Diary of a Superfluous Man Quotes

“That's what children are for—that their parents may not be bored.”
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man

“Moreover, probably owing to excessive self-consciousness, perhaps as the result of the generally unfortunate cast of my personality, there existed between my thoughts and feelings, and the expression of those feelings and thoughts, a sort of inexplicable, irrational, and utterly insuperable barrier; and whenever I made up my mind to overcome this obstacle by force, to break down this barrier, my gestures, the expression of my face, my whole being, took on an appearance of painful constraint. I not only seemed, I positively became unnatural and affected. I was conscious of this myself, and hastened to shrink back into myself. Then a terrible commotion was set up within me. I analysed myself to the last thread, compared myself with others, recalled the slightest glances, smiles, words of the people to whom I had tried to open myself out, put the worst construction on everything, laughed vindictively at my own pretensions to 'be like every one else,'—and suddenly, in the midst of my laughter, collapsed utterly into gloom, sank into absurd dejection, and then began again as before—went round and round, in fact, like a squirrel on its wheel. Whole days were spent in this harassing, fruitless exercise.”
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man

“But I had absolutely lost all sense of personal dignity, and could not tear myself away from the spectacle of my own misery.”
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man

“Sentimental outbreaks are like liquorice; when first you suck it, it's not bad, but afterwards it leaves a very nasty taste in the mouth.”
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man

“The misfortune of solitary and timid people - who are timid from self-consciousness - is just that, though they have eyes and indeed open them wide, they see nothing, or see everything in a false light, as though through coloured spectacles.”
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man

“While a man is living he is not conscious of his own life; it becomes audible to him, like a sound, after the lapse of time.”
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man

“Ô nature, nature! je t'aime, quoique je sois sorti de ton sein incapable de vivre.”
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man

“Pendant toute la durée de ma vie, j'ai constamment trouvé ma place occupée, peut-être parce que je cherchais cette place où je n'aurais pas dû le faire.”
― Ivan Tourgueniev, Journal d'un homme de trop

“Au moment où il la vit, l'homme n'a pas le sentiment de sa propre vie; semblable au son, elle ne lui devient perceptible qu'après un certain intervalle de temps.”
― Ivan Tourgueniev, Journal d'un homme de trop

“This MS. was read, and contents thereof
disapproved,
by Peter Zudotyeshin. M. M. M. M.
Dear Sir, Peter Zudotyeshin, My dear Sir.”
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man

“Да, поневоле скажешь с одним русским философом: «Как знать, чего не знаешь?»”
― Ivan Turgenev, Дневник лишнего человека

“Да и ��то сказал, что одна истина действительна? Ложь так же живуча, как и истина, если не более.”
― Ivan Turgenev, Дневник лишнего человека

“Таково сердце человеческое!» — воскликнул бы теперь выразительным голосом какой-нибудь русский учитель средних лет, подняв кверху жирный указательный палец, украшенный перстнем из корналинки; но что нам за дело до мнения русского учителя с выразительным голосом и корналинкой на пальце?”
― Ivan Turgenev, Дневник лишнего человека

“I had not expected that. Generally
speaking, people like me expect everything in
the world except that which ought to happen in
the ordinary run of things.”
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man

“Liza and the Prince grew more and
more attached to each other with every day that
passed... But I positively lost all sense of
my own dignity, and could not tear myself
away from the spectacle of my unhappiness. I
remember that one day I made an effort not
to go, gave myself my word of honour in the
morning that I would remain at home, and
at eight o'clock in the evening (I usually
went out at seven), I jumped up like a lunatic, put on my hat, and ran, panting, to Kirill
Matvyeevitch's.”
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man

“So, then, I suffered like a dog which has had
the hind part of its body run over by a wheel.
Only then, I become definitively aware how much pleasure a man may derive from the contemplation of his own unhappiness. Oh, men ! ye are, in reality, a pitiful race !”
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man

“In the presence of death all the last earthly vanities disappear. I feel that I am quieting down; I am becoming more simple, more clear. I have acquired sense, but too late!”
― Ivan Turgenev, Diary of a Superfluous Man