Man, in the ideal, is so noble and so sparkling, such a grand and glowing creature, that over any ignominious blemish in him all his fellows should run to throw their costliest robes.

I picked it up at a secondhand shop and I was surprised at how quickly and strongly I empathized with the character while at the same time being fascinated by the differences with which we perceive the world. Read it all the way to the counter, took it home, and finished it in a couple hours.