Alison Lurie

“There's a rule, I think. You get what you want in life, but not your second choice too.”

“Though most tourists accepted the occasional comic misadventure, it was important to them that overall their vacation should be pleasant. When you spend money on a holiday you are essentially purchasing happiness: if you don't enjoy yourself you will feel defrauded.”

“There is a peculiar burning odor in the room, like explosives. the kitchen fills with smoke and the hot, sweet, ashy smell of scorched cookies. The war has begun.”

“We can lie in the language of dress or try to tell the truth; but unless we are naked and bald, it is impossible to be silent.”

“As one went to Europe to see the living past, so one must visit Southern California to observe the future.”