What they have in common is that if the reviewer did not already possess them, he would long for them most greedily.

305

The beginning of a plot is the prompting of desire.

246

We breathe, we think, we conceive of our lives as narratives.

143

Rice Krispies happens to be one of my favorite junk foods, just as I regard Michener as superior among junk writers.

137

One is happy to report that Israel Shenker is still at the aerosol stage. His energy is still compressed. The result distinguishes him both as a Jew and as an observer of Jews.

119

One misses the hiss of acid.

101

There's an enormous difference between being a critic and a reviewer. The reviewer reacts to the experience of that book.

90