Medicine is my lawful wife and literature my mistress; when I get tired of one, I spend the night with the other.
Only during hard times do people come to understand how difficult it is to be master of their feelings and thoughts.
Perhaps the feelings that we experience when we are in love represent a normal state. Being in love shows a person who he should be.
Lying is the same as alcoholism. Liars prevaricate even on their deathbeds.
When a person is born, he can embark on only one of three roads of life: if you go right, the wolves will eat you; if you go left, you’ll eat the wolves; if you go straight, you’ll eat yourself.
For God’s sake, have some self-respect and do not run off at the mouth if your brain is out to lunch.
When all is said and done, no literature can outdo the cynicism of real life; you won’t intoxicate with one glass someone who has already drunk up a whole barrel.
People’s destinies are so different. Some people drag along, unnoticed and boring – they’re all alike, and they’re all unhappy. Then there are others, like for instance you – you’re one in a million. You’re happy –.
People should be beautiful in every way – in their faces, in the way they dress, in their thoughts, and in their innermost selves.
My love is like a stone tied round my neck; it’s dragging me down to the bottom; but I love my stone. I can’t live without it.
When a woman isn’t beautiful, people always say, ‘You have lovely eyes, you have lovely hair.’
My own experience is that once a story has been written, one has to cross out the beginning and the end. It is there that we authors do most of our lying.
In all the universe nothing remains permanent and unchanged but the spirit.
A man and a woman marry because both of them do not know what to do with themselves.
In countries where there is a mild climate, less effort is expended on the struggle with nature and man is kinder and more gentle.
Faith is an aptitude of the spirit. It is, in fact, a talent: you must be born with it.
An expansive life, one not constrained by four walls, requires as well an expansive pocket.
The illusion which exalts us is dearer to us than ten thousand truths.
I divide all literary works into two categories: Those I like and those I don’t like. No other criterion exists for me.
I expect I shall be a student to the end of my days.