I am experiencing a dislocation of reality.
-- Clare (chapter 1)

Importance: This quote foreshadows Clare's mental delusions she experiences throughout the novel. The novel begins with Clare trying to figure out why she is in Havana, when she thinks of this line. Later, the readers find out that Clare came to Havana because she was unable to cope with her dual personalities and came looking for peace. Also, this quote shows that Clare is an unreliable narrator, she does not know what is real and what is in her mind.

Cities were a continuous well of fascination and dread.
-- Richard (chapter 2)

Importance: Richard believed that people were afraid of rural areas because of the vast darkness that lies within them, but he was more terrified of cities because of the history that lay beneath them. This shows that Richard is not a man of secrets, he likes openness. His idea is that the layers upon layers of...