When the beginnings of self-destruction enter the heart it seems no bigger than a grain of sand. - John Cheever

A collection of short stories is generally thought to be a horrendous clinker; an enforced courtesy for the elderly writer who wants to display the trophies of his youth, along with his trout flies.

Literature has been the salvation of the damned, literature has inspired and guided lovers, routed despair and can perhaps in this case save the world.

Admire the world. Relish the love of a gentle woman. Trust in the lord.