W.S. Gilbert – The Mikado:

Merely corroborative detail, intended to give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative.

I threw “artistic verisimilitude” up there when I set up the blog, but considering the content, and the genre of the vast majority of the book reviews, I must admit that it is surprisingly apropos.

Carrie Fisher – Delusions of Grandma:

The talk was effectively the map to bring you to her.  Listening with something other than your ears, you would be able to break the code of all her chat.

He made a minor vocabulary error and she inwardly, magnanimously forgave him.

In a lot of ways, she didn’t feel like a very good person, and she was not about to be conned into believing otherwise.

God, yes.

Oscar Wilde – The Remarkable Rocket:

I am not going to stop to him merely because he pays no attention.  I like hearing myself talk.  It is one of my greatest pleasures.  I often have long conversations all by myself, and I am so clever that sometimes I don’t understand a single word of what I am saying.

Seems about right.

Meredith Duran – Written on Your Skin

He had made jokes for himself, expecting no one else to catch them, and indeed no one else had.

Max Beerbohm:

Only the insane take themselves quite seriously.

That should cover it, I think.