I never know what's going to happen in a novel. I don't have a plan or an outline. Donna Leon More Quotes by Donna Leon More Quotes From Donna Leon Italians know about human nature - they understand human nature perhaps better than anyone else does. They know that people are weak and greedy and lazy and dishonest and they just try to make the best of it; to work around it. Donna Leon lazy trying people And off in the far distance, the gold on the wings of the angel atop the bell tower of San Marco flashed in the sun, bathing the entire city in its glistening benediction. Donna Leon distance angel cities I have always had a particular antagonism for the military. Donna Leon antagonism particular military This is a fallen world. People lie, the truth gets distorted, and that's the way it is. What's for dinner ? Donna Leon lying people way Oh, so seldom does fate cast our enemy into our hands, to do with as we will Donna Leon fate hands enemy So much of contemporary crime fiction is painful to read and obsessed with violence, particularly against women, and I can't read that. Donna Leon violence painful fiction Venetians feel affection and loyalty to their city, rather than to the Italian state. Donna Leon italian loyalty cities I don't go to the movies because I don't like films. Donna Leon film My father read 'The New York Times,' my mother did secretarial work, we had a dog, we had a garden, I had a brother. Donna Leon brother dog mother I know you shouldn't spit in your own soup but I think most crime writing is like TV and doesn't make enormous demands on one's intellect. Donna Leon demand writing thinking I do not take any pleasure whatsoever in being a famous person. Donna Leon pleasure persons I was extraordinarily lucky. I wrote a book because I wanted to see if I could write a mystery. Someone nagged me into sending it to a contest, which it won, after which I was offered a two-book contract, thus requiring the writing of a second book. Donna Leon writing two book favors are always for ourselves. Especially when we ask for things for other people. Donna Leon asks favors people Sit around the bars, talked to people, ate in the restaurants, and chatted with the old ladies on the street. Fishermen are pretty much that way. Donna Leon bars people way I find the idea of vigilante justice very attractive. I like the idea that the murderer decides that this person has gone too far, and nothing will happen to him unless she does something to stop him. Donna Leon doe justice ideas And I don't want to live anywhere where I am famous. It makes me very, very uncomfortable, because it conveys an advantage over people, and I don't like that. Donna Leon advantage want people I was at La Fenice opera house back in 1991 with friends, and we started talking about a conductor whom none of us liked. Somehow there was an escalation, and we started talking about how to kill him, where to kill him. This struck me as a good idea for a book. Donna Leon talking book ideas The ending is one of my blackest, utterly without hope of any sort. Donna Leon without-hope We buy things. We wear them or put them on our walls, or sit on them, but anyone who wants to can take them away from us. Or break them. Donna Leon wall stupid believe I never wanted to be rich or successful or famous. I just wanted to be happy and have fun. Donna Leon rich successful fun
