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45 Notable Quotes By Jean Genet

Famous As: Writer Known for His Novels 'The Thief's Journal' & 'Our Lady of The Flowers'
Born On: 1910
Died On: 1986
Born In: Paris, France
Died At Age: 75
Jean Genet was an illustrious French playwright, political activist, essayist, novelist and poet. Prior to taking up writing, he was a vagabond and petty criminal. Some of his major works include ‘The Screens’, The Thief’s Journal’, ‘The Maids’, ‘Our Lady Of The Flowers’, ‘The Balcony’ amongst various others. He was a son of a prostitute and raised by his mother only for seven months before he was put to adoption. Though, he received excellent grades, but he was involved in several petty thefts and also made numerous attempts to run away from home in his childhood. However, once he took up writing, there was no looking back for him. Following are some popular, famous and notable thoughts, opinions and views that the eminent writer shared on thieves, beauty, people, wind, darkness, achieve, youth, success, fame, heroes, deep, universe, strange, history, suicide, audience, violence, ideas, hatred, power, shadow, came, lying and end through his writings, poems, essays, books, novels, plays, work and life. Let us browse through the quotes and thoughts by Jean Genet and see what we can learn from them.
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Worse than not realizing the dreams of your youth would be to have been young and never dreamed at all.

Worse than not realizing the dreams of your youth would be to have been young and never dreamed at all.

Jean Genet
A man must dream a long time in order to act with grandeur, and dreaming is nursed in darkness.

A man must dream a long time in order to act with grandeur, and dreaming is nursed in darkness.

Jean Genet
To achieve harmony in bad taste is the height of elegance.

To achieve harmony in bad taste is the height of elegance.

Jean Genet
I could not take lightly the idea that people made love without me.

I could not take lightly the idea that people made love without me.

Jean Genet
My heart's in my hand, and my hand is pierced, and my hand's in the bag, and the bag is shut, and my heart is caught.

My heart's in my hand, and my hand is pierced, and my hand's in the bag, and the bag is shut, and my heart is caught.

Jean Genet
Anyone who hasn't experienced the ecstasy of betrayal knows nothing of ecstasy at all.

Anyone who hasn't experienced the ecstasy of betrayal knows nothing of ecstasy at all.

Jean Genet
If we behave like those on the other side, then we are the other side. Instead of changing the world, all we'll achieve is a reflection of the one we want to destroy.

If we behave like those on the other side, then we are the other side. Instead of changing the world, all we'll achieve is a reflection of the one we want to destroy.

Jean Genet
They spent their time doing nothing... they let intimacy fuse them.

They spent their time doing nothing... they let intimacy fuse them.

Jean Genet
Limited by the world, which I oppose, jagged by it, I shall be all the more handsome and sparkling as the angles which wound me and give me shape are more acute and the jagging more cruel.

Limited by the world, which I oppose, jagged by it, I shall be all the more handsome and sparkling as the angles which wound me and give me shape are more acute and the jagging more cruel.

Jean Genet
Ah those knock-out body fluids: blood, sperm, tears!

Ah those knock-out body fluids: blood, sperm, tears!

Jean Genet
Betrayal is beautiful.

Betrayal is beautiful.

Jean Genet
Erotic play discloses a nameless world which is revealed by the nocturnal language of lovers. Such language is not written down. It is whispered into the ear at night in a hoarse voice. At dawn it is forgotten.

Erotic play discloses a nameless world which is revealed by the nocturnal language of lovers. Such language is not written down. It is whispered into the ear at night in a hoarse voice. At dawn it is forgotten.

Jean Genet
When I got to the street, I walked boldly. But I was always accompanied by an agonizing thought: the fear that honest people may be thieves who have chosen a cleverer and safer way of stealing.

When I got to the street, I walked boldly. But I was always accompanied by an agonizing thought: the fear that honest people may be thieves who have chosen a cleverer and safer way of stealing.

Jean Genet
It's a true image, born of a false spectacle.

It's a true image, born of a false spectacle.

Jean Genet
Added to the moral solitude of the murderer comes the solitude of the artist, which can acknowledge no authority, save that of another artist.

Added to the moral solitude of the murderer comes the solitude of the artist, which can acknowledge no authority, save that of another artist.

Jean Genet
I recognize in thieves, traitors and murderers, in the ruthless and the cunning, a deep beauty - a sunken beauty.

I recognize in thieves, traitors and murderers, in the ruthless and the cunning, a deep beauty - a sunken beauty.

Jean Genet
The pimp has a grin, never a smile.

The pimp has a grin, never a smile.

Jean Genet
...beauty is the projection of ugliness and by developing certain monstrosities we obtain the purest ornaments.

...beauty is the projection of ugliness and by developing certain monstrosities we obtain the purest ornaments.

Jean Genet
Slowly but surly I want to strip her of every kind of happiness as to make a saint of her.

Slowly but surly I want to strip her of every kind of happiness as to make a saint of her.

Jean Genet
It's the hour when night breaks away from the day, my dove, let me go.

It's the hour when night breaks away from the day, my dove, let me go.

Jean Genet
The door made the usual, terrifying sound of a door.

The door made the usual, terrifying sound of a door.

Jean Genet
On him, under him, with his mouth pressed to hers, he sang to her uncouth songs that moved through her body.

On him, under him, with his mouth pressed to hers, he sang to her uncouth songs that moved through her body.

Jean Genet
One can hear all that's going on in the street. Which means that from the street one can hear what's going on in this house.

One can hear all that's going on in the street. Which means that from the street one can hear what's going on in this house.

Jean Genet
First of all, don't mix your hairpins up with mine! You .... Oh! All right, mix your muck with mine. Mix it! Mix your rags with my tatters! Mix it all up. ...

First of all, don't mix your hairpins up with mine! You .... Oh! All right, mix your muck with mine. Mix it! Mix your rags with my tatters! Mix it all up. ...

Jean Genet
To write is your last resort when you've betrayed someone.

To write is your last resort when you've betrayed someone.

Jean Genet
Though they may not always be handsome men doomed to evil posses the manly virtues.

Though they may not always be handsome men doomed to evil posses the manly virtues.

Jean Genet
Anyone who has not experienced the ecstasy of betrayal knows nothing about ecstasy at all.

Anyone who has not experienced the ecstasy of betrayal knows nothing about ecstasy at all.

Jean Genet
He did not joke, as the newspapers dared report, for sarcasm is bitter and conceals ferments of despair.

He did not joke, as the newspapers dared report, for sarcasm is bitter and conceals ferments of despair.

Jean Genet
Would it perturb you to see things as they are? To gaze at the world tranquilly and accept responsibility for your gaze, whatever it might see?

Would it perturb you to see things as they are? To gaze at the world tranquilly and accept responsibility for your gaze, whatever it might see?

Jean Genet
My heart to my mother, my cock to the whores, my head to the hangman.

My heart to my mother, my cock to the whores, my head to the hangman.

Jean Genet