The triumph of vegetation is total.

Active people don't change the world profoundly; ideas do. Napoleon is less important in world history than Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

On Sunday morning I went out for a while in the neighbourhood; I bought some raisin bread. The day was warm but a little sad, as Sundays often are in Paris, especially when one doesn't believe in God.

When a country is strong... it accepts any dose of pessimism from its writers.

Not having anything around to read is dangerous: you have to content yourself with life itself, and that can lead you to take risks.

I think it's more difficult to live without a religion, definitely.

It's a curious idea to reproduce when you don't even like life.