be needy once in a while? (p. 194)

She understood the workings of destiny, the forces that had come to define her. She had seen all the world had to offer and was entirely capable of playing the hand she'd been dealt. (p. 202)

Despair was a fire inside of her, steeling her, incapable of immolating her, and so she was neither fragile nor self-pitying. She was resilient to the point of ruthlessness, toward herself as well as others, so much so that the love I gave her was stepped on, even trampled on. Because of despair, she would never submit to anyone or anything. (p. 203)

That's the kind of person she was. As far as intimacy went, she no longer had any desires or fantasies. What she had instead were crippling fears. She not only realized that she couldn't afford to pay the price but she refused to. (p. 220)

She had rejected love and taught herself to live without intimacy. (p. 220)

She let me give myself over completely, then prevented me from falling madly in love with her by forcing me to love her in a rational, controlled way. . .[She] wanted to admire me from afar, and it was enough for her to know that I'd always be there. (p. 221)

You haven't been honest with yourself. You're not ready to love someone if you can't even admit your feelings and needs to yourself. (p. 234)