Jean Giono Quotes & Sayings

All civilized people see the day beginning at dawn or a little after or a long time after or whatever time their work begins; this they lengthen according to their work, during what they call 'all day long'; and end it when they close their eyes. It is they who say the days are long. On the contrary, the days are round. — Jean Giono

Remember, all of man's happiness is in the little valleys. Tiny little ones. Small enough to call from one side to the other. — Jean Giono

I should like to write about what happens when fictive people encounter and are embellished by real people. — Jean Giono

And he told stories about the stars above, about the earth below. He told them to make the night pass, and also because his heart was all reflections in which the soul of the world moved. — Jean Giono

Boredom is the most horrible of wolves. — Jean Giono

From the time we began to build houses and cities, since we invented the wheel, we have not advanced one step toward happiness. We have always been in halves. As long as we invent and progress in mechanical things and not in love, we shall not achieve happiness. — Jean Giono

Men are indeed wretched ... Everything beautiful happens without them. Cholera and catchwords are what they make. The foam with jealousy or die of boredom, which comes down to the same thing, if they're not allowed to interfere. And whenever they do interfere, there's a premium on hypocrisy and raving. One need only be up here o in the wilderness that I rode through the other day, to realize where the true battles lie, to become very particular about the victories one strives for. In short, to cease being content with little. As soon as you're alone, things lay hold of you by themselves and always force you to take the roads that are hardest to climb. And even if you don't get there, what fine views you have, and how reassuring everything is. — Jean Giono

Days begin and end in the dead of night. They are not shaped long, in the manner of things which lead to ends - arrow, road, man's life on earth. They are shaped round, in the manner of things eternal and stable - sun, world, God. — Jean Giono

There are also times in life when a person has to rush off in pursuit of hopefulness. — Jean Giono

Civilization tries to persuade us we are going towards something, a distant goal. We have forgotten that our only goal is to live, to live each and every day, and that if we live each and every day, our true goal is achieved. — Jean Giono

When I reflect that one man, armed only with his own physical and moral resources, was able to cause this land of Canaan to spring from the wasteland, I am convinced that in spite of everything, humanity is admirable. But when I compute the unfailing greatness of spirit and the tenacity of benevolence that it must have taken to achieve this result, I am taken with an immense respect for that old and unlearned peasant who was able to complete a work worthy of God. — Jean Giono

The Italians are said to be noisy and to gesticulate, but that is a libel dreamed up by the English. — Jean Giono

I have always hated crowds. I like deserts, prisons, and monasteries. I have discovered, too, that there are fewer idiots at 3000 meters above sea level than down below. — Jean Giono

Spring sprang suddenly onto the land. — Jean Giono

For a human character to reveal truly exceptional qualities, one must have the good fortune to be able to observe its performance over many years. If this performance is devoid of all egoism, if its guiding motive is unparalleled generosity, if it is absolutely certain that there is no thought of recompense and that, in addition, it has left its visible mark upon the earth, then there can be no mistake. — Jean Giono