Classics Quote by Jane Austen
““They had no conversation together, no intercourse but what the commonest civility required. Once so much to each other! Now nothing! There had been a time, when of all the large party now filling the drawing-room at Uppercross, they would have found it most difficult to cease to speak to one another. With the exception, perhaps, of Admiral and Mrs. Croft, who seemed particularly attached and happy, (Anne could allow no other exception even among the married couples) there could have been no two hearts so open, no tastes so simliar, no feelings so in unison, no countenances so beloved. Now they were as strangers; nay, worse than strangers, for they could never become aquainted. It was a perpetual estrangement.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: The Watsons by Jane Austen, 1804
A once close couple has become distant, feeling like strangers despite their shared history and similar tastes.
In simple terms: Close friends grew apart, feeling like strangers.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and address growing distance early.
Themes
relationships
communication
estrangement
Mood
sad
reflective
Type
literary
observational
When to use this quote
- marriage
- family gatherings
- long‑term friendships
- social events
Key Concepts
emotional intimacy
social dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- What habits maintain closeness over time?
- How can you revive a fading connection?
A Different Perspective
Even with shared history, neglect can create deep alienation.
![“Once so much to each other! Now nothing! There had been a time, when of all the large party now filling the drawing-room at Uppercross, they would have found it most difficult to cease to speak to one another. [...] Now they were as strangers; nay, worse than strangers, for they could never become…” quote by Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/87e/jane-austen-39_time_once-so-much-to-each-other-now-nothing-t_1430867.jpg)
![“Her [Mrs Croft's] manners were open, easy, and decided, like one who had no distrust of herself, and no doubts of what to do; without any approach to coarseness, however, or any want of good humour. Anne gave her credit, indeed, for feelings of great consideration towards herself, in all that…” quote by Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1ae/jane-austen-39_austen_her-mrs-croft-s-manners-were-open-easy-a_641498.jpg)
![“Everybody is taken in at some period or another. [...] In marriage especially. [...] There is not one in a hundred of either sex, who is not taken in when they marry. Look where I will, I see that it is so; and I feel that it must be so, when I consider that it is, of all transactions, the one in…” quote by Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/37a/jane-austen-39_marriage_everybody-is-taken-in-at-some-period-or_7175.jpg)
