Italians know about human nature - they understand human nature perhaps better than anyone else does. They know that people are weak and greedy and lazy and dishonest and they just try to make the best of it; to work… — Donna Leon Copy Share Image
Italians tend to be less rigidly moral and law-abiding than do Anglo-Saxons. They also have a profound suspicion of the state and most of its agencies. — Donna Leon Copy Share Image
“Vianello had the knack of getting people to talk. Especially if they were Venetians, the people he interviewed invariably warmed to this large, sweet-tempered… — Donna Leon Copy Share Image
This is a fallen world. People lie, the truth gets distorted, and that's the way it is. What's for dinner ? — Donna Leon Copy Share Image
“even the worst men wanted to be perceived as better than they were. How else could hypocrisy have risen to such delirious levels?” — Donna Leon Copy Share Image
“And will knowing what she reads make you know who she is?” “Can you think of a better way to tell?” — Donna Leon Copy Share Image
I never wanted to be rich or successful or famous. I just wanted to be happy and have fun. — Donna Leon Copy Share Image
“Helmut thought himself above common morality. Or perhaps he thought he’d managed to create his own, different from ours, better.” — Donna Leon Copy Share Image
“Once, walking with him, Paola had stopped and asked him what he was thinking about, and the fact that she was the only person… — Donna Leon Copy Share Image
“..if you put people on a diet, they start thinking about food. Or if you make someone stop smoking, all they think about is… — Donna Leon Copy Share Image
And off in the far distance, the gold on the wings of the angel atop the bell tower of San Marco flashed in the… — Donna Leon Copy Share Image
