Stendhal Quotes

In Paris, Julien’s position with regard to Madame de Renal would very soon have been simplified; but in Paris love is the child of the novels. The young tutor and his timid mistress would have found in three or four novels, and even in the lyrics of the Gymnase, a clear statement of their situation. The novels would have outlined for them the part to be played, shown them the model to copy; and this model, sooner or later, albeit without the slightest pleasure, and perhaps with reluctance, vanity would have compelled Julien to follow.

In a small town of the Aveyron or the Pyrenees, the slightest incident would have been made decisive by the ardour of the climate. Beneath our more sombre skies, a penniless young man, who is ambitious only because the refinement of his nature puts him in need of some of those pleasures which money provides, is in daily contact with a woman of thirty who is sincerely virtuous, occupied with her children, and never looks to novels for examples of conduct. Everything goes slowly, everything happens by degrees in the provinces: life is more natural.

Un drum e oare mai puţin frumos fiindcă sunt spini în tufişurile de pe margini? Călătorul trece mai departe şi lasă spinii urâcioşi să rebegească în drum.

One can acquire everything in solitude except character.

Με τον έρωτα αισθάνομαι πως δυο βήματα από μένα υπάρχει μια απέραντη και πέρα απ' όλες τις προσδοκίες μου ευτυχία, που εξαρτάται μόνο από μια λέξη, από ένα χαμόγελο.

The suspicion that a rival is loved is painful enough already, but to have the love that he inspires in her confessed to one in detail by the woman whom one adores is without doubt the acme of suffering.

¡Quién iba a decirme que yo iba a encontrar placer en llorar! ¡Que yo iba a sentir cariño por quien precisamente me demuestra que soy un tonto!

Punish me for my atrocious pride,” she said to him, squeezing him in her arms as though to strangle him; “you are my master, I am your slave, I must beg pardon upon my knees for having sought to rebel.” She slipped from his embrace to fall at his feet. “Yes, you are my master,” she said again, intoxicated with love and joy; “reign over me for ever, punish your slave severely when she seeks to rebel.

I see but one rule: to be clear. If I am not clear, all my world crumbles to nothing.

Coming back here often (on Lake Como) is like a drop of poison; it makes you want to never leave.

O musculiță efemeră se naște la nouă dimineață, în lungile zile de vară, ca să moară la cinci seara; cum ar putea ea înțelege cuvântul noapte? Mai dă-i cinci ore de viață, și ea va vedea și va înțelege ce e noaptea.

Ljubav je kao groznica: rađa se i nestaje, a da čovjekova volja pri tome nema nikakvog udjela.

The boredom of married life inevitable destroys love, when love has preceded marriage.

آدمى سخن مى گويد تا افكار خود را بيشتر پنهان كند.

Un roman est un miroir qui se promène sur une grande route. Tantôt il reflète à vos yeux l’azur des cieux, tantôt la fange des bourbiers de la route. Et l’homme qui porte le miroir dans sa hotte sera par vous accusé‚ d’être immoral ! Son miroir montre la fange, et vous accusez le miroir! Accusez bien plutôt le grand chemin où est le bourbier, et plus encore l’inspecteur des routes qui laisse l’eau croupir et le bourbier se former.