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I think of my novels as entertainments.

I write the kinds of novels I like to read, where the setting is rendered with love and care.

There's more fiction in my life than in books, so I don't bother with them.

Novels attempt to render human experience; that's really all they are. They are meant to convey empathy for the character.

I like reading novels because it provides insight into human behavior. I am really interested in feelings and think they are what define us as a species. When you really get it right in acting, it's an act of empathy. You feel less distant from others, and that is really exciting.

I don't very often read novels.

I write what I call 'novels of consolation' for people who are bright and sophisticated.

Of course there is no denying the possible pleasure of holing up with a fat, slow-moving, mediocre novel; still, we all know that we can indulge ourselves in that fashion only so much. In the end, we read not for reading's sake, but to learn.