Strong and rare characters are forged in this manner; hardship is often a stepmother, yet sometimes a kind mother; adversity gives birth to the strength of the soul and spirit; disaster is the nurse of pride, and calamity is the good milk of heroes. — Victor Hugo, Les Misérables
You cannot make good bread without sifting the flour! — Maxim Gorky, Mother
Life is a symphony; every moment of life is a combination of several choruses. (Romain Rolland, Jean-Christophe)
If life cannot do without lies, and life is a great illusion, it is because it is not true life. — Romain Rolland, Jean-Christophe
Wealth, benevolence, glory, genius, and the most bizarre quirks of behavior—all these provide rich fodder for curiosity or satisfy it; all are received with equal pleasure by people. — Alexander Pushkin, The Captive of the Caucasus