"When Gerald had won Barwick, which was Nick's home constituency, the arrangement was jovially hailed as having the logic of poetry, or fate." Chapter 1, p. 4

"Of course, there was nothing wrong in being charming to the housekeeper, and Elena's view on Guardi was probably just as interesting as Rachel's and more so than Gerald's, but still the moment which seemed to remember for its charm Nick recalled as a tiny faux pas." Chapter 2, p. 22

"He confessed but entirely imaginary seductions took on - partly through the special effort required to invent them and repeat them consistently - the quality of real memories." Chapter 2, p. 24

"He wasn't quite ready to accept the fact that if he was going to have a lover it wouldn't be Toby or any other drunk straight boy hopping the fence, it would be a gay lover - that compromised thing that he would then...