---
title: "3 Really Mattered Quotes By Jeffrey Eugenides"
description: "3 Really Mattered quotes by Jeffrey Eugenides. Plus more from Jeffrey Eugenides and more Really Mattered sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/jeffrey-eugenides-462_death_and-in-some-of-the-houses-people-were-ge_201845.jpg"
---

> [And in some of the houses, people were getting old and sick and were dying, leaving others to grieve. It was happening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/and-in-some-of-the-houses-people-were-getting-old-and-sick-and-were/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/jeffrey-eugenides-462_death_and-in-some-of-the-houses-people-were-ge_201845.jpg)

> [“what really mattered in life, what gave it weight, was death”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/what-really-mattered-in-life-what-gave-it-weight-was-death/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d34/jeffrey-eugenides-462_death_what-really-mattered-in-life-what-gave-i_278530.png)

> [I was thinking how amazing it was that the world contained so many lives. Out in these streets people were embroiled in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-was-thinking-how-amazing-it-was-that-the-world-contained-so-many/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec5/jeffrey-eugenides-462_amazing-world_i-was-thinking-how-amazing-it-was-that-t_694440.jpg)

## More by Jeffrey Eugenides

> [“Only the Lisbon house remained dark, a tunnel, an emptiness, past our smoke and flames.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/only-the-lisbon-house-remained-dark-a-tunnel-an-emptiness-past-our/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“She had just started living like a grown-up and she'd never felt more vulnerable, frightened or confused in her life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/she-had-just-started-living-like-a-grown-up-and-she-d-never-felt-more/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [It's often said that a traumatic experience early in life marks a person forever, pulls her out of line, saying, "Stay there. Don't move.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/it-s-often-said-that-a-traumatic-experience-early-in-life-marks-a/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“Adolescents tend to seek love where they can find it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/adolescents-tend-to-seek-love-where-they-can-find-it/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“The window was still open,” Mr Lisbon said. “I don’t think we’d ever remembered to shut it. It was all clear to me. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/the-window-was-still-open-mr-lisbon-said-i-don-t-think-we-d-ever/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [I was aware that you weren't supposed to write about suburbia, that it was undignified in some way, the subject matter not momentous enough.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-was-aware-that-you-weren-t-supposed-to-write-about-suburbia-that-it/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“Dr. Armonson stitched up her wrist wounds. Within five minutes of the transfusion he declared her out of danger. Chucking her under the chin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/dr-armonson-stitched-up-her-wrist-wounds-within-five-minutes-of-the/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“I don't approve of women driving, mind you. And now they get to vote!" He grumbled to himself. "Remember that play we saw ("The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-don-t-approve-of-women-driving-mind-you-and-now-they-get-to-vote-he/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [“Her face was calm, but inside she was tense.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/her-face-was-calm-but-inside-she-was-tense/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [I know that attaching memories to books may be going out of the world, but while it lasts, it's a strong record of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-know-that-attaching-memories-to-books-may-be-going-out-of-the-world/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [I spend most of every day writing. I like to write every day if I can. I don't start extremely early.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-spend-most-of-every-day-writing-i-like-to-write-every-day-if-i-can/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [Maybe the best proof that the language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/maybe-the-best-proof-that-the-language-is-patriarchal-is-that-it/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [We knew that Cecilia had killed herself because she was a misfit, because the beyond called to her, and we knew that her sisters,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/we-knew-that-cecilia-had-killed-herself-because-she-was-a-misfit/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [You can tell when something's not moving forward anymore. When the doubts you have about it don't go away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/you-can-tell-when-something-s-not-moving-forward-anymore-when-the/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

> [Normality wasn't normal. It couldn't be. If normality were normal, everybody could leave it alone. They could sit back and let normality manifest itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/normality-wasn-t-normal-it-couldn-t-be-if-normality-were-normal/)

[Jeffrey Eugenides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-eugenides/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-mattered/jeffrey-eugenides/#itemlist",
            "name": "3 Really Mattered Quotes By Jeffrey Eugenides",
            "numberOfItems": 3,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "And in some of the houses, people were getting old and sick and were dying, leaving others to grieve. It was happening all the time, unnoticed, and it was the thing that really mattered. What really mattered in life, what gave it weight, was death.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/and-in-some-of-the-houses-people-were-getting-old-and-sick-and-were/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/jeffrey-eugenides-462_death_and-in-some-of-the-houses-people-were-ge_201845.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/jeffrey-eugenides-462_death_and-in-some-of-the-houses-people-were-ge_201845.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/jeffrey-eugenides-462_death_and-in-some-of-the-houses-people-were-ge_201845.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“And in some of the houses, people were getting old and sick and were dying, leaving others to grieve. It was…” — Jeffrey Eugenides",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "“what really mattered in life, what gave it weight, was death”",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/what-really-mattered-in-life-what-gave-it-weight-was-death/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d34/jeffrey-eugenides-462_death_what-really-mattered-in-life-what-gave-i_278530.png",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d34/jeffrey-eugenides-462_death_what-really-mattered-in-life-what-gave-i_278530.png",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d34/jeffrey-eugenides-462_death_what-really-mattered-in-life-what-gave-i_278530.png",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“what really mattered in life, what gave it weight, was death” — Jeffrey Eugenides",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "I was thinking how amazing it was that the world contained so many lives. Out in these streets people were embroiled in a thousand different matters, money problems, love problems, school problems. People were falling in love, getting married, going to drug rehab, learning how to ice-skate, getting bifocals, studying for exams, trying on clothes, getting their hair-cut and getting born. And in some houses people were getting old and sick and were dying, leaving others to grieve. It was happening all the time, unnoticed, and it was the thing that really mattered.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-eugenides/i-was-thinking-how-amazing-it-was-that-the-world-contained-so-many/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec5/jeffrey-eugenides-462_amazing-world_i-was-thinking-how-amazing-it-was-that-t_694440.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec5/jeffrey-eugenides-462_amazing-world_i-was-thinking-how-amazing-it-was-that-t_694440.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ec5/jeffrey-eugenides-462_amazing-world_i-was-thinking-how-amazing-it-was-that-t_694440.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“I was thinking how amazing it was that the world contained so many lives. Out in these streets people were…” — Jeffrey Eugenides",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-mattered/jeffrey-eugenides/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-mattered/jeffrey-eugenides/",
            "name": "Really Mattered Quotes by Jeffrey Eugenides",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-mattered/jeffrey-eugenides/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a45/jeffrey-eugenides-462_death_and-in-some-of-the-houses-people-were-ge_201845.jpg"
            },
            "description": "3 Really Mattered quotes by Jeffrey Eugenides. Plus more from Jeffrey Eugenides and more Really Mattered sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-mattered/jeffrey-eugenides/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-mattered/jeffrey-eugenides/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Really Mattered",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-mattered/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Jeffrey Eugenides",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really-mattered/jeffrey-eugenides/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```