Let us not kid ourselves; let us remember that literature is of no use whatever, except in the very special case of somebody's wishing to become, of all things, a Professor of Literature.

But an infinity of passions can be contained in a minute, like a crowd in a tiny space.

Caught up in life, you see it badly. You suffer from it or enjoy it too much. The artist, in my opinion, is a monstrosity, something outside of nature.

Of all the icy blasts that blow on love, a request for money is the most chilling.

For some men, the stronger their desire, the more difficult it is for them to act.

The public wants work which flatters its illusions.

One's existence should be in two parts: one should live like a bourgeois and think like a demigod.