black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

A novel is like a bow, and the violin that produces the sound is the reader’s soul.

Stendhal

In our calling, we have to choose; we must make our fortune either in this world or in the next, there is no middle way.
STENDHAL

Call Choice Fortune Way World
It is the nobility of their style which will make our writers of 1840 unreadable forty years from now.
STENDHAL

Noble Past Reading Style Time Writing
This religion takes away the courage of thinking of unusual things and prohibits self-examination above all as the most egregious of sins. It is one step away from protestantism.
STENDHAL

Courage Examination Myself Religion Sin Thinking
I love her beauty, but I fear her mind.
STENDHAL

Beautiful Fear Herself Love Mindset
Pleasure is often spoiled by describing it.
STENDHAL

Description Happiness Spoil
The great majority of men, especially in France, both desire and possess a fashionable woman, much in the way one might own a fine horse – as a luxury befitting a young man.
STENDHAL

Animal Desire Fashion Greatness Luxury Majority Man Possession Woman Young
Man is not free to refuse to do the thing which gives him more pleasure than any other conceivable action.
STENDHAL

Action Freedom Man Pleasure Refusal
A novel is like a bow, and the violin that produces the sound is the reader’s soul.
STENDHAL

Novel Production Reading Soul Sound Violin
Beauty is nothing but a promise of happiness.
STENDHAL

Beautiful Happiness Promise
One can acquire everything in solitude except character.
STENDHAL

Acquire Character Oneself Solitude
A wise woman never yields by appointment. It should always be an unforeseen happiness.
STENDHAL

Appointment Happiness Wisdom Woman
The sight of anything extremely beautiful, in nature or in art, brings back the memory of what one loves, with the speed of lightning.
STENDHAL

Beautiful Light Love Sight Speed
Only great minds can afford a simple style.
STENDHAL

Afford Greatness Lifestyle Mindset Simplicity
Wounded pride can take a rich young man far who is surrounded by flatterers since birth.
STENDHAL

Birth Man Pride Rich Surround Wound Young
Every great action is extreme when it is undertaken. Only after it has been accomplished does it seem possible to those creatures of more common stuff.
STENDHAL

Accomplishment Creature Extreme Greatness Possible
Love has always been the most important business in my life; I should say the only one.
STENDHAL

Business Important Life Love Myself Oneself

A novel is like a bow, and the violin that produces the sound is the reader’s soul.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

A novel is like a bow, and the violin that produces the sound is the reader’s soul.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Stendhal Quotes