Madeline

“It remained inaccessible to my mind, even though my heart unconsciously became increasingly suffused with it.”
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Dream of a Ridiculous Man

“But nothing is lasting in this world. Even joy begins to fade after only one minute. Two minutes later, and it is weaker still, until finally it is swallowed up in our everyday, prosaic state of mind, just as a ripple made by a pebble gradually merges with the smooth surface of the water.”
― Nikolai Gogol, The Nose

“We just philosophize, complain of boredom, or drink vodka. It's so clear, you see, that if we're to begin living in the present, we must first of all redeem our past and then be done with it forever. And the only way we can redeem our past is by suffering and by giving ourselves over to exceptional labor, to steadfast and endless labor.”
― Anton Chekhov, The Cherry Orchard

“You can always tell a pig by its grunt.”
― Nikolai Gogol, The Inspector General