Quotes from Thomas Hardy

The trees have inquisitive eyes, haven't they?—that is, seem as if they had. And the river says,—'Why do ye trouble me with your looks?' And you seem to see numbers of to-morrows just all in a line, the first of them the biggest and clearest, the others getting smaller and smaller as they stand farther away; but they all seem very fierce and cruel and as if they said, 'I'm coming! Beware of me! Beware of me!' … But

Between himself and her there was that kind of division which is more insurmountable than enmity; for estrangements produced by good judgment will last when those of feeling break down in smiles. Not the lovers who part in passion, but the lovers who part in friendship, are those who most frequently part forever.

the position of guests, Tess being honoured with

No average man will molest a woman by day or night, at home or abroad, unless she invites him. Until she says by a look Come on he is always afraid to, and if you never say it, or look it, he never comes.

Their eyes having met, became, as it were, mutually locked together, ... a clear penetrating ray of intelligence had shot from each into each, giving birth to ..., the conviction, 'A tie has began to unite us.

He had no wish to converse with her: that his bright lady and himself formed one group, exclusively their own, and containing no others in the world, was enough.

Matter is matter, and mental association only a delusion.

The theologians, the apologists, and their kin the metaphysicians, the high-handed statesmen, and others, no longer interest me. All that has been spoilt for me by the grind of stern reality!

but it is without a doubt a misfortune for a man who has a living to get, to be born of a truly noble nature. A high soul will bring a man to the workhouse... A Pair of Blue Eyes

This good-fellowship—camaraderie—usually occurring through similarity of pursuits, is unfortunately seldom superadded to love between the sexes, because men and women associate, not in their labours, but in their pleasures merely.

I have danced at your skittish heels, my beautiful Bathsheba, for many a long mile and many a long day.

The thought of Pascal's was brought home to him: "A mesure qu'on a plus d'esprit, on trouve qu'il y a plus d'hommes originaux. Les gens du commun ne trouvent pas de différence entre les hommes.

Bathsheba, though she had too much understanding to be entirely governed by her womanliness, had too much womanliness to use her understanding to the best advantage.

Weakness is doubly weak by being new.

Some people look upon marriage as a short cut that way, but it has been known to fail.

Gabriel Oak: It's time for you to fight your own battles... and win them too.

Indeed, he seemed to approach the grave as a hyperbolic curve approaches a straight line—less directly as he got nearer, till it was doubtful if he would ever reach it at all.

Deeds of endurance, which seem ordinary in philosophy, are rare in conduct.

Tess shrank into herself as if she had been struck. Often enough had he tried to reach those lips against her consent—often had he said gaily that her mouth and breath tasted of the butter and eggs and milk and honey on which she mainly lived, that he drew sustenance from them, and other follies of that sort. But he did not care for them now.

When a strong woman recklessly throws away her strength she is worse than a weak woman who has never had any strength to throw away

Idiosyncrasy and vicissitude had combined to stamp Sergeant Troy as an exceptional being.

Oh yes," she said, quickly. "I know all that. But don't talk of it—seven or six years—where may we all be by that time?" "They will soon glide by, and it will seem an astonishingly short time to look back upon when they are past—much less than to look forward to now.

If he could only prevent himself growing up! He did not want to be a man.

And then her cooing voice, plaintive in expostulation, disturbed the darkness, the velvet touch of her lips passed over his brow, and he could distinguish in the air the warmth of her breath.