“Proust is a hero of mine. I read 'A la recherche' in one go, and I'm a...” — Edward St Aubyn Quote

“Proust is a hero of mine. I read 'A la recherche' in one go, and I'm a very slow reader. It had an astonishing impact, reading it on my own and being my main company. I think Proust is the most intelligent person to ever have written a novel.”

“It's no use imagining that bringing great writers together inevitably precipitates great conversation.”

“The first book I fell in love with was 'Little Toot,' the story of an adorable tugboat operating out of New York Harbor.”

“Don't you think it astonishing that, at 58, I am still working at improving my career?”

“Francis Lawrence is an astonishing filmmaker, an incredibly gifted visual filmmaker. I have great respect for his work.”

“I'd love to make films in England, and I tried to. I think there's a wealth of amazing talent and astonishing writing over here; there just seems to be more of a culture of developing films than actually making them.”