Massimo's Web page

Finished reading "The uncommon reader" by Alan Bennett (faber and faber, Profile books editors) I love to quote:

"When they arrived at the palace she [the Queen] had a word with Grant, the young footman in charge, who said that while ma'am had been in the Lords the sniffer dogs had been round and security had confiscated the book. He thought it had probably been exploded.
'Exploded?' said the Queen. 'But it was Anita Brookner.'
The young man, who seemed remarkably undeferential, said security may have thought it was a device.
The Queen said: 'Yes. That is exactly what it is. A book is a device to ignite the imagination.'
The foot man said: 'Yes, ma'am.'"

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Your arguments are so old that I have forgotten all the answers to them
(The Partisan Review editor)

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"Come in, 007," said M. "It's good to see you back."

From the backcover of the James Bond novel:
Devil may care
written by Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming

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"The grate was empy and a clock on the otherwise bare mantlepiece ticked the present into past with irritating insistence"

From
The Private Patient
by P.D.James, page 278 of the "faber and faber" edition, 2008.

I would suggest the reading of this book I am enjoying.