Expansive Moods over the Wines of Several Countries

"He came to know [his children] much better than Nicole did, and in expansive moods over the wines of several countries he talked and played with them at length. They had that wistful charm, almost sadness, peculiar to children who have learned early not to cry or laugh with abandon; they were apparently moved to no extremes of emotion, but content with a simple regimentation and the simple pleasures allowed them. They lived on the even tenor found advisable in the experience of old families of the Western world, brought up rather than brought out. Dick thought, for example, that nothing was more conductive to the development of observation than compulsory silence."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tender is the Night, pages 254-5

I read TitN in college for a Hemingway and Fitzgerald class. It's a beautifully written book containing very astute observations about trivial people I just didn't care about - perfect for quoting!

Generally, I'm in the process of paring down my bookshelves in preparation for a move, so you'll probably see a lot more of these random quotes over the next month or so.