Famous Gustave Flaubert Quotes

  • Judge the goodness of a book by the energy of the punches it has given you. I believe the greatest characteristic of genius, is, above all, force. – Gustave Flaubert

    Judge the goodness of a book by the energy of the punches it has given you. I believe the greatest characteristic of genius, is, above all, force.– Gustave Flaubert

  • Idols must never be touched: the gilt will come off on our hands. – Gustave Flaubert

    Idols must never be touched: the gilt will come off on our hands.– Gustave Flaubert

  • But vilifying those we love always detaches us from them a little. We should not touch our idols: their gilding will remain on our hands. – Gustave Flaubert

    But vilifying those we love always detaches us from them a little. We should not touch our idols: their gilding will remain on our hands.– Gustave Flaubert

  • He had the vanity to believe men did not like him -“ while men simply did not know him. – Gustave Flaubert

    He had the vanity to believe men did not like him -“ while men simply did not know him.– Gustave Flaubert

  • Human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars. – Gustave Flaubert

    Human speech is like a cracked kettle on which we tap crude rhythms for bears to dance to, while we long to make music that will melt the stars.– Gustave Flaubert

  • What a man Balzac would have been if he had known how to write. – Gustave Flaubert

    What a man Balzac would have been if he had known how to write.– Gustave Flaubert

  • Travel, leave everything, copy the birds. The home is one of civilization’s sadnesses. – Gustave Flaubert

    Travel, leave everything, copy the birds. The home is one of civilization’s sadnesses.– Gustave Flaubert

  • Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world. – Gustave Flaubert

    Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.– Gustave Flaubert

  • Indeed, for the last three years, he had carefully avoided her, as a result of the natural cowardice so characteristic of the stronger sex… – Gustave Flaubert

    Indeed, for the last three years, he had carefully avoided her, as a result of the natural cowardice so characteristic of the stronger sex…– Gustave Flaubert

  • The world is going to become bloody stupid and from now on will be a very boring place. We’re lucky to be living now. – Gustave Flaubert

    The world is going to become bloody stupid and from now on will be a very boring place. We’re lucky to be living now.– Gustave Flaubert