- “People, thank goodness, are very simple if one takes
them simply.” (Constance, I.3)
- “Self-deprecation is just a deceitful trick. When
a man starts accusing himself in a love-affair, he's accusing
the affair itself. And in no time it's us who are standing
in the dock.” (Aggy, I.6)
- (on
the topic of ageing) “Well, there are still moments
that take you aback. For instance, when you suddenly realize
you have stopped believing that there are people who can explain
everything to you.” (John Charles, I.9)
- “You know, Uncle Charly, I’m
a very fair-minded man: So I put women into two main categories:
The ones made for love-affairs and the ones for marriage.”
- “I've learned not to draw conclusions about a woman's
state of mind from anything she does.” (John Charles,
I.14)
- “I find famous men odious, but their wives are even
worse.” (Constance, II.1)
- “I'm
not considerate: I'm only aware of what's going on inside
people and that disturbs me – and then I react by showing
people the regard I have for them. My good manners are just
a kind of nervous defence, to keep people at arm's length.” (Helen,
II.1)
- “We’re simply not like those mayflies that live
only from sunrise to sunset. We’re still there the next
day. That doesn’t suit you, a man of your kind.” (Antoinette,
II.7)
- “Speech is based on indecent excess of self-esteem.” (John
Charles, II.14)
- “Everything
one utters is indecent. Merely to put anything into words
is an indecency. And when one looks at it closely – except
that men never look closely at anything in the world – there's
something positively shameless in our daring even to experience
some things!” (John Charles,
III.13)
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