Quotes from Banana Yoshimoto, The Lake

But I have my life, I'm living it. It's twisted, exhausting, uncertain, and full of guilt, but nonetheless, there's something there.

Just being with Nakajima made me feel as if we were detached from history, and had no particular age.

Everything in life has some good in it. And when something awful happens, the goodness stands out even more--it's sad, but that's the truth.

I didn't care whether I had gotten dressed, or what state my hair was in or anything– it didn't matter. I felt close to him, and I'd come to regard him as just another part of the scenery.

Nakajima's presence didn't put any pressure on me, either. Quite the opposite: there was a warmth in the core of my chest when he was around.