The only serious question in life is whether to kill yourself or not.

Thus I progressed on the surface of life, in the realm of words as it were, never in reality. All those books barely read, those friends barely loved, those cities barely visited, those women barely possessed! I went through the gestures out of boredom or absent-mindedness. Then came human beings; they wanted to cling, but there was nothing to cling to, and that was unfortunate--for them. As for me, I forgot. I never remembered anything but myself.

He had opened his heart to the sublime indifference of the universe

You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.

A man is more a man through the things he keeps to himself than through those he says.

There can be no question of holding forth on ethics. I have seen people behave badly with great morality and I note every day that integrity has no need of rules

I was assailed by memories of a life that wasn't mine anymore, but one in which I'd found the simplest and most lasting joys.