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54 of the Best James Joyce Quotes (ULYSSES)

December 1, 2023December 1, 2023

Top 10 Most Famous James Joyce Quotes (BEST)

A man of genius makes no mistakes. His errors are volitional and are the portals of discovery.

The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts. — The actions of men are the best interpreters of their thoughts.

Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age. — Better pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age.

There is not past, no future; everything flows in an eternal present. — There is not past, no future; everything flows in an eternal present.

I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day. — I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day.

Your mind will give back to you exactly what you put into it.

Think you're escaping and run into yourself. Longest way round is the shortest way home. — Think you’re escaping and run into yourself. Longest way round is the shortest way home.

People trample over flowers, yet only to embrace a cactus.

All Moanday, Tearday, Wailsday, Thumpsday, Frightday, Shatterday.

I've put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant, and that's the only way of insuring one's immortality. — I’ve put in so many enigmas and puzzles that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant, and that’s the only way of insuring one’s immortality.

17 James Joyce Quotes About Life

“Every life is in many days, day after day. We walk through ourselves, meeting robbers, ghosts, giants, old men, young men, wives, widows, brothers-in-love, but always meeting ourselves.”
James Joyce

Hold to the now, the here, through which all future plunges to the past. — Hold to the now, the here, through which all future plunges to the past.

Your battles inspired me – not the obvious material battles but those that were fought and won behind your forehead.

It is as painful perhaps to be awakened from a vision as to be born. — It is as painful perhaps to be awakened from a vision as to be born.

To learn, one must be humble. But life is the great teacher. — To learn, one must be humble. But life is the great teacher.

Shut your eyes and see.

The supreme question about a work of art is out of how deep a life does it spring.

There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to the church as a human being. — There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to the church as a human being.

Ask no questions and you’ll hear no lies.

Life is too short to read a bad book.

I fear those big words which make us so unhappy. — I fear those big words which make us so unhappy.

The demand that I make of my reader is that he should devote his whole Life to reading my works.

Welcome, O life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race. — Welcome, O life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race.

We were always loyal to lost causes, the professor said. Success for us is the dark of the intellect and of the imagination. — We were always loyal to lost causes, the professor said. Success for us is the dark of the intellect and of the imagination.

Fall if you will, but rise you must.

He wanted to cry quietly but not for himself: for the words, so beautiful and sad, like music. — He wanted to cry quietly but not for himself: for the words, so beautiful and sad, like music.

“The important thing is not what we write but how we write, and in my opinion the modern writer must be an adventurer above all, willing to take every risk, and be prepared to founder in his effort if need be. In other words we must write dangerously.”
James Joyce

7 James Joyce Quotes on Nation and Discovery

When I die, Dublin will be written in my heart.

A nation is the same people living in the same place.

Nations have their ego, just like individuals.

Christopher Columbus, as everyone knows, is honored by posterity because he was the last to discover America. — Christopher Columbus, as everyone knows, is honored by posterity because he was the last to discover America.

This race and this country and this life produced me, he said. I shall express myself as I am.

If Ireland is to become a new Ireland she must first become European.

I want to give a picture of Dublin so complete that if the city suddenly disappeared from the earth it could be reconstructed out of my book.

9 James Joyce Quotes About Love

First we feel. Then we fall.

But my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires.

All things are inconstant except the faith in the soul, which changes all things and fills their inconstancy with light. — All things are inconstant except the faith in the soul, which changes all things and fills their inconstancy with light.

Men are governed by lines of intellect – women by curves of emotion.

My words in her mind: cold polished stones sinking through a quagmire.

Man and woman, love, what is it? A cork and a bottle.

First kiss does the trick. The propitious moment. Something inside them goes pop. — First kiss does the trick. The propitious moment. Something inside them goes pop.

They lived and laughed and loved and left.

Love loves to love love.

11 Bizarre James Joyce Quotes to Make You Think

Shakespeare is the happy hunting ground of all minds that have lost their balance. — Shakespeare is the happy hunting ground of all minds that have lost their balance.

Can’t bring back time. Like holding water in your hand. — Can’t bring back time. Like holding water in your hand.

Absence, the highest form of presence.

I am proud to be an emotionalist.

Why is it that words like these seem dull and cold? Is it because there is no word tender enough to be your name?

Every jackass going the roads thinks he has ideas.

A corpse is meat gone bad. Well and what's cheese? Corpse of milk. — A corpse is meat gone bad. Well and what’s cheese? Corpse of milk.

Irresponsibility is part of the pleasure of all art; it is the part the schools cannot recognize.

God spoke to you by so many voices but you would not hear.

Writing in English is the most ingenious torture ever devised for sins committed in previous lives. The English reading public explains the reason why.

Poetry, even when apparently most fantastic, is always a revolt against artifice, a revolt, in a sense, against actuality. — Poetry, even when apparently most fantastic, is always a revolt against artifice, a revolt, in a sense, against actuality.

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Best James Joyce Quotes (ULYSSES) - Gracious Quotes

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