Table for Two

by Amor Towles

“Not all drunks become mean, Jerry. They don’t all become violent. Some become quiet. Others become the life of the party. But when they’re drinking, there’s one thing they all become. And that’s liars. Every last one of them.”

But when a man is paid to provide his opinions and he’s had some success in doing so, he is bound to become a little insufferable.

Served at an inconvenient hour, prepared by such an army of chefs that half the dishes are overcooked, half are undercooked, and all are served cold, Thanksgiving is not a meal for a man who eats with discernment.

When you’re down and out in Hollywood, everyone’s a comedian. That was rule number two.

After twenty years in this town, Litsky could believe almost anything. He’d seen morons get rich and geniuses go broke.

And when the momentum was against you, exculpatory details tended to be either overlooked or swept aside.