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Anton Chekhov Quotes - Page 5

All Quotes Age Art Boredom Capital Punishment Character Children Conscience Country Criticism Death Desire Dying Earth Failing Faith Feelings Freedom Funny Giving Grief Happiness Happy Hatred Heart Home Human Nature Hypocrisy Illness Inspiration Inspirational Judging Justice Language Life Literature Loneliness Love Lying Marriage Money Moon Motivational Nature Pain Past Philosophy Police Progress Psychology Purpose Reality Respect Running Science Silence Sin Sleep Soul Students Success Suffering Summer Talent Theatre Time Today Understanding Virtue Wall Wife Winter Wisdom Work Writing Youth

I promise to be a splendid husband, but give me a wife who, like the moon, won't in my sky every day...

I promise to be a splendid husband, but give me a wife who, like the moon, won't in my sky every day...

Husband, Moon, Sky

"Letters of Anton Chekhov to His Family and Friends: With Biographical Sketch". Book by Anton Chekhov, 1920.

Common hypocrites pass themselves off as doves; political and literary hypocrites pose as eagles. But don't be fooled by their eagle-like appearance. These are not eagles, but rats or dogs.

Dog, Hypocrite, Eagles

In all the universe nothing remains permanent and unchanged but the spirit.

Spirit, Remains, Permanent

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1923). “The Plays of Tchekhov”

We shall find peace. We shall hear angels, we shall see the sky sparkling with diamonds.

Peace, Inspiration, Losing A Loved One

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, Ronald Hingley (1998). “Five Plays”, p.167, Oxford University Press, USA

Cross out as many adjectives and adverbs as you can. ... It is comprehensible when I write: "The man sat on the grass," because it is clear and does not detain one's attention. On the other hand, it is difficult to figure out and hard on the brain if I write: "The tall, narrow-chested man of medium height and with a red beard sat down on the green grass that had already been trampled down by the pedestrians, sat down silently, looking around timidly and fearfully." The brain can't grasp all that at once, and art must be grasped at once, instantaneously.

Art, Writing, Men

When men ask me how I know so much about men, they get a simple answer: everything I know about men, I learned from me.

Writing, Simple, Men

The more refined one is, the more unhappy.

Happiness, Knowledge, Inner Peace

The bourgeoisie is very fond of so-called practical types and novels with happy endings, since they soothe it with the idea that one can both accumulate capital and preserve innocence, be a beast and at the same time be happy...

Happiness, Thinking, Greed

"Letters of Anton Chekhov to His Family and Friends: With Biographical Sketch". Book by Anton Chekhov, 1920.

Women can't forgive failure.

Forgiving, Can't Forgive

'The Seagull' (1896) act 2

Probably nature itself gave man the ability to lie so that in difficult and tense moments he could protect his nest, just as do the vixen and wild duck.

Lying, Men, Ducks

"Difficult People". Short story by Anton Chekhov, 1886.

At the door of every happy person there should be a man with a hammer whose knock would serve as a constant reminder of the existence of unfortunate people.

Happiness, Happy, Responsibility

"Gooseberries". Short story by Anton Chekhov, 1898.

When describing nature, a writer should seize upon small details, arranging them so that the reader will see an image in his mind after he closes his eyes. For instance: you will capture the truth of a moonlit night if you'll write that a gleam like starlight shone from the pieces of a broken bottle, and then the dark, plump shadow of a dog or wolf appeared. You will bring life to nature only if you don't shrink from similes that liken its activities to those of humankind.

Dog, Writing, Eye

Man will become better when you show him what he is like.

Men, Blank Slates, Insight

Note-Book of Anton Chekhov, 1921.

In short stories it is better to say not enough than to say too much, because, because--I don't know why.

Stories, Too Much, Enough

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1964). “Letters on the short story, the drama, and other literary topics”

Exquisite nature, daydreams, and music say one thing, real life another.

Real, Daydreaming, Exquisite

Just as I shall lie alone in the grave, so, in essence, do I live alone.

Lying, Essence, Graves

If ever my life can be of any use to you, come and claim it.

Use, Claims, Ifs

Calculating selfishness is the annihilation of self.

Self, Selfishness, Annihilation

Death is terrifying, but it would be even more terrifying to find out that you are going to live forever and never die.

Life, Death, Forever

What must human beings be, to destroy what they can never create?

Humans, Human Beings

An artist observes, selects, guesses, and synthesizes.

Art, Artist

Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, Michael Henry Heim, Simon Karlinsky (1973). “Anton Chekhov's Life and Thought: Selected Letters and Commentary”, p.117, Northwestern University Press

The world is, of course, nothing but our conception of it.

World, Existentialism, Metaphysics

Thought and beauty, like a hurricane or waves, should not know conventional, delimited forms.

Hurricanes, Wave, Form

"The Letter". Short story by Anton Chekhov, 1887.

He who doesn't know how to be a servant should never be allowed to be a master; the interests of public life are alien to anyone who is unable to enjoy others' successes, and such a person should never be entrusted with public affairs.

Aliens, Affair, Should

Letter to A. N. Pleshcheev, October 25, 1888.

Once a man gets a fixed idea, there's nothing to be done.

Men, Ideas, Done

Anton Chekhov (2012). “Five Great Short Stories”, p.75, Courier Corporation

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