Quotes from Émile Zola

Metaphysical man is dead; our whole field of enquiry is transformed by physiological man.

My own art is a negation of society, an affirmation of the individual, outside all rules and demands of society.

Truth is on the march and nothing can stop it.

If you shut up truth, and bury it underground, it will but grow.

A work of art is a corner of creation seen through a temperament.

The fate of animals is of greater importance to me than the fear of appearing ridiculous it is indissolubly connected with the fate of men.

I am little concerned with beauty or perfection. I don't care for the great centuries. All I care about is life, struggle, intensity. I am at ease in my generation.

Selling beauty is something I can understand. Even selling false beauty seems perfectly natural; it's a sign of progress.

In my view you cannot claim to have seen something until you have photographed it.

She was cold by nature, self-love predominating over passion; rather than being virtuous, she preferred to have her pleasures all to herself.

The only basis for living is believing in life, loving it, and applying the whole force of one's intellect to know it better.

A god of kindness would be charitable to all. Your god of wrath and punishment is but a monstrous phantasy.

A new dynasty is never founded without a struggle. Blood makes good manure.

Governments are suspicious of literature because it is a force that eludes them.

Through the centuries, the history of peoples is but a lesson in mutual tolerance.

There are two men inside the artist, the poet and the craftsman. One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman.

Civilization will not attain to its perfection until the last stone from the last church falls on the last priest.

If you ask me what I came into this life to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud.

Truth is on the march, and nothing will stop it.

Crever pour crever, je préfère crever de passion que de crever d'ennui !

The day is not far off when one ordinary carrot may be pregnant with revolution.

Il n'y a rien comme l'amour pour donner du courage aux jeunes gens.

If something's just, I'll let myself be hacked to bits for it.

A god of kindness would be charitable to all. Your god of wrath and punishment is but a monstrous phantasy...It is not necessary that one should humble oneself to deserve assistance, it is sufficient that one should suffer.