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Pierre Loti

Pierre Loti Quotes

Novelist

Pierre Loti, born on January 14, 1850, and died on June 10, 1923, was a renowned French novelist of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for his works depicting exotic landscapes and cultures.

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Famous Pierre Loti Quotes

“We communed together a moment, one with the other—I was deeply fascinated. At our first encounter I am sure I had a nebulous presentiment that I would one day go to it in spite of my hesitation, in spite of all the efforts put forth to hold me back,—and the emotion that overwhelmed me in the presence of the sea was not only one of fear, but I felt also an inexpressible sadness, and I seemed to feel the anguish of desolation, bereavement and exile. With downcast mien, and with hair blown about by the wind, I turned and ran home. I was in the extreme haste to be with my mother; I wished to embrace her and to cling close to her; I desired to be with her so that she might console me for the thousand indefinite, anticipated sorrows that surged through my heart at the sight of those green waters, so vast and so deep.”

Childhood Sorrow Memory

Book:The Story of a Child

Source: The Story of a Child

“Et je respirais délicieusement la fraîcheur saine de ce matin; je me baignais et me retrempais dans cette pureté-la: c'était une impression de bien-être physique d'une intensité extraordinaire: c'était comme une ivresse d'exister... Etrange rajeunissement que le grand matin apporte toujours aux sens dans les pays du soleil, et qui s'est peut-être rien, après tout, rien qu'une sensation fausse et un mirage de vie...”

Soleil Bien êTre Algérie

Author:Pierre Loti

“Cats are possessed of a shy, retiring nature, cajoling, haughty, and capricious, difficult to fathom. They reveal themselves only to certain favored individuals, and are repelled by the faintest suggestion of insult or even by the most trifling deception.”

Certain Individual Difficult Cat Appreciation Deception Insult Shy Retiring Possessed Suggestions Fathom Trifling Capricious Haughty

Author:Pierre Loti

“But it is true that sometimes an enveloping darkness aids one to clearer vision; as in a panorama building, for example, where the obscurity about the entrance prepares one better for the climax, and gives the scene depicted a more real and vivid appearance.”

Giving Real Sometimes Vision Darkness Example Building Scene Appearance Aids Vivid Hiv Obscurity Entrances Climax Panorama

Author:Pierre Loti

“My books were always full of ink blots, always stained and covered with smeared sketches and pictures, which one draws idly when his attention wanders from his task.”

Book Attention Draws Tasks Wander Covered Ink

Author:Pierre Loti

“It is with the approach of winter that cats...wear their richest fur and assume an air of sumptuous and delightful opulence.”

Air Approach Cat Assuming Winter Delightful Fur Opulence Sumptuous

Author:Pierre Loti

“If by chance I seated myself to write, she very slyly, very tenderly, seeking protection and caresses, would softly take her place on my knee and follow the comings and goings of my pen - sometimes effacing, with an unintentional stroke of her paw, lines of whose tenor she disapproved.”

Ifs Writing Sometimes Humanity Lines Chance Animal Cat Seeking Protection Knees Pens Strokes Caress Paws Tenors

Author:Pierre Loti

“The moon of a bright silver, which dazzles by its shining, illumines a world which surely is no longer ours; for it resembles in nothing what may be seen in other lands.”

World May Land Moon Shining Silver Dazzle

Book:Egypt

Source: Egypt

“My sister and my brother, of whom I have not spoken before, were considerably older than I; it seemed almost as if we belonged to different generations.”

Ifs Different Generations Brother My Brother My Sister Different Generations

Author:Pierre Loti

“My emotions lose their force when I endeavor to interpret them, and my words seem very inept.”

Seems Force Loses Emotion Endeavor

Author:Pierre Loti

“I am surprised that I cannot recall whether my desire to become a minister transformed itself into a wish to lead the more militant life of missionary, by a slow process or suddenly.”

Desire Wish Process Ministers Missionary Transformed Recalls Militant

Author:Pierre Loti

“Holy Istanbul! Your name is the most enchanting one of all names which enchants me.”

Names Holy Enchanting Istanbul

Author:Pierre Loti

“I still held fast to my determination to become a minister; it still seemed to me that that was my duty. I had pledged myself, in my prayers I had given my word to God. How could I therefore break my vow?”

Stills Given Prayer Break Duty Determination Ministers Vow

Author:Pierre Loti

“I still went to church regularly every Sunday; that is we all went there together. I reverenced the family pew where we had assembled for so many years; and apart from that reason I hold it dear because it is associated in my memory with my mother.”

Years Stills Reason Together Mother Church Memories Dear Sunday

Author:Pierre Loti

“Egypt, the Egypt of antiquity, at a later time, exercised a mysterious fascination over me. I recognized a picture of it immediately, without hesitation and astonishment, in an illustrated magazine.”

Magazines Mysterious Egypt Fascination Hesitation Antiquity Astonishment

Author:Pierre Loti

“It is said that many children who live in the central provinces, away from the ocean, have a great longing to see it. I who had never been away from the monotonous country surrounding us looked forward eagerly to seeing the mountains.”

Children Said Country Seeing Mountain Ocean Longing Provinces Monotonous

Author:Pierre Loti

“I still have in my memory, almost agonizing impressions of a serious illness which I had when I was about eight years old. Those about me called it scarlet fever, and its very name seemed to have a diabolical quality.”

Years Stills Names Memories Quality Serious Illness Eight Impression Fever Scarlet Agonizing Diabolical Serious Illness

Author:Pierre Loti

“Unlike most other children, - especially unlike those of today - who are eager to become men and women as speedily as possible, I had a terror of growing up, which became more and more accentuated as I grew older.”

Men Children Today Growing Up Growing Grew Men And Women Terror

Author:Pierre Loti

“I am sure that the sad days and happenings were rare, and that I lived the joyous and careless life of other children; but just because the happy days were so habitual to me they made no impression upon my mind, and I can no longer recall them.”

Mind Children Made I Can Happenings Impression Recalls Joyous Careless Habitual Lives Of Others Happy Day Sad Day

Author:Pierre Loti

“I do not exactly remember at what period I started my museum which absorbed so much of my time.”

Remember Periods My Time Museums

Author:Pierre Loti

“I recall feeling an almost delicious terror when one day I found myself alone in the midst of tall June grasses that grew high as my head. But here the secret working of self consciousness is almost too entangled with the things of the past for me to explain it.”

Self Feelings Past Found Secret Consciousness Grew One Day Terror Grass Midst Tall Recalls Delicious June Self Conscious Self Consciousness

Author:Pierre Loti

“Often, before returning home, I would take a long and roundabout way and pass by the peaceful ramparts from where I had glimpses of other provinces, and a sight of the distant country.”

Way Long Country Home Sight Peaceful Glimpse Provinces Returning Home

Author:Pierre Loti

“Painting and music were the only things I worked at industriously and faithfully.”

Author:Pierre Loti

“It seems to me that it will be very wearisome to be a man.”

Men Seems Be A Man

Author:Pierre Loti

“Through the study of fossils I had already been initiated into the mysteries of prehistoric creations.”

Study Mystery Creation Fossils Prehistoric

Author:Pierre Loti

About the Author

Born: January 14, 1850
Died: June 10, 1923
Known for: Novelist
Quotes: 25

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