E.M. Delafield > Quotes

“She is never alone when she has Her Books. Books, to her, are Friends. Give her Shakespeare or Jane Austen, Meredith or Hardy, and she is Lost - lost in a world of her own. She sleeps so little that most of her nights are spent reading.”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“Am sorry to note that abuse and condemnation of a common acquaintance often constitutes very strong bond of union between otherwise uncongenial spirits.”
― E. M. Delafield

“Am struck by paradoxical thought that youth is by no means the happiest time of life, but that most of the rest of life is tinged by regret for its passing, and wonder what old age will feel like, in this respect. (Shall no doubt discover very shortly.)”
― E.M. Delafield, The Provincial Lady in Wartime

“This suggests Query: Does Robert, perhaps, take in what I say even when he makes no reply?”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“...Alex found herself reading of emotions and experiences of which her own seemed so feeble a mockery, that she was conscious of a physical pang of sick disappointment.
Was all fiction utterly untrue to life? Or was hers the counterfeit, which the printed pages but reproduced something of a reality which was denied to her?”
― E.M. Delafield, Consequences

“(Query: Is it possible to cultivate the art of conversation when living in the country all the year round?)”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“(Query: Are modern children going to revolt against being modern, and if so, what form will reaction of modern parents take?)”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“(Query here becomes unavoidable: Does not a misplaced optimism exist, common to all mankind, leading on to false conviction that social engagements, if dated sufficiently far ahead, will never really materialise?)”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“Could not interesting little experiment be tried, by possessor of unusual amount of moral courage, in the shape of suddenly producing perfectly brand new opinions: for example, to the effect that Americans have better manners than we have, or that their divorce laws are a great improvement over our own? Should much like to see the effect of these, or similar, psychological bombs, but should definitely wish Robert to be absent from the scene. Announcement of tea breaks off these intelligent speculations and I am struck, as usual, by the infinite superiority of other people's food to my own.”
― E.M. Delafield, The Diary of a Provincial Lady

“Mucho antes de que estuviéramos a medio camino, y sabedora de que nunca llegaría a la roca, ya confiaba en que la segunda esposa de Robert fuera buena con los niños. La vizcondesa, que nadaba tranquilamente, me preguntó si estaba bien. "Oh, sí", contesté, y acto seguido me hundí.
(Duda: ¿Castigo divino?)”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“Am asked what I think of Harriet Hume but am unable to say, as I have not read it. Have a depressed feeling that this is going to be another case of Orlando about which was perfectly able to talk most intelligently until I read it, and found myself unfortunately unable to understand any of it.”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“(Note: Extreme sensibility of the French sometimes makes them difficult to deal with.)”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“No, says Mrs. Walker thoughtfully, she doesn't really think that Aunt E. and I would ever get on together very well. Am quite surprised and hurt at this, and realise that, though I am quite prepared to dislike Aunt Eleanor, I find it both unjust and astonishing that she should be equally repelled by me.”
― E.M. Delafield, The Provincial Lady Series: Diary of a Provincial Lady, The Provincial Lady Goes Further, The Provincial Lady in America & The Provincial Lady in Wartime

“Query: Does incessant pressure of domestic cares vitiate capacity for human sympathy? Fear that it does, but find myself unable to attempt reformation in this direction at present.”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“indulge in cynical reflections about extremely poor reward afforded in this life to attempted acts of good-nature.”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“Me he preguntado muchas veces hasta qué punto las madres, si de ellas dependiera, no se dejarían llevar por el instinto universal de dejarlo todo para después de que los niños empiecen clases. Y tengo la certeza de que dicho precepto, de ser posible, lo abarcará todo en la vida, incluida la muerte misma.”
― E.M. Delafield, The Provincial Lady in London

“¿Por qué debería parecerme más grave la exhibición de hipocresía en los demás que dicha falta en mí misma? No encuentro respuesta.”
― E.M. Delafield, The Provincial Lady in London

“(Query here suggests itself, as often before: Is it utterly impossible to combine the amenities of civilisation with even the minimum of honesty required to satisfy the voice of conscience? Answer still in abeyance at present.)”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“(Query unavoidably suggests itself here: Does Mademoiselle really expect me to believe her, and if so, what can be her opinion of my mental capacity?)”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“Realise that this mis-statement should be corrected at once, but omit to do so, and later find myself involved in entirely unintentional web of falsehood. Should like to work out how far morally to blame for this state of things, but have not time.”
― E M Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“I am moved to exclaim - perhaps rather thoughtlessly - that the most wonderful thing in the world must be to be a childless widow.”
― E. M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“Vicissitudes of travel very strange, and am struck—as often—by enormous dissimilarity between journeys undertaken in real life, and as reported in fiction.”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“Am perfectly aware that passport is in my small purple dressing-case, where I put it a week ago, and have looked at it two or three times every day ever since—last time just before leaving my room forty-five minutes ago. Am nevertheless mysteriously impelled to open hand-bag, take out key, unlock small purple dressing-case, and verify presence of passport all over again.”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“En la vida cotidiana, decir la verdad resulta extraordinariamente difícil. ¿Es solo mía esta idiosincrasia tan deplorable o hay otros que también la padecen?”
― E. M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“We continue to look at machinery, and Robert becomes enthusiastic over extraordinary-looking implement with teeth, and does not consider quarter of an hour too long in which to stand looking at it in silence. Feel that personally I have taken in the whole of its charms in something under six seconds—but do not, of course, say so.”
― E.M. Delafield, The Provincial Lady Series: Diary of a Provincial Lady, The Provincial Lady Goes Further, The Provincial Lady in America & The Provincial Lady in Wartime

“.. y profiero un sonido inarticulado pero, confío, expresivo.”
― E.M. Delafield, The Provincial Lady in London

“. . . as she always thinks Robert such a safe, respectable husband for any woman. Give her briefly to understand that Robert is in reality a compound of Don Juan, the Marquis de Sade, and Dr. Crippen, but that we do not care to let it be known locally.”
― E. M. Delafield, The Diary of a Provincial Lady

“Have very often wondered if Mothers are not rather A Mistake altogether, and now definitely come to the conclusion that they are.”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady

“N.B. Dear Robin perhaps not so utterly unlike his father as one is tempted to suppose.”
― E M Delafield

“Query: Is not a common hate one of the strongest links in human nature? Answer, most regrettably, in the affirmative.”
― E.M. Delafield, Diary of a Provincial Lady