“ And when Aaron called out for him just then, right on time, there was something beautiful about that, too, the way a little kid needed you for everything and wasn't afraid to say so. Tom Perrotta
“ Because that's what privilege is-the license to treat other people like shit while still getting to believe that you're a good person. Tom Perrotta
“ Quite a metaphor. The person in the most pain wins. Does that mean I get a Blue Ribbon? Tom Perrotta
“ Ever since the development of the spine, the individual had become paramount, the group disregarded. Ghiselle was only following the downhill path of her species. Tom Perrotta
“ She wasn't a tragic widow, after all, just another woman betrayed by a selfish man. It was a smaller, more familiar role, and a lot easier to play. Tom Perrotta
“ She was about to laugh at the selfishness of her reaction, but she was distracted by the cool evening air when she stepped outside, the dusky blue of the sky, and the freshly paved street in front of… Tom Perrotta
“ She took care of evyone with the same no-nonsense air of friendliness and good cheer that made her seem so paradoxically wholesome, as if she were convinced that being a slut and being a really nice p… Tom Perrotta
“ Patty seemed like a nice enough woman—of course, most people seemed nice enough when they weren't allowed to talk… Tom Perrotta
“ If you’re thinking about doing something you won’t be able to confess to your spouse or best friend, then DON’T DO IT! YOU ALREADY KNOW IT’S WRONG! Tom Perrotta
“ He made me think of all the books I hadn't read, and all the ones I'd read but hadn't fully understood. Tom Perrotta
“ Diane used to joke that I was getting in touch with my own inner asshole, but all I was really doing was claiming my American birthright. There's a sales professional lying dormant in each and every o… Tom Perrotta
“ Because, really, what was worse than lying wide-awake in the dark, watching your life drip away, one irreplaceable minute after another? Tom Perrotta
“ All through that winter and into the spring, when our Tuesday and Thursday-night dinner shifts were done, Matt and I would sit at the long table near the salad bar and plan his end-of-the-year party,… Tom Perrotta
“ We read fiction to satisfy a more basic need—to imagine our way into other lives, to explore characters and situations that tell us something new about the world, and maybe about ourselves, or to remi… Tom Perrotta
“ Unburdening, she’d told Laurie about a vision she’d had when she was four or five years old. Unable to sleep on Christmas Eve, she’d tiptoed downstairs and seen a fat bearded man standing in front of… Tom Perrotta
“ Jill felt an emptiness open inside of her as she lifted her arm, a sense that something vital was being subtracted from her life. It was always like that when somebody you cared about went away, even… Tom Perrotta
“ And of course they used her like a disposable object, without regret or apology, because that’s what privilege is—the license to treat other people like shit while still getting to believe that you’re… Tom Perrotta
“ And later, of course, she got too busy. She asks Royce if he heard anything from Grace, ever. No. No. Why should I? I just thought. No. I thought you might have looked her up later on. Not a good idea… Tom Perrotta
