Nobody holds a good opinion of a man who has a low opinion of himself.
Anthony TrollopeRead
Romance is very pretty in novels, but the romance of a life is always a melancholy matter. They are most happy who have no story to tell.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Romantic ideals are often more appealing in fiction than in reality, where true experiences can be bittersweet.
In this quote, Anthony Trollope reflects on the nature of romance in literature versus real life. While romantic tales can be enchanting in novels, the actual experiences of love and life often come with sorrow and complexity, suggesting that those who live without dramatic stories may find true happiness. This perspective invites readers to appreciate the simplicity of life over the embellished narratives found in stories.
Themes
RomanceLifeMelancholyHappinessStories
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the contrast between literature and life experiences.
More from Anthony Trollope
All quotes →There is no happiness in love, except at the end of an English novel.
Anthony TrollopeRead
That I can read and be happy while I am reading, is a great blessing.
Anthony TrollopeRead
A man's love, till it has been chastened and fastened by the feeling of duty which marriage brings with it, is instigated mainly by the difficulty of pursuit.
Anthony TrollopeRead
But she knew this,—that it was necessary for her happiness that she should devote herself to some one. All the elegancies and outward charms of life were delightful, if only they could be used as the means to some end. As an end themselves they were nothing.
Anthony TrollopeRead
Nothing surely is as potent as a law that may not be disobeyed. It has the force of the water drop that hollows the stone. A small dainty task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.
Anthony TrollopeRead
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