When a person hasn't in him that which is higher and stronger than all external influences, it is enough for him to catch a good cold in order to lose his equilibrium and begin to see an owl in every bird, to hear a dog's bark in every sound. Anton Chekhov More Quotes by Anton Chekhov More Quotes From Anton Chekhov If you ever have need of my life, come and take it. Anton Chekhov most-romantic ifs needs This man, who for twenty-five years has been reading and writing about art, and in all that time has never understood anything about art, has for twenty-five years been hashing over other people's ideas about realism, naturalism and all that nonsense; for twenty-five years he has been reading and writing about what intelligent people already know and about what stupid people don't want to know--which means that for twenty-five years he's been taking nothing and making nothing out of it. And with it all, what conceit! What pretension! Anton Chekhov reading stupid art It's not a matter of old or new forms; a person writes without thinking about any forms, he writes because it flows freely from his soul. Anton Chekhov soul writing thinking Money, like vodka, turns a person into an eccentric. Anton Chekhov vodka eccentric literature An actress without talent, forty years old, ate a partridge for dinner, and I felt sorry for the partridge, for it occurred to me that in its life it had been more talented, more sensible, and more honest than the actress. Anton Chekhov dinner sorry years Time will pass, and we shall go away for ever, and we shall be forgotten, our faces will be forgotten, our voices, and how many there were of us; but our sufferings will pass into joy for those who will live after us, happiness and peace will be established upon earth, and they will remember kindly and bless those who have lived before. Anton Chekhov voice time joy Without a knowledge of languages you feel as if you don't have a passport. Anton Chekhov passports language travel It is easy to be a philosopher in academia, but it is very difficult to be a philosopher in life. Anton Chekhov academia philosopher easy The problem is that we attempt to solve the simplest questions cleverly, thereby rendering them unusually complex. One should seekthe simple solution. Anton Chekhov simplicity problem simple Calculating selfishness is the annihilation of self. Anton Chekhov annihilation selfishness self When describing nature, a writer should seize upon small details, arranging them so that the reader will see an image in his mind after he closes his eyes. For instance: you will capture the truth of a moonlit night if you'll write that a gleam like starlight shone from the pieces of a broken bottle, and then the dark, plump shadow of a dog or wolf appeared. You will bring life to nature only if you don't shrink from similes that liken its activities to those of humankind. Anton Chekhov eye dog writing An artist observes, selects, guesses, and synthesizes. Anton Chekhov artist art I often wonder: suppose we could begin life over again, knowing what we were doing? Suppose we could use one life, already ended, as a sort of rough draft for another? I think that every one of us would try, more than anything else, not to repeat himself, at the very least he would rearrange his manner of life, he would make sure of rooms like these, with flowers and light ... I have a wife and two daughters, my wife's health is delicate and so on and so on, and if I had to begin life all over again I would not marry. ... No, no! Anton Chekhov daughter flower thinking If you wish women to love you be original; I know a man who used to wear felt boots summer and winter & women fell in love with him. Anton Chekhov summer love-you winter If you want to work on your art, work on your life. Anton Chekhov growth want art The snow has not yet left the earth but spring is already asking to enter your heart. Anton Chekhov heart spring snow You must trust and believe in people or life becomes impossible. Anton Chekhov family happiness love If there's any illness for which people offer many remedies, you may be sure that particular illness is incurable, I think. Anton Chekhov may people thinking In displaying the psychology of your characters, minute particulars are essential. God save us from vague generalizations! Be sure not to discuss your hero's state of mind. Make it clear from his actions. Nor is it necessary to portray many main characters. Let two people be the center of gravity in your story: he and she. Anton Chekhov hero character two Everything should be first-rate in a person, his face, clothes, soul and thoughts. Anton Chekhov clothes excellence soul
