Quotes from book
Paris France

Name: Paris France
Author: Gertrude Stein

Paris France is a memoir written by Gertrude Stein and published in 1940 on the day that Paris fell to Germany during World War II. The book blends Stein's childhood memories with a commentary on French people and culture.

“But as they all say if we sell our home what will we have for it, money, and what is the use of that money, money goes and after it is gone then where are we, beside we have all we want, what can we do with money except lose it, money to spend is not very welcome, if you have it and you try to spend it, well spending money is an anxiety, saving money is a comfort and a pleasure, economy is not a duty it is a comfort, avarice is an excitement, but spending money is nothing, money spent is money non-existent, money saved is money realised…”

Gertrude Stein book Paris France

Source: Paris France (1940), p. 103

“But now well democracy has shown us that what is evil are the grosses têtes, the big heads, all big heads are greedy for money and power, they are ambitious that is the reason they are big heads and so they are at the head of the government and the result is misery for the people. They talk about cutting off the heads of the grosses têtes but now we know that there will be other grosses têtes and the will be all the same.”

Gertrude Stein book Paris France

Source: Paris France (1940), p. 28

“The family is always the family but during vacations it is an extended family and that is exhausting”

Gertrude Stein book Paris France

Source: Paris France (1940), p. 107

“After all, human beings are like that. When they are alone they want to be with others, and when they are with others they want to be alone.”

Gertrude Stein book Paris France

Paris France (1940)

“One of the pleasant things those of us who write or paint do is to have the daily miracle. It does come.”

Gertrude Stein book Paris France

Paris France (1940)

“Propaganda is not French, it is not civilized to want other people to believe what you believe because the essence of being civilised is to possess yourself as you are, and if you possess yourself as you are you of course cannot possess any one else, it is not your business.”

Gertrude Stein book Paris France

Source: Paris France (1940), p. 56

“Politeness does not interfere with facts, politeness is just another fact.”

Gertrude Stein book Paris France

Paris France (1940)

“The reason why all of us naturally began to live in France is because France has scientific methods, machines and electricity, but does not really believe that these things have anything to do with the real business of living.”

Gertrude Stein book Paris France

Source: Paris France (1940), p. 8

“After all, everybody, that is, everybody who writes is interested in living inside themselves in order to tell what is inside themselves. That is why writers have to have two countries, the one where they belong and the one in which they live really. The second one is romantic, it is separate from themselves, it is not real but it is really there.”

Gertrude Stein book Paris France

Source: Paris France (1940), p. 2

“There is no pulse so sure of the state of a nation as its characteristic art product which has nothing to do with its material life.”

Gertrude Stein book Paris France

Source: Paris France (1940), p. 12

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