"She has spent a lot of time on her own and certainly that makes a person susceptible to overthinking simple transactions and occasionally losing perspective."
The quote gives more depth and characterization to the young woman at the center of the novel. Though she is an intelligent young woman, she is prone to obsession with the books which she loves so much. But her obsession with the literature she reads affects her life in a number of ways—mostly negatively. Because of her obsession, she finds herself overthinking everything in her life and losing the perspective that makes people human. Her obsession, in other words, harms her soul and her life.
"No matter what book we had in our hands we found it simply impossible to refrain from wondering incessantly about what kinds of words exactly were inside the other books."
This quote reflects the young woman's mindset: she is engrossed in the world of literature and books and spends every waking moment thinking about novels. She thinks about the books she is currently reading. Even while reading her current book, though, the young woman thinks about the books that she will read next—to the detriment of the rest of her life. Instead of focusing on living, in other words, she focuses on what she will do next and what she will read next.
"Mimicry can be unkind, but at least it acknowledges that you’re there."
This quote is an offshoot of the common phrase "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Imitation, in the world of the unnamed narrator (who said the above quote), can often be unkind. Sometimes, imitation can be cruel and unkind and mocking; however, when someone mimics you, they acknowledge that you exist when they otherwise would never acknowledge you.
