Aren’t our eyes made to be torn out, and our hearts for the same purpose? At the same time it’s really not that bad; that’s an exaggeration and a lie… - Franz Kafka

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Aren’t our eyes made to be torn out, and our hearts for the same purpose? At the same time it’s really not that bad; that’s an exaggeration and a lie, everything is exaggeration, the only truth is longing, which cannot be exaggerated. But even the truth of longing is not so much its own truth; it’s really an expression of everything else, which is a lie. This sounds crazy and distorted, but it’s true. Moreover, perhaps it isn’t love when I say you are what I love the most — you are the knife I turn inside myself, this is love.

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About Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka (3 July 1883 – 3 June 1924) was a Bohemian-Jewish novelist, and one of the major German-language fiction writers of the 20th century.

Biography information from Wikiquote · Portrait adapted from Wikimedia Commons, Unknown photographer (Public domain / CC0)

Also Known As

Alternative Names: František Kafka • Kafka
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Additional quotes by Franz Kafka

Should I be grateful or should I curse the fact that despite all misfortune I can still feel love, an unearthly love but still for earthly objects.
Diaries, 1910-1923 · October 30, 1988 Verified in 1 source Sign up to see the complete provenance
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