Quotes from Victor Hugo

It is myself, always myself, myself alone. But, good God! All this egotism. Different forms of egotism, but still egotism! Suppose I should think a little of others? The highest duty is to think of others.

There occurred, infamous to relate, inundations of the sewer. At times, that stomach of civilization digested badly, the cess-pool flowed back into the throat of the city, and Paris got an after-taste of her own filth. These resemblances of the sewer to remorse had their good points; they were warnings; very badly accepted, however; the city waxed indignant at the audacity of its mire, and did not admit that the filth should return. Drive it out better.

The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves — say rather, loved in spite of ourselves.

Cuando lo vieron ganar dinero, dijeron: es un comerciante. Cuando lo vieron repartir el dinero, dijeron: es un ambicioso. Cuando lo vieron rechazar los honores, dijeron: es un aventurero. Cuando lo vieron rechazar el trato social, dijeron: es un borrico.

Ce que Paris conseille, l'Europe le médite ; ce que Paris commence, l'Europe le continue.

There can be no vacuum in the human heart. Certain demolitions take place, and it is right they should, on condition that they are followed by reconstructions.

On ne trouve les diamants que dans les ténèbres de la terre; on ne trouve les vérités que dans les profondeurs de la pensée.

aware of her beauty and ignorant of her love. Coquettish

Now, don't kick a dog 'cause it's only a pup!

La honradez de un gran corazón, condensada en justicia y en verdad, fulmina.

Enfin, il y a un livre, un livre qui semble d'un bout à l'autre une émanation supérieure, un livre qui est pour l'univers ce que le Koran est pour l'islamisme, ce que les Védas sont pour l'Inde, un livre qui contient toute la sagesse humaine éclairée par toute la sagesse divine, un livre que la vénération des peuples appelle le livre, la Bible !

Hope in a child who has never known anything but despair is a sweet and touching thing.

Let us live, by all means. But let us try to ensure that death is a progress. Let us aspire to worlds that are less dark. Let us follow the conscience that leads us there.

We live in a sad society. Succeed - that is the advice which falls drop by drop from the overhanging corruption.

There his wife died of a malady of the chest, from which she had long suffered. He had no children.

Vous rappelez-vous notre douce vie, Lorsque nous étions si jeunes tous deux, Et que nous n'avions au coeur d'autre envie Que d'être bien mis et d'être amoureux! Lorsqu'en ajoutant votre âge à mon âge, Nous ne comptions pas à deux quarante ans, Et que, dans notre humble et petit ménage, Tout, même l'hiver, nous était printemps!

The tiniest worm is of importance; the great is little, the little is great; everything is balanced in necessity; alarming vision for the mind. There are marvellous relations between beings and things; in that inexhaustible whole, from the sun to the grub, nothing despises the other; all have need of each other.

Le pavé lui était moins dur que le cÅ"ur de sa mère.

Ma sentì che fortificare la sua intelligenza significava fortificare il suo odio.

Where the telescope ends, the microscope begins.

He was not tall; he was rather plump; and, in order to combat this tendency, he was fond of taking long strolls on foot; his step was firm, and his form was but slightly bent, a detail from which we do not pretend to draw any conclusion. Gregory XVI., at the age of eighty, held himself erect and smiling, which did not prevent him from being a bad bishop.

We shall be grasshoppers among the stars. And then we shall see God.

À de certains moments, Jean Valjean souffrait tant qu'il devenait puéril. C'est le propre de la douleur de faire reparaître le côté enfant de l'homme.

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