Revolutions are not born of chance but of necessity.
Reality in strong doses frightens.
Plea Against the Death Penalty
People are unlearning certain things, and they do well, provided that, while unlearning them they learn this: There is no vacuum in the human heart. Certain demolitions take place, and it is well that...
One can no more keep the mind from returning to an idea than the sea from returning to the shore.
One can no more keep the mind from returning to an idea than the sea from returning to a shore. For a sailor, this is called the tide; in the case of the guilty it is called remorse. God stirs up the...
On emerging from that black and deformed thing which is called the galleys, the Bishop had hurt his soul, as too vivid a light would have hurt his eyes on emerging from the dark. The future life, the...
Oh ! qu'on m'aille donc, au lieu de cela, chercher quelque jeune vicaire, quelque vieux curé, au hasard, dans la première paroisse venue, qu'on le prenne au coin de son feu, lisant son livre et ne s'a...
Nothing on the horizon; nothing in heaven.He implores the expanse, the waves, the seaweed, the reef; they are deaf. He beseeches the tempest; the imperturbable tempest obeys only the infinite.Around h...
Nothing can be sadder or more profound than to see a thousand things for the first and last time. To journey is to be born and die each minute...All the elements of life are in constant flight from us...
Night and the day, when united,Bring forth the beautiful light.
Neither was to blame for the way they felt, because Marius was someone who embraces sorry and dwells in it, but Cosette felt it deeply but recovered.
Mother's arms are made of tenderness, and sweet sleep blesses the child who lies within.
Madame Victurnien sometimes saw her passing, from her window, noticed the distress of that creature who, thanks to her, had been put back in her proper place, and congratulated herself. The happiness...
Loving is almost a substitute for thinking. Love is a burning forgetfulness of all other things. How shall we ask passion to be logical?
Love is a fault; so be it. Fantine was innocence floating high over fault.
Let us never fear robbers nor murderers. Those are dangers from without, petty dangers. Let us fear ourselves. Prejudices are the real robbers; vices are the real murderers. The great dangers lie with...
Let us have compassion on the chastised. Alas! Who are we ourselves? Who am I who now address you? Who are you who are listening to me? And are you very sure that we have done nothing before we were b...
Le suprême bonheur de la vie, c'est la conviction qu'on est aimé; aimé pour soi-même, disons mieux, aimé malgré soi-même.
Las mujeres juegan con su belleza como los niños con un cuchillo, y se hieren.