Classic novels have the unique ability to capture the essence of human experience, offering insights and truths that remain relevant across generations. They provide a window into the past, reflecting the thoughts, emotions, and struggles of their characters in ways that resonate deeply with readers today.
The wisdom found within their pages is often encapsulated in memorable quotes that have the power to inspire, challenge, and provoke thought long after the final page is turned.
In this collection, we explore 50 quotes from classic novels, each offering a glimpse into the profound and often complex narratives that have shaped literature. These quotes serve as a testament to the enduring power of the written word and the timeless nature of human inquiry and expression.
50 of the Best Classic Novel Quotes
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
“All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” – Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
“Call me Ishmael.” – Herman Melville, Moby Dick
“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.” – Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” – Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
“You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love… I love… I love you.” – Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” – Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” – Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights
“I wish I could shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only knew how to begin.” – Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
“We loved with a love that was more than love.” – Edgar Allan Poe, Annabel Lee
“It was a pleasure to burn.” – Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
“Real courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.” – Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby
“He was some kind of a man… What does it matter what you say about people?” – Graham Greene, The Third Man
“I think, therefore I am.” – René Descartes, Discourse on Method
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” – Henry David Thoreau, Walden
“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born…” – J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
“I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship.” – Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
“Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
“To love another person is to see the face of God.” – Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
“It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.” – André Gide, Autumn Leaves
“For whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” – John Donne, Meditation XVII
“All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream.” – Edgar Allan Poe, A Dream Within A Dream
“The truth is rarely pure and never simple.” – Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest
“Man is born free, and everywhere he is in chains.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau, The Social Contract
“Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” – Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” – Martin Luther King Jr., Why We Can’t Wait
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” – J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” – Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” – Jorge Luis Borges, Poem of the Gifts
“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” – C.S. Lewis
“Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” – Dylan Thomas, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” – Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” – William Shakespeare, Hamlet
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” – Socrates, as recorded by Plato
“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent.” – Victor Hugo, Hunchback of Notre Dame
“Not all those who wander are lost.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
“To be, or not to be, that is the question.” – William Shakespeare, Hamlet
“Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” – Allen Saunders
“It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” – George Orwell, Animal Farm
“I would always rather be happy than dignified.” – Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre
“If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.” – Lemony Snicket, The Ersatz Elevator
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
“We accept the love we think we deserve.” – Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower
“I am large, I contain multitudes.” – Walt Whitman, Song of Myself
Summary
The quotes gathered from classic novels offer a rich tapestry of human thought, emotion, and experience. From the introspective musings on life and love to the defiant cries against injustice and the celebrations of the human spirit, these words stand as monuments to the depth and complexity of the human condition.
They remind us of the power of literature to connect us across time and space, offering solace, inspiration, and companionship through the ages. As we reflect on these quotes, we are reminded of the enduring relevance of classic novels and the timeless wisdom they contain.
In a world that is ever-changing, the insights and truths found within the pages of these books continue to offer guidance, comfort, and a reminder of the shared human experience.
