---
title: "2 Railway Quotes By Julian Barnes"
description: "2 Railway quotes by Julian Barnes. Plus more from Julian Barnes and more Railway sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e1/julian-barnes-522_art_we-live-on-the-flat-on-the-level-and-yet_1695688.png"
---

> [We live on the flat, on the level, and yet - and so - we aspire. Groundlings, we can sometimes reach as far as the gods. Some soar with art, others with religion; most with love. But when we soar,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/we-live-on-the-flat-on-the-level-and-yet-and-so-we-aspire-groundlings/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e1/julian-barnes-522_art_we-live-on-the-flat-on-the-level-and-yet_1695688.png)

> [ \[Flaubert\] didn’t just hate the railway as such; he hated the way it flattered people with the illusion of progress. What was the point of scientific advance without moral advance? The railway would merely permit more people to move about,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/flaubert-didn-t-just-hate-the-railway-as-such-he-hated-the-way-it/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d0e/julian-barnes-522_flattered_flaubert-didn-t-just-hate-the-railway-as_2399076.png)

## Other authors on Railway

- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b019/author-paul-theroux-74195.jpg) Paul Theroux 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/railway/paul-theroux/)
- [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b018/author-narendra-modi-70220.jpg) Narendra Modi 5 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/railway/narendra-modi/)

## More by Julian Barnes

> [“You put together two things that have not been put together before. And the world is changed. People may not notice at the time,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-put-together-two-things-that-have-not-been-put-together-before/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [“I settled into a contented routine of working, spending my free time with Veronica and, back in my student room, wanking explosively to fantasies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/i-settled-into-a-contented-routine-of-working-spending-my-free-time/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/the-greatest-patriotism-is-to-tell-your-country-when-it-is-behaving/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [“There is only good vodka and very good vodka—there is no such thing as bad vodka.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/there-is-only-good-vodka-and-very-good-vodka-there-is-no-such-thing/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [Alice Munro can move characters through time in a way that no other writer can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/alice-munro-can-move-characters-through-time-in-a-way-that-no-other/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [How rarely do our emotions meet the object they seem to deserve? How hopelessly we signal; how dark the sky; how big the waves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/how-rarely-do-our-emotions-meet-the-object-they-seem-to-deserve-how/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [You put together two people who have not been put together before. Sometimes it is like that first attempt to harness a hydrogen balloon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/you-put-together-two-people-who-have-not-been-put-together-before/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [“Also, when you are young, you think you can predict the likely pains and bleaknesses that age might bring. You imagine yourself being lonely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/also-when-you-are-young-you-think-you-can-predict-the-likely-pains/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [“Why slum it where people were burdened by yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that? By history? Here, on the Island,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/why-slum-it-where-people-were-burdened-by-yesterday-and-the-day/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [“In those years before mobile phones, email and Skype, travelers depended on the rudimentary communications system known as the postcard. Other methods--the long-distance phone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/in-those-years-before-mobile-phones-email-and-skype-travelers/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [“My train was late, slowed by the usual Sunday engineering work. I got home in the early evening. I remember that I had a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/my-train-was-late-slowed-by-the-usual-sunday-engineering-work-i-got/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [In life, every ending is just the start of another story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/in-life-every-ending-is-just-the-start-of-another-story/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [“Indeed, isn’t the whole business of ascribing responsibility kind of a cop-out? We want to blame an individual so that everyone else is exculpated.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/indeed-isn-t-the-whole-business-of-ascribing-responsibility-kind-of-a/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [Some of the freckles I once loved are now closer to liver spots. But it’s still the eyes we look at, isn’t it? That’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/some-of-the-freckles-i-once-loved-are-now-closer-to-liver-spots-but/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

> [“And what percentage of people take up the option to die off?’ She looked at me, her glance telling me to be calm. ‘Oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barnes/and-what-percentage-of-people-take-up-the-option-to-die-off-she/)

[Julian Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barnes/)

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