Victor Hugo

The supreme happiness of life consists in the conviction that one is loved; loved for one’s own sake—let us say rather, loved in spite of one’s self.

To lie a little is not possible: he who lies, lies the whole lie.

Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever the attitude of the body may be, the soul is on its knees.

Nothing remained to her except her beautiful eyes, which inspired pain, because, large as they were, it seemed as though one beheld in them a still larger amount of sadness.

In the case of first love, the soul is taken long before the body; later on, one takes the body long before the soul; sometimes one does not take the soul at all.

A smile is the same as sunshine; it banishes winter from the human countenance.

One’s mistress does wrong to laugh. That encourages one to deceive her. To see her gay removes your remorse; if you see her sad, your conscience pricks you.

There were corpses here and there, and pools of blood on the pavement. I remember a white butterfly which went and came in the street. Summer does not abdicate.

A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them.

She has become marble in becoming mire.

As one makes one’s philosophy, so one lies on it.

...is not the truest pity, when a man has a sore point, not to touch it at all?

The best of us are not exempt from egotistical thoughts.

A glance is a spark.

It is nothing to die; it is dreadful not to live.

The joy which we inspire has this charming property, that, far from growing meagre, like all reflections, it returns to us more radiant than ever.