Age seldom arrives smoothly or quickly. It's more often a succession of jerks. Jean Rhys More Quotes by Jean Rhys More Quotes From Jean Rhys I would never be part of anything. I would never really belong anywhere, and I knew it, and all my life would be the same, trying to belong, and failing. Always something would go wrong. I am a stranger and I always will be, and after all I didn’t really care. Jean Rhys i-dont-care being-yourself life My life, which seems so simple and monotonous, is really a complicated affair of cafés where they like me and cafés where they don't, streets that are friendly, streets that aren't, rooms where I might be happy, rooms where I shall never be, looking-glasses I look nice in, looking-glasses I don't, dresses that will be lucky, dresses that won't, and so on. Jean Rhys glasses nice simple All of writing is a huge lake. There are great rivers that feed the lake, like Tolstoy or Dostoyevsky. And then there are mere trickles, like Jean Rhys. All that matters is feeding the lake. I don't matter. The lake matters. You must keep feeding the lake. Jean Rhys lakes writing rivers Now I no longer wish to be loved, beautiful, happy or successful. I want one thing and one thing only - to be left alone. Jean Rhys successful wish beautiful You can pretend for a long time, but one day it all falls away and you are alone. We are alone in the most beautiful place in the world. Jean Rhys beautiful long fall Only the magic and the dream are true — all the rest's a lie. Jean Rhys magic dream lying A room is, after all, a place where you hide from the wolves. That's all any room is. Jean Rhys rooms The feeling of Sunday is the same everywhere, heavy, melancholy, standing still. Jean Rhys weekend friday sunday I am the only real truth I know. Jean Rhys real acceptance truth When you are a child you are yourself and you know and see everything prophetically. And then suddenly something happens and you stop being yourself; you become what others force you to be. You lose your wisdom and your soul. Jean Rhys being-yourself soul children Have all beautiful things sad destinies? Jean Rhys beautiful-things destiny beautiful I think that the desire to be cruel and to hurt (with words because any other way might be dangerous to ourself) is part of human nature. Parties are battles (most parties), a conversation is a duel (often). Everybody's trying to hurt first, to get in the dig that will make him or her feel superior, feel triumph. Jean Rhys party hurt thinking I've been so ridiculous all my life that a little bit more or a little bit less hardly matters now. Jean Rhys ridiculous matter littles I must write. If I stop writing my life will have been an abject failure. It is that already to other people. But it could be an abject failure to myself. I will not have earned death. Jean Rhys has-beens writing people After all this, what happened? What happened was that, as soon as I had the slightest chance of a place to hide in, I crept into it and hid. Well, sometimes it's a fine day isn't it? Sometimes the skies are blue. Sometimes the air is light, easy to breathe. And there is always tomorrow. Jean Rhys light air blue We can't all be happy, we can't all be rich, we can't all be lucky - and it would be so much less fun if we were... There must be the dark background to show up the bright colours. Jean Rhys dark fun life The last time you were happy about nothing; the first time you were afraid about nothing. Which came first? Jean Rhys lasts first-time firsts Today I must be very careful, today I have left my armor at home. Jean Rhys armor home today ...I know all about myself now, I know. You've told me so often. You haven't left me one rag of illusion to clothe myself in. Jean Rhys rags illusion havens Sometimes the Earth trembles; sometimes you can feel it breathe. Jean Rhys breathe earth sometimes
