Jean Giono Quotes

• Civilization tries to persuade us we are going towards something, a distant goal. We have forgotten that our only goal is to live, to live each and every day, and that if we live each and every day, our true goal is achieved.

  Jean Giono

  Inspirational, Live Life, Civilization

  61 Copy quote

• There are also times in life when a person has to rush off in pursuit of hopefulness.

  Jean Giono

  Pursuit, Hopefulness, Persons

  Jean Giono, Michael McCurdy (2007). “The Man Who Planted Trees”, p.43, Chelsea Green Publishing

  14 Copy quote

• Remember, all of man's happiness is in the little valleys. Tiny little ones. Small enough to call from one side to the other.

  Jean Giono

  Men, Valleys, Littles

  Jean Giono (2013). “Blue Boy”, p.151, Read Books Ltd

  15 Copy quote

• From the time we began to build houses and cities, since we invented the wheel, we have not advanced one step toward happiness. We have always been in halves. As long as we invent and progress in mechanical things and not in love, we shall not achieve happiness.

  Jean Giono

  Cities, Long, House

  Jean Giono (2013). “Blue Boy”, p.150, Read Books Ltd

  18 Copy quote

• I have always hated crowds. I like deserts, prisons, and monasteries. I have discovered, too, that there are fewer idiots at 3000 meters above sea level than down below.

  Jean Giono

  Sea, Desert, Levels

  20 Copy quote

• When I reflect that one man, armed only with his own physical and moral resources, was able to cause this land of Canaan to spring from the wasteland, I am convinced that in spite of everything, humanity is admirable. But when I compute the unfailing greatness of spirit and the tenacity of benevolence that it must have taken to achieve this result, I am taken with an immense respect for that old and unlearned peasant who was able to complete a work worthy of God.

  Jean Giono

  Spring, Taken, Greatness

  16 Copy quote

• For a human character to reveal truly exceptional qualities, one must have the good fortune to be able to observe its performance over many years. If this performance is devoid of all egoism, if its guiding motive is unparalleled generosity, if it is absolutely certain that there is no thought of recompense and that, in addition, it has left its visible mark upon the earth, then there can be no mistake.

  Jean Giono

  Mistake, Character, Years

  Jean Giono, Michael McCurdy (2007). “The Man Who Planted Trees”, p.3, Chelsea Green Publishing

  19 Copy quote

• Spring sprang suddenly onto the land.

  Jean Giono

  Spring, Land

  13 Copy quote

• All civilized people see the day beginning at dawn or a little after or a long time after or whatever time their work begins; this they lengthen according to their work, during what they call 'all day long'; and end it when they close their eyes. It is they who say the days are long. On the contrary, the days are round.

  Jean Giono

  Work, Eye, Long

  10 Copy quote

• Boredom is the most horrible of wolves.

  Jean Giono

  Boredom, Horrible

  11 Copy quote

• Days begin and end in the dead of night. They are not shaped long, in the manner of things which lead to ends - arrow, road, man's life on earth. They are shaped round, in the manner of things eternal and stable - sun, world, God.

  Jean Giono

  Time, Night, Men

  11 Copy quote

• I should like to write about what happens when fictive people encounter and are embellished by real people.

  Jean Giono

  Real, Writing, People

  Jean Giono, John Cumming (2001). “An Italian Journey”, p.30, Northwestern University Press

  14 Copy quote

• The Italians are said to be noisy and to gesticulate, but that is a libel dreamed up by the English.

  Jean Giono

  Said, Libel, Noisy

  Jean Giono, John Cumming (2001). “An Italian Journey”, p.36, Northwestern University Press

  10 Copy quote

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