How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
"In my limited experience, women rarely leave because the sex is bad. The sex becomes bad because something else has gone wrong." (31.112)
Five dollars to Penny for being the most insightful character in the book. She's able to intuit in one conversation what Judd hasn't been able to figure out in the weeks since his separation: that he can't actually blame the sex for the failure of his relationship, no matter how much he'd like to. He really needs to blame himself.
Quote #8
You can see your parents have sex, you can see your wife in bed with your boss, and, still, none of it packs quite the same surreal punch as seeing your mother kiss another woman. (45.24)
Why does Hillary's lesbianism shock Judd more than any of the other (many) bizarre sexual encounters he's witnessed? Probably because his mother's sudden change in sexuality throws Judd's whole conception of sex upside-down in a way that an affair doesn't.
Quote #9
"I'm seventy-two years old. I drink my coffee alone every morning, and fall asleep with the TV on every night." He smiles. "There are headaches, and there are headaches." (45.31)
Here, when Judd tells Peter that he's better off without marrying Hillary, Mr. Applebaum gives Judd a glimpse into his own life: an old man still chasing after pretty women. We'd be terrified, but Judd seems to find it comforting. No matter how old he gets, he'll still want to make it with the ladies.