Love Quote by Henry Miller
““Anaïs, I don't know how to tell you what I feel. I live in perpetual expectancy. You come and the time slips away in a dream. It is only when you go that I realize completely your presence. And then it is too late. You numb me. [...] This is a little drunken, Anaïs. I am saying to myself "here is the first woman with whom I can be absolutely sincere." I remember your saying - "you could fool me, I wouldn't know it." When I walk along the boulevards and think of that. I can't fool you - and yet I would like to. I mean that I can never be absolutely loyal - it's not in me. I love women, or life, too much - which it is, I don't know. But laugh, Anaïs, I love to hear you laugh. You are the only woman who has a sense of gaiety, a wise tolerance - no more, you seem to urge me to betray you. I love you for that. [...] I don't know what to expect of you, but it is something in the way of a miracle. I am going to demand everything of you - even the impossible, because you encourage it. You are really strong. I even like your deceit, your treachery. It seems aristocratic to me.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Tropic of Cancer, 1934
The narrator wrestles with desire, loyalty, and artistic honesty, confronting love’s contradictions.
In simple terms: Love is messy and contradictory.
Embrace honest, imperfect love.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- romantic relationships
- creative collaboration
- personal introspection
- artistic expression
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- Can love be both sincere and deceptive?
- What does honesty mean in love?
Idealizing love may ignore practical limits.