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

Emile Zola

Governments are suspicious of literature because it is a force that eludes them.
EMILE ZOLA

Force Government Literature
If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud.
EMILE ZOLA

Existence Life Live Myself Purpose
In Paris, everything’s for sale: wise virgins, foolish virgins, truth and lies, tears and smiles.
EMILE ZOLA

Fools Lying Sale Tears Virgin
I do not despair in the least of ultimate triumph. I repeat it with intense conviction.
EMILE ZOLA

Myself Repeat Triumph Ultimate
The conclusion does not belong to the artist.
EMILE ZOLA

Artist Conclusion
It is not I who am strong, it is reason, it is truth.
EMILE ZOLA

Reason Strong Truth
When lovers kiss on the cheeks, it is because they are searching, feeling for one another’s lips. Lovers are made by a kiss.
EMILE ZOLA

Cheek Kiss Lover Search
Art is a corner of creation seen through a temperament.
EMILE ZOLA

Art Corner Creation Temperature
Classical education has deformed everything, and has imposed upon us as geniuses men of correct, facile talent, who follow the beaten track.
EMILE ZOLA

Class Correct Education Genius Talent Track
Did science promise happiness? I do not believe it. It promised truth, and the question is to know if we will ever make happiness with truth.
EMILE ZOLA

Believe Happiness Myself Promise Science Truth
How evil life must be if it were indeed necessary that such imploring cries, such cries of physical and moral wretchedness, should ever and ever ascend to heaven!
EMILE ZOLA

Ascend Cry Evil Heaven Life Necessary Physical
The past was but the cemetery of our illusions: one simply stubbed one’s toes on the gravestones.
EMILE ZOLA

Grave Illusion Oneself Past
Paris flared – Paris, which the divine sun had sown with light, and where in glory waved the great future harvest of Truth and of Justice.
EMILE ZOLA

Divine Future Greatness Justice Light Sun Truth
Since the same human mire remains beneath, does not all civilization reduce itself to the superiority of smelling nice and living well?
EMILE ZOLA

Beneath Civilization Human Live Smell
A god of kindness would be charitable to all. Your god of wrath and punishment is but a monstrous phantasy.
EMILE ZOLA

Charitable God Kindness Monster Punishment Yourself
Every wave is a water sprite who swims in the current, each current is a path which snakes towards my palace, and my palace is fluidly built at the bottom of the lake, in the triangle of earth, fire and water.
EMILE ZOLA

Earth Fire Nature Palace Sprite Water Wave
She might have liked to try to strangle him with those slender fingers of hers, but she wanted to make a job of it and this great patience with which she waited for her claws to grow was in itself a form of enjoyment.
EMILE ZOLA

Death Enjoyment Fingers Job Strangle
My fiery protest is simply the cry of my very soul.
EMILE ZOLA

Cry Fire Myself Protest Soul
Civilization will not attain to its perfection until the last stone from the last church falls on the last priest.
EMILE ZOLA

Civilization Fall Myself Perfection Priest Stone
If something’s just, I’ll let myself be hacked to bits for it.
EMILE ZOLA

Allow Hack Myself Part Willing
The road to Lourdes is littered with crutches, but not one wooden leg.
EMILE ZOLA

Journey Road Struggle
When sometimes, behind his back, they called him a tyrant, he merely smiled and uttered this profound observation: If some day I turn liberal, they will say I have let them down.
EMILE ZOLA

Liberal Myself Observation Smile Time
She was cold by nature, self-love predominating over passion; rather than being virtuous, she preferred to have her pleasures all to herself.
EMILE ZOLA

Cold Happiness Herself Nature Passion Virtuous
Lovers are made by a kiss.
EMILE ZOLA

Kiss Lover One Liner
Don’t go looking at me like that because you’ll wear your eyes out.
EMILE ZOLA

Eyes Myself Sight Stare Yourself
Oh, the fools, like a lot of good little schoolboys, scared to death of anything they’ve been taught is wrong!
EMILE ZOLA

Fear Fools School Teaching Wrong
Through the centuries, the history of peoples is but a lesson in mutual tolerance.
EMILE ZOLA

History Lesson People Time Tolerance

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

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

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