How To Stop Time: A Novel

by Matt Haig

‘Possibility is everything that has ever happened. The purpose of science is to find out where the limits of possibility end. When we have achieved that – and we shall – there will be no more magic, no more superstition, there will just be what is.

Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.

Toronto is the greatest and happiest city on earth,

Do you know the way you can tell if a tightrope walker is any good?’ ‘How?’ ‘They’re still alive.’

Truth is a straight line you sometimes need to curve, you should know that by now.

Music simply uncovers what is there, makes you feel emotions that you didn’t necessarily know you had inside you, and runs around waking them all up. A rebirth of sorts.

What point would my life have, if there was a duplicate?’

And I feel a brief but intense surge of desire. I haven’t truly lusted after another human being for centuries, but when I look at Camille, when I hear her kind, strong voice, when I see the delicate creases around her eyes, when I feel the skin of her hand against the skin of mine, when I look at her mouth, my mind switches to what it would be like to be with her, to lose my way with her, to whisper longings into her ear, to devour and be devoured. To wake up in the same bed and talk and laugh and be in comfortable silence with her. To give her breakfast. Toast. Blackcurrant jam. Pink grapefruit juice. Maybe some watermelon. Sliced. On a plate. She would smile, and I see it in my mind, the smile, and I would dare to feel happy with another human being.

‘If there is such a thing as good marriage, it is because it resembles friendship rather than love.’