---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ... and she would know that love is not…"
description: "\"“... and she would know that love is not goodness, and nor is it happiness… For Amy, love was the universe touching, exploding within one human being, ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/richard-flanagan-2253_broken-glass_and-she-would-know-that-love-is-not-good_1976319.jpg"
---

#  ... and she would know that love is not goodness, and nor…

![“... and she would know that love is not goodness, and nor is it happiness… For Amy, love was the universe touching, exploding within one human being, and that person exploding into the universe. It was annihilation, the destroyer of worlds. And as she lay in bed feeling Keith silently sobbing…” quote by Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/richard-flanagan-2253_broken-glass_and-she-would-know-that-love-is-not-good_1976319.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/richard-flanagan-2253_broken-glass_and-she-would-know-that-love-is-not-good_1976319.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/82a/richard-flanagan-2253_broken-glass_and-she-would-know-that-love-is-not-good_1976319.jpg)

> ““... and she would know that love is not goodness, and nor is it happiness… For Amy, love was the universe touching, exploding within one human being, and that person exploding into the universe. It was annihilation, the destroyer of worlds. And as she lay in bed feeling Keith silently sobbing behind her back, she understood that love does not end until all its power is exorcised in misery and cruelty and obliteration as much as in goodness and joy. And every night as she lay there, she could feel rolling in her stomach shards of broken glass - cutting, cutting, cutting.””

[Richard Flanagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-flanagan/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Love is portrayed as a force that both creates and destroys, intertwining ecstasy with suffering and existential dissolution.

**In simple terms:** Love can be both beautiful and painful.

Key Takeaway

Accept love’s complexity, not just its joy.

Themes

love destruction existentialism suffering passion

Mood

melancholic intense reflective

Type

literary philosophical

When to use this quote

- grief
- relationship crisis
- artistic creation
- personal loss

Key Concepts

nihilism transcendence dualism

Questions to Reflect On

- Can love exist without pain?
- How does suffering shape love?

A Different Perspective

Love’s intensity can overwhelm and lead to self‑destruction.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Destroyer Of Worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destroyer-of-worlds/) [Every night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/every-night/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/)

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