the smell of canals and cigarette smoke, all the people…
““the smell of canals and cigarette smoke, all the people sitting outside the cafés drinking beer, saying their r's and g's in a way I'd never learn. I missed the future. Obviously I knew even before this recurrence that I'd never grow old with Augustus Waters. But thinking about Lidewij and her boyfriend, I felt robbed. I would probably never again see the ocean from thirty thousand feet above, so far up you can't make out the waves or any boats, so that the ocean is a great and endless monolith. I could imagine it. I could remember it. But I couldn't see it again, and it occurred to me that the voracious ambition of humans is never sated by dreams coming true, because there is always the thought that everything might be done better and again. That is probably true even if you live to be ninety.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Yearning for experiences and love can clash with the fleeting nature of life, leaving a sense of loss and unfulfilled ambition.
In simple terms: Life’s dreams often feel out of reach.
Key Takeaway
Cherish moments now.
Themes
loss
longing
mortality
Mood
nostalgic
melancholy
Type
literary
reflective
When to use this quote
- travel
- relationships
- career goals
- personal growth
Key Concepts
Existentialism
human desire
Questions to Reflect On
- What moments matter most?
- How to accept impermanence?
A Different Perspective
Dreams may never fully satisfy.