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When you write a book for publication, you're writing it for other people to read.

The whole purpose of writing a book is to be understood - if other people write about you, they try to guess why you did things, or they hear things from other people.

When I write a book, I write a book for myself; the reaction is up to the reader. It's not my business whether people like or dislike it.

People who've read my reviews know my tastes, know how I approach a book, know my background. I can write with believable authority. It doesn't mean I'm always right.

I'm really lucky with the people around me. They know me, so they don't confuse the issues, really. They know what a book is and they know who I am and they know the difference between the two.

Once you publish a book, it is out of your control. You cannot dictate how people read it.

Authors are influenced by everything they've ever read. If you've read widely enough, it helps you create your own mix.

I always have the impression that I write the same book.

I get thousands of letters, and they give me a feeling of how each book is perceived. Often I think I have written about a certain theme, but by reading the letters or reviews, I realise that everybody sees the book differently.

I know when I go and see a writer, the first thing I think to myself is, 'Are they the character in the book?' You just can't help it; it's the way people are.