Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust
Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proustwas a French novelist, critic, and essayist best known for his monumental novel À la recherche du temps perdu, published in seven parts between 1913 and 1927. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest authors...
NationalityFrench
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth10 July 1871
CountryFrance
knowing people sensual
At that time, he was satisfying a sensual curiosity by experiencing the pleasures of people who live for love. He had believed he could stop there, that he would not be obliged to learn their sorrows; how small a thing her charm was for him now compared with the astounding terror that extended out from it like a murky halo, the immense anguish of not knowing at every moment what she had been doing, of not possessing her everywhere and always!
lying reality knowing
But sometimes the future is latent in us without our knowing it, and our supposedly lying words foreshadow an imminent reality.
knowing firsts enchantment
Habit is a second nature which prevents us from knowing the first, of which it has neither the cruelties nor the enchantments.
becomes moral soon unhappy
As soon as one is unhappy one becomes moral
consists discovery landscapes seeking voyage
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.
advantage desires fresh future love mind piece secured since
There can be no piece of mind in love, since the advantage one has secured is never anything but a fresh starting-point for future desires
best second
We always end up doing the thing we are second best at.
decisions destined mind state
It is always thus, impelled by a state of mind which is destined not to last, that we make our irrevocable decisions
generally habit proportion
The regularity of a habit is generally in proportion to its absurdity.
expressing healed suffering
We are healed of a suffering only by expressing it to the full.
healed suffering
We are healed of a suffering only by experiencing it in full.
actions difficult stellar universe
The stellar universe is not so difficult of comprehension as the real actions of other people.
man power powerful
A powerful idea communicates some of its power to the man who contradicts it
doctor illness knowledge pain pay promise whom
Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge we make promise only; pain we obey.