"It weakens you to feel proud of yourself. Better use your breath to fight against the trail, to fight against the mountain" (p. 13).

"I sat thee on the cold ground feeling that human life didn't mean a thing in the world. People could be born and they could suffer, and they could die, and it didn't mean a thing" (p. 15).

"Nothing ever worked out that perfect in this world. And if I wanted it too bad it would never happen. The world was made so people never got what they wanted most. Or maybe they wanted most what they could never get" (p. 44).

"When you're tired, it's like all the force in the world works against you. Takes extra effort just to do little things. You feel it takes willpower just to breathe" (p. 86).

"I could never talk fast, and I could never say what I meant to...