

“After all, what can a first impression tell us about someone we’ve just met for a minute in the lobby of a hotel? For that matter, what can a first impression tell us about anyone? Why, no more than a chord can tell us about Beethoven, or a brushstroke about Botticelli. By their very nature, human beings are so capricious, so complex, so delightfully contradictory, that they deserve not only our consideration, but our reconsideration—and our unwavering determination to withhold our opinion until we have engaged with them in every possible setting at every possible hour.”
― A Gentleman in Moscow
― A Gentleman in Moscow

“I have grown to love secrecy. It seems to be the one thing that can make modern life mysterious or marvelous to us. The commonest thing is delightful if only one hides it.”
― The Picture of Dorian Gray
― The Picture of Dorian Gray

“It's necessary to have wished for death in order to know how good it is to live.”
― The Count of Monte Cristo
― The Count of Monte Cristo

“The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.”
― Meditations
― Meditations

“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth.”
― Crime and Punishment
― Crime and Punishment
Carlos’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Carlos’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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