If you ever read this you should know that everything I write is necessary to explain what I later did.
-- Suzy (Prologue)

Importance: This quotation helps establish the purpose of Suzy’s letters to Mai, both in a literal and narrative sense. Much of the action of the novel involves Robert’s attempts to uncover Suzy’s secrets and motivations. However, he never possesses Suzy’s letters, which serve to inform both Mai and the reader as to the salient details of Suzy’s past that then led her to make important choices throughout her life.

Being with her was like discovering a new, unexpected person in myself.
-- Robert (chapter 2)

Importance: This quotation subtly reflects the irony of Robert and Suzy’s relationship, specifically the fact that in the eight years of their marriage, Robert never really discovers the intimate truths of Suzy and her past. Instead, he feels a sense of discovery that involves only...