Home / Quotes / Quote by Honore de Balzac

Quote by Honore de Balzac

“Art's greatest efforts are invariably a timid counterfeit of Nature.”

Quote by Honore de Balzac

Author

Honore de Balzac

French novelist born on May 20, 1799, and died on August 18, 1850. Honore de Balzac is renowned for his profound insight and criticism of 19th-century French society, hailed as the 'father of modern fiction'. more

You May Also Like

“Rich men are resolved to be astonished at nothing. When they see a masterpiece, they must needs at one glance recognize some flaw to dispense them from admiration, a vulgar emotion.”

Men Needs Emotion Rich Flaws Admiration Glances Masterpiece Vulgar Rich Man Astonishment

Author:Honore de Balzac

“Tradesmen regard an author with a mixed feeling of terror, compassion and curiosity.”

Feelings Compassion Regard Curiosity Terror Mixed Feelings

Author:Honore de Balzac

“Bankers are lynxes. To expect any gratitude from them is equivalent to attempting to move the wolves of the Ukraine to pity in the middle of winter.”

Moving Middle Gratitude Winter Pity Attempting Bankers Ukraine

Author:Honore de Balzac

“It is a singular fact that most men of action incline to the theory of fatalism, while the greater part of men of thought believe in providence.”

Men Believe Facts Action Belief Greater Theory Providence Incline Fatalism

Author:Honore de Balzac

“The weakest being on earth can accomplish feats of strength. The frailest urchin will ring every doorbell on the street in arctic weather or hoist himself aloft to inscribe his name on a virgin monument.”

Earth Names Streets Capacity Accomplish Rings Weather Virgins Monument Feats Arctic

Author:Honore de Balzac

“Events are never absolute, their outcome depends entirely upon the individual. Misfortune is a stepping stone for a genius, a piscina for a Christian, a treasure for a man of parts, and an abyss for a weakling.”

Men Christian Individual Events Depends Genius Stones Absolutes Treasure Certainty Outcomes Misfortunes Abyss Stepping Stones

Author:Honore de Balzac

“What makes friendship indissolute and what doubles its charms is a feeling we find lacking in love: I mean certitude.”

Mean Feelings Certainty Charm Lacking Certitude

Author:Honore de Balzac

“When chaste people need body or mind to resort to action or thought, they find steel in their muscles or knowledge in their intelligence. Theirs the diabolic vigor or the black magic of will power.”

People Needs Mind Body Action Black Magic Muscles Steel Resorts Will Power Chastity Vigor Chaste Black Magic

Author:Honore de Balzac

“A man wastes his time going to hear some of our eloquent modern preachers; they may change his opinions, but never his conduct.”

Men May Opinion Modern Waste Preacher Eloquent Clergy

Author:Honore de Balzac

“A man who stops at nothing short of the law is very clever indeed!”

Men Law Clever Cleverness Very Clever

Author:Honore de Balzac