Len

“A ridiculous old age is perhaps the saddest and ultimate surprise human nature may have in store.”
― Machado de Assis, The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas

“All in all, Varya felt much the same as she had in the restaurant of the Hotel Royale when the men had caught the scent of blood and run wild, entirely forgetting that she even existed - yet another proof that by his very nature man was closer to the animal world than woman, that the feral principle was more pronounced in man, and therefore the true variety of Homo Sapiens was indeed woman, the more advanced, subtle and complex being.”
― Boris Akunin, The Turkish Gambit

“As she watched, one evening, he seated himself at dinner and said: 'Madame, you look absolutely exquisite tonight.'

'Thank you.' She passed the corn.”
― Ray Bradbury, A Literary Encounter, in We'll Always Have Paris

“A story given in Lillian Hellman's Scoundrel Time.

While attending the funeral of Hollywood producer Harry Cohn with a large number of mourners a friend said to George Jessel - I never saw such a mob at a funeral.

Jessel replied - Same old story: you give 'em what they want and they'll fill the theater.”
― George Jessel