The Tragic Muse Quotes

“However, Nick acted as much as possible under the circumstances, and that was rectifying — it brought with it enjoyment and a working faith. He had not gone counter to the axiom that in a case of doubt one was to hold off; for that applied to choice, and he had not at present the slightest pretension to choosing. He knew he was lifted along, that what he was doing was not first-rate, that nothing was settled by it and that if there was essentially a problem in his life it would only grow tougher with keeping. But if doing one's sum to-morrow instead of to-day does not make the sum easier it at least makes to-day so.”
― Henry James, The Tragic Muse

“Her character was simply to hold you by the particular spell;any other--the good nature of home, the relation of her mother, her friends, her lovers, her debts, the practice of virtues, or industries, or vices--was not worth speaking of. These things were the fictions and shadows, the representation was the deep substance.”
― Henry James, The Tragic Muse

“He had none of that wish to appear deep which is at the bottom of most forms of fatuity; he was perfectly willing to pass for decently superficial; he only aspired to be continuous. When you were not suitably shallow this presented difficulties; but he would have assented to the proposition that you must be as suitable as you can and that a high use of subtlety is in consuming the smoke of your inner fire. THE FIRE WAS THE GREAT THING, NOT THE CHIMNEY.”
― Henry James, The Tragic Muse

“...But we've so befogged and befouled the whole question of liberty, of spontaneity, of good humour, and inclination, and enjoyment, that there's nothing that makes people stare so as to see on natural.”
― Henry James, The Tragic Muse

“...that's the delightful thing about art, that there's always more to learn and more to do;it grows bigger the more one uses it and meets more questions the more they come up...”
― Henry James, The Tragic Muse

“There is life and life, and as waste is only life sacrificed and thereby prevented from "counting," I delight in a deep breathing economy and an organic form.”
― Henry James , The Tragic Muse