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Anton Chekhov on Valentine's Day

1860–1904 Russia

← All quotes by Anton Chekhov

12 quotes

To a heart transformed by love, it is a mandolin.

The Cherry Orchard (1904)

Who but a stupid barbarian could burn so much beauty in his stove and destroy that which he cannot make?

Uncle Vanya (1897)

Love, friendship, respect, do not unite people as much as a common hatred for something.

Note-Book of Anton Chekhov (1921)

There is something beautiful, touching and poetic when one person loves more than the other, and the other is indifferent.

After the Theatre (1892)

Prudence and justice tell me that in electricity and steam there is more love for man than in chastity and abstinence from meat.

Thought and beauty, like a hurricane or waves, should not know conventional, delimited forms.

He who constantly swims in the ocean loves dry land.

People love talking of their diseases, although they are the most uninteresting things in their lives.

Note-Book of Anton Chekhov (1921)

That which we experience when we are in love is perhaps our normal state. Being in love shows a person who they should be.

Love is a scandal of the personal sort.

The Piano Player (1885)

How pleasant it is to respect people! When I see books, I am not concerned with how the authors loved or played cards; I see only their marvelous works.

Note-Book of Anton Chekhov (1921)

If you wish women to love you, be original; I know a man who used to wear felt boots summer and winter, and women fell in love with him.

Note-Book of Anton Chekhov (1921)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Anton Chekhov (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.