Quotes from Irene Nemirovsky

Quando un figlio è piccolo, ci si crea un'immagine ideale di quello che sarà più tardi, e quell'immagine, come una maschera, nasconde il suo volto autentico che non si conoscerà mai.

también se viste y se acicala a los muertos, destinados a pudrirse en la tierra. Es un último homenaje, la suprema prueba de amor hacia quien nos fue querido.

Fanny zag ik niet meer. We waren overeengekomen dat ze pas bij me zou komen op de dag voor de aanslag, voor de laatste instructies, want zij moest de bommen klaarmaken en ze aan me geven. De kameraad die ik nog één keer ontmoette, gaf me het precieze tijdstip op: kwart voor twaalf 's avonds. Het was ons onmogelijk de schouwburg binnen te komen, want daar mocht je alleen in op uitnodiging; we moesten dus wachten onder de zuilengalerij.

The instincts of a former age were still at work in Gabriel Corte: when someone hurt him, rather than defend himself, his first reaction was to complain.

Please let us get back to a normal way of life, whatever it might be; these wars, revolutions, great historical upheavals might be exciting to men, but to women Ã¢â'¬Â¦ Women felt nothing but boredom. She was positive that every woman would agree with her: they were tired of crying, bored to death by all these noble words and noble feelings!

Ancora un'ora persa, sprofondata nel nulla, che è colata via tra le dita come acqua e che non tornerà più... Vorrei andarmene lontano, oppure morire....

For there comes a time in life when the pity previously reserved only for children takes on a different form, a time when we study the faces of 'old people' and sense that one day we will be just like them. And that is the moment when early childhood comes to an end.

La felicità assomiglia a delle vacanze in riva al mare in un'estate piovosa, dove solo l'ultima giornata è stata bella, e questo è sufficiente per rimpiangerle.

They're overexcited, that's obvious. Admirably disciplined and, I think, no rebellion in their hearts. I swear here and now never again to take out my bitterness, no matter how justifiable, on a group of people, whatever their race, religion, convictions, prejudices, errors. I feel sorry for these poor children. But I cannot forgive certain individuals, those who reject me, those who coldly abandon us, those who are prepared to stab you in the back.

Ci resta sempre in fondo al cuore il rimpianto di un'ora, di un'estate, di un fuggevole istante in cui la giovinezza si schiude come una gemma.

dac? ar primi mâine ordin, m-ar aresta, m-ar ucide cu mâna lor È™i f?r? remuÈ™c?ri?... R?zboiul... Da, È™tim bine ce e r?zboiul. Dar ocupaÈ›ia e într-un fel mai cumplit?, pentru c? te obiÈ™nuieÈ™ti cu oamenii; îÈ›i zici c? la urma urmelor, sunt È™i ei ca toÈ›i ceilalÈ›i, dar nu-i deloc adev?rat. Suntem dou? specii diferite, care nu se pot împ?ca vreodat?, inamice pe via??.

The most hated men in France in 1942: Philippe Henriot9 and Pierre Laval. The first as the Tiger, the second as the Hyena: around Henriot you can smell fresh blood, and around Laval the stench of rotting flesh.

All in all, it's only the initial shock that counts. People get used to everything, everything that happens in the occupied zone:

De tilhørte nemlig den klassen av det franske høyborgerskapet som heller vil se barna sine uten brød, kjøtt og luft enn uten eksamenspapirer.

Hun ba for de døde og sendte lykkønskningsbrev til de levende hver gang det var bryllup eller barnedåp - akkurat som engelskmennene i koloniene, som drakk seg fulle i all ensomhet hver gang London feiret dronningens fødselsdag.

Marianne se tut brusquement, songeant que l'amour conjugal pouvait croître non seulement sans l'aide des époux, mais malgré eux, malgré les querelles, les déceptions et les trahisons, croître par sa propre vertu, comme un enfant.

Alla fine, tutte le passioni sono tragiche, tutti i desideri maledetti, perché si ottiene sempre meno di quel che si è sognato...

La sua vita trascorreva in una continua alternanza tra il desiderio di solitudine e quello di compagnia. «Nessuno come me avrà sprecato tante energie nella conversazione più futile, e nessuno avrà tanto detestato la gente»

To lift such a heavy weight, Sisyphus, you will need all your courage. I do not lack the courage to complete the task But the goal is far and time is short.

War Ã¢â'¬Â¦ yes, everyone knows what war is like. But occupation is more terrible in a way, because people get used to one another. We tell ourselves, 'They're just like us, after all,' but they're not at all the same. We're two different species, irreconcilable, enemies forever.

Tutto era meglio della musica, perché solo la musica abolisce le differenze di lingua o di abitudini fra due esseri e tocca fibre sensibilissime.

2 June 1942. Never forget that the war will be over and that the entire historical side will fade away. Try to create as much as possible: things, debates Ã¢â'¬Â¦ that will interest people in 1952 or 2052.

Gli eventi gravi, fasti o nefasti che siano, non cambiano la natura dicun uomo ma permettono di definirla meglio, così come un colpo di vento, spazzando all'improvviso le foglie morte, rivela la forma di un albero; mettono in luce quello che era rimasto in ombra; danno allo spirito l'inclinazione che da lì in avanti lo caratterizzerà.

He had been conceived while his father was home on leave in 1915. He was born out of the war and (he had always known it) war would be his fate. There was nothing morbid in this idea; he shared it with many boys his age; it was simply logical and reasonable. But, he said to himself, the worst is over now, and that changes everything. Once again there is a future. The war is over—terrible, shameful, but over. And Ã¢â'¬Â¦ there is hope