Anatole France Quotes

I must beg very serious persons not to read this. It is not written for them. It is not written for grave people who despise trifles and who always require to be instructed. I only venture to offer this to those who like to be entertained, and whose minds are both young and gay. Only those who are amused by innocent pleasures will read this to the end.

Great courage was required to engage in such an adventure. But George was in love and Freeheart was faithful. And as the most delightful of poets says
“What cannot Friendship guided by sweet Love?

The majestic equality of the law forbids rich and poor alike from pissing in the streets, sleeping under bridges, and stealing bread.

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.

"You cry, "give us war!" You are visionaries. When will you become thinkers? The thinkers do not look for power and strength from any of the dreams that constitute military art: tactics, strategies, fortifications, artillery and all that rubbish. They do no believe in war, which is a fantasy; they believe in chemistry, which is a science. They know the way to put victory into an algebraic formula."

Insane Europeans who plot to cut each others’ throats, now that one and the same civilisation enfolds and unites them all!

The sadness of churches at night moves me; I feel in them the grandeur of nothingness.

Les vierges entonnaient le cantique de Zacharie: — Béni soit le Seigneur, le dieu d'Israël.
Brusquement la voix s'arrêta dans leur gorge. Elles avaient vu la face du moine et elles fuyaient d'épouvante en criant: — Un vampire! un vampire!
Il était devenu si hideux qu'en passant la main sur son visage, il sentit sa laideur.

In its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread.

C'est dans l'absolue ignorance de notre raison d'être qu'est la racine de notre tristesse et de nos dégoûts.

Ah! Yes, the truth, that ingenious concoction of desirability of appearance.

The history books which contain no lies are extremely tedious

La paix universelle se réalisera un jour non parce que les hommes deviendront meilleurs mais parce qu'un nouvel ordre, une science nouvelle, de nouvelles nécessités économiques leur imposeront l'état pacifique.

آری ریشه همه بیچارگی‌ها درونی ما در خود ما است، ما تصور می‌کنیم بدبختی از بیرون به ما هجوم می‌آورد ولی این درون ماست که سرچشمه اصلی تلخی‌ها و خوشی‌های زندگی است.

Das Leben ist zu kurz und Proust zu lang...