Émile Zola Quotes

She was cold by nature, self-love predominating over passion; rather than being virtuous, she preferred to have her pleasures all to herself.

Respectable people... What bastards!

We are like books. Most people only see our cover, the minority read only the introduction, many people believe the critics. Few will know our content.

It is not I who am strong, it is reason, it is truth.

The fate of animals is of far greater importance to me than the fear of appearing ridiculous.

Art is a corner of creation seen through a temperament.

Don't go looking at me like that because you'll wear your eyes out.

The past was but the cemetery of our illusions: one simply stubbed one's toes on the gravestones.

When you have a sorrow that is too great it leaves no room for any other.

When lovers kiss on the cheeks, it is because they are searching, feeling for one another's lips. Lovers are made by a kiss.

They dared not peer down into their own natures, down into the feverish confusion that filled their minds with a kind of dense, acrid mist.

And then there are always clever people about to promise you that everything will be all right if only you put yourself out a bit... And you get carried away, you suffer so much from the things that exist that you ask for what can't ever exist. Now look at me, I was well away dreaming like a fool and seeing visions of a nice friendly life on good terms with everybody, and off I went, up into the clouds. And when you fall back into the mud it hurts a lot. No! None of it was true, none of those things we thought we could see existed at all. All that was really there was still more misery — oh yes! as much of that as you like — and bullets into the bargain!

When there is no hope in the future, the present appears atrociously bitter.

These young people naturally grow up with ideas different from ours, for they are born for times when we shall no longer be here

Je n'ai guère de souci de beauté ni de perfection... Je n'ai souci que de vie, de lutte, de fièvre.