After moral poisoning, one requires physical remedies and a bottle of champagne.

— Stendhal

A good book is an event in my life.

— Stendhal

Ah, Sir, a novel is a mirror carried along a high road. At one moment it reflects to your vision the azure skies, at another the mire of the puddles at your feet. And the man who carries this mirror in his pack will be accused by you of being immoral! His mirror shews the mire, and you blame the mirror! Rather blame that high road upon which the puddle lies, still more the inspector of roads who allows the water to gather and the puddle to form.

— Stendhal

All religions are founded on the fear of the many and the cleverness of the few.

— Stendhal

Almost all our misfortunes in life come from the wrong notions we have about the things that happen to us.

— Stendhal

A melancholy air can never be the right thing; what you want is a bored air. If you are melancholy, it must be because you want something, there is something in which you have not such

— Stendhal

An English traveler relates how he lived upon intimate terms with a tiger; he had reared it and used to play with it, but always kept a loaded pistol on the table.

— Stendhal

A novel is a mirror carried along a main road.

— Stendhal

A novel is a mirror walking along a main road.

— Stendhal

A very small degree of hope is sufficient to cause the birth of love

— Stendhal