Estella Quotes

“The unqualified truth is, that when I loved Estella with the love of a man, I loved her simply because I found her irresistible. Once for all; I knew to my sorrow, often and often, if not always, that I loved her against reason, against promise, against peace, against hope, against happiness, against all discouragement that could be. Once for all; I love her none the less because I knew it, and it had no more influence in restraining me, than if I had devoutly believed her to be human perfection.”
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“I must be taken as I have been made. The success is not mine, the failure is not mine, but the two together make me.”
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“So, I must be taken as I have been made. The success is not mine, the failure is not mine, but the two together make me.”
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“I never had one hour's happiness in her society, and yet my mind all round the four-and-twenty hours was harping on the happiness of having her with me unto death.”
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“In a word, it was impossible for me to separate her, in the past or in the present, from the innermost life of my life.”
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“Moths, and all sorts of ugly creatures," replied Estella, with a glance towards him, "hover about a lighted candle. Can the candle help it?”
― Charles Dickens

“She stood looking at me, and, of course, I stood looking at her.
"Am I pretty?"
"Yes; I think you are very pretty."
"Am I insulting?"
"Not so much so as you were last time," said I.
"Not so much so?"
"No."
She fired when she asked the last question, and she slapped my face with such force as she had, when I answered it.
"Now," said she. "You little course monster, what do you think of me now?"
"I shall not tell you."
"Because you are going to tell upstairs. Is that it?"
"No," said I. "That is not it."
"Why don't you cry again, you little wretch?"
"Because I'll never cry for you again," said I.”
― Charles Dickens

“...sapevo, con mio grande dolore, molto spesso, se non sempre, che l'amavo a dispetto della ragione, a dispetto di ogni promessa, a dispetto della mia pace, a dispetto della speranza, a dispetto della felicità, a dispetto di ogni possibile scoraggiamento. Una volta per tutte: non l'amavo di meno perché lo sapevo, e il fatto che lo sapessi non valeva a frenarmi...”
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

“To the last hour of my life, you cannot choose but remain part of my character, part of the little good in me, part of the evil.”
― Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Prince