I found myself back in the sepulchral city resenting the sight of people hurrying through the streets to filch a little money from each other, to dev… - Joseph Conrad

They trespassed upon my thoughts. They were intruders whose knowledge of life was to me an irritating pretense, because I felt so sure they could not possibly know the things I knew. Their bearing, which was simply the bearing of commonplace individuals going about their business in the assurance of perfect safety, was offensive to me like the outrageous flauntings of folly in the face of a danger it is unable to comprehend. I had no particular desire to enlighten them, but I had some difficulty in restraining myself from laughing in their faces, so full of stupid importance.

I found myself back in the sepulchral city resenting the sight of people hurrying through the streets to filch a little money from each other, to devour their infamous cookery, to gulp their unwholesome beer, to dream their insignificant and silly dreams. They trespassed upon my thoughts.

This could have occurred nowhere but in England, where men and sea interpenetrate, so to speak.

I have a voice, too, and for good or evil mine is the speech that cannot be silenced

Writing in English is like throwing mud at a wall.