Guy de Maupassant

Every government has as much of a duty to avoid war as a ship's captain has to avoid a shipwreck. ”

It is better to be unhappy in love than unhappy in marriage, but some people manage to be both. ”

The essence of life is the smile of round female bottoms, under the shadow of cosmic boredom. ”

The simplest of women are wonderful liars who can extricate themselves from the most difficult dilemmas with a skill bordering on genius. ”

It is the lives we encounter that make life worth living. ”