One can acquire everything in solitude except character.
StendhalRead
It is the nobility of their style which will make our writers of 1840 unreadable forty years from now.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writing styles can become outdated, and what is considered noble or elegant can lead to future unreadability.
Stendhal's quote highlights the inevitability of change in literary style, asserting that what is highly regarded in one era may not resonate with future generations. It reflects the idea that the grandeur of a writer's style may contribute to their works becoming inaccessible, as evolving tastes and cultural shifts redefine what is deemed readable or valuable in literature over time.
Themes
LiteratureWritingStyleNobilityChange
In practice
Example use cases
In a literary seminar discussing how styles have shifted over decades.
More from Stendhal
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In love, unlike most other passions, the recollection of what you have had and lost is always better than what you can hope for in the future.
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A very small degree of hope is sufficient to cause the birth of love.
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If you don't love me, it does not matter, anyway I can love for both of us.
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Pleasure is often spoiled by describing it.
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