Hotel Sacher Quotes

“My life is defined by sharp edges. Be careful you don’t cut yourself, Stepmother.”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher

“For everything always flows from the starting point that people fear themselves, their own magnitude and responsibility. And they justify their fear with this God, who directs them, who punishes, and who loves only when He feels like it. Yet everything people do comes from themselves.”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher

“Love had come to sit at the table across from them. She was no match for Death. People's fear of Death always overpowered their experience of Love. Death excited and upset them. People saw power in Death. And yet - Love rumpled her brow thoughtfully - didn't people talk of the power of Love? And wasn't it said that people were powerless in the face of Death? Nevertheless, Love felt inferior to Death, at least in this moment. But now she was finally going to liberate herself! For she was life itself, and Death the alpha and omega of a life lived in Love.”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher

“Martha? You’re here?”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher

“A marriage was a contract that should be character building and form the foundations of a future family. It should create the basis for personal affluence and power in society, a power that should be used for the good of the people.”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher

“he had been brought up to believe that a certain distance—cool, disciplined relations—was essential in a marriage. Passion was something for brothels and affairs. Emotions were the biggest threat to a marriage. They were unpredictable. Georg looked down on people who were unable to keep a cool head; he preferred those he could rely on at any time and in any situation.”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher

“And yet! We could have been everything to one another. Everything.”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher

“anyone who holds a key must use it—must find the lock it fits and open it.”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher

“Her greatest strength lay in the way she could empathize with other people,”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher

“The children now love luxury; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.” Mayr paused, the wind taken from his sails; it was rare that a guest stole his thunder. “Excellently put, Your Serene Highness.” Georg, who had known the doorman since his childhood and loved trading words with him, reassured him, “I was quoting Socrates.”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher

“Babel. And with it a reminder of the magnitude of the idea, and how from this magnitude hubris was formed, because people no longer knew moderation, particularly with one another. The whole matter of God, the fact that He was annoyed with them because they wanted to build their way up to heaven, was spread by those who needed a god to keep people small. The collapse of their structure, the way it fell into a confusion of languages, the way they drove each other out to the four corners of the earth—a god would never have thought up such a thing for them. It was their own work. For everything”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher

“He had always been able to absorb knowledge and impart it, apparently effortlessly. Skipping boldly over any gaps in his learning, he knew how to play on the other person’s lack of knowledge and improvise where needed.”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher

“The children now love luxury; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise.”
― Rodica Doehnert, Hotel Sacher