Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Marcel Proust

Quote by Marcel Proust

Work

Swann’s Way

Swann’s Way is a seminal work in modernist literature, renowned for its intricate narrative structure and richly detailed portrayal of human emotions and social interactions. The novel follows the protagonist, Charles Swann, as he navigates the complexities of his personal and social life, reflecting on his relationships, memories, and the passage of time. more

Author

Marcel Proust
Marcel Proust

Marcel Proust was a French novelist renowned for his magnum opus, 'In Search of Lost Time'. This novel is considered a classic of 20th-century literature, known for its intricate psychological portrayals and profound exploration of memory. more

You May Also Like

“The simple rule to abide by and become excellent is that “Don’t see what you have achieved yesterday with the same pleasure eyes you used to see it when it was done by you”. Look forward and do better than you did earlier!”

PleasureAchieveExcellenceFood For ThoughtIsraelmore AyivorEyesComplacencyBetterComplacentRuleDo ItExtra MileExcelDon TExtraPress OnAbideLook ForwardDo It BetterEarlierComplacence
Book:The Great Hand Book of Quotes
Create image

“I was still young and the whole world of beauty was opening before me, my own officious obstructions were often swept aside and, startled into self-forgetfulness, I again tasted Joy. ... One thing, however, I learned, which has since saved me from many popular confusions of mind. I came to know by experience that it is not a disguise of sexual desire. ... I repeatedly followed that path - to the end. And at the end one found pleasure; which immediately resulted in the discovery that pleasure (whether that pleasure or any other) was not what you had been looking for. No moral question was involved; I was at this time as nearly nonmoral on that subject as a human creature can be. The frustration did not consist in finding a "lower" pleasure instead of a "higher." It was the irrelevance of the conclusion that marred it. ... You might as well offer a mutton chop to a man who is dying of thirst as offer sexual pleasure to the desire I am speaking of. ... Joy is not a substitute for sex; sex is very often a substitute for Joy. I sometimes wonder whether all pleasures are not substitutes for Joy.”

JoyPleasure
Book:Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life
Create image