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Get inspired by the world’s most recognized book quotes – and make sure to read or re-read the books they come from.
You are reading: best literary quotes about life
Internet users share hundreds of thousands of quotes every day. Not too many people know that many of these great thoughts come from books. Even fewer know which books.
A single iconic sentence from a classic novel is not only a shot of positive energy. It’s proof that reading the remaining thousands of sentences will give the same level of pleasure and inspiration.
Want great quotes direct you to great reads? We list our 50 favorites below. For more inspiration, you can explore two quote collections.
First of all, you should check out Goodreads Quotes catalog – a section of the popular book recommendation site where users add their favorite quotes found in books.
By default, the book quotes on Goodreads are sorted by popularity (and this means the number of likes), so right away you’ll get inspired by the most powerful thoughts.
If you are looking for well-researched and attributed quotes, make sure to visit Wikiquote. Literary quotes are grouped by title, so it’s the easiest way to research the most interesting thoughts from specific books. What’s also very helpful, each detail page includes info about which chapter the particular quote comes from.
If there is a quote you believe should be added to the list, please share it in the comments below.
And now, take your time and get inspired!
50 most inspirational quotes from books
1
There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
A wonderful quote from Gandalf in a lively design by Quotes and Prose. Instant download, one size (8 × 10 inches), jpg or pdf.
⇢ Etsy
2
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.
– H.Jackson Brown Jr., P.S. I Love You
3
Well-behaved women seldom make history.
– Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History
4
It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.
– André Gide, Autumn Leaves
You can hang this wonderful quote from André Gide on the wall. The artwork designed by Quotes and Prose is available for instant download, 8 × 10 inch jpeg or pdf file.
⇢ Etsy
5
Who, being loved, is poor?
– Oscar Wilde, A Woman of No Importance
6
Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving.
– J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
7
Get busy living, or get busy dying.
– Stephen King, Different Seasons
A poster from The Bookworm Prints is available in four sizes, from 8 × 10 to 11.7 × 16.5 inches. You can contact the shop owner if you want a different size or background color.
⇢ Etsy
8
The goal isn’t to live forever, the goal is to create something that will.
– Chuck Palahniuk, Diary
9
Travel far enough, you meet yourself.
– David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
A quote from David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas on a calligraphy print by Brenna Morris. The artwork is available in three sizes, from 4 × 6 to 8 × 10 inches.
⇢ Etsy
10
None of us really changes over time. We only become more fully what we are.
– Anne Rice, The Vampire Lestat
11
Most people are nice when you finally see them.
– Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird
12
Don’t panic.
– Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
The famous phrase from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in a design by Louise Evans. Available on several items, including apparel, posters, mugs, tablet and smartphone cases.
⇢ Society6
13
All endings are also beginnings. We just don’t know it at the time.
– Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet In Heaven
14
When someone leaves, it’s because someone else is about to arrive.
– Paulo Coelho, The Zahir
15
It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.
– Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
The design by Sweetest Pie. You can get it from Etsy as an instant download, and print yourself in one of two sizes.
⇢ Etsy
16
See Also: Military Quotes to Honor our Heroes
The only limits for tomorrow are the doubts we have today.
-Pittacus Lore, The Power of Six
17
It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
– J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
18
If we wait until we’re ready, we’ll be waiting for the rest of our lives.
– Lemony Snicket, The Ersatz Elevator
The minimalist quote poster comes from Momo Digital. Available as an instant download, 300 dpi resolution, size: 8 × 10 inches.
⇢ Etsy
19
I don’t want to die without any scars.
– Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club
20
Fear doesn’t shut you down; it wakes you up.
– Veronica Roth, Divergent
21
When you are imagining, you might as well imagine something worth while.
– Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables
A quote beautifully visualized by Chasing Elephants. You can get a digital file of this green color version, but also ask the shop owner for a different set of colors.
⇢ Etsy
22
The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.
– Sylvia Plath, The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath
23
Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.
– Oscar Wilde, The Critic as Artist
You can have this quote from Oscar Wilde on a poster designed by Michal Davidson (Quotes and Prose), as an instant download. There are two versions: gold and full-length black & white.
⇢ Etsy
24
I dream. Sometimes I think that’s the only right thing to do.
– Haruki Murakami, Sputnik Sweetheart
25
Not all those who wander are lost.
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
This beautiful design comes from The Love Shop. It’s available on as much as 38 different products, including wall art, home decor, apparel, and stationery.
⇢ Redbubble
26
If I got rid of my demons, I’d lose my angels.
– Tennessee Williams, Conversations with Tennessee Williams
27
It is sometimes an appropriate response to reality to go insane.
– Philip K. Dick, Valis
28
If you’re making mistakes it means you’re out there doing something.
– Neil Gaiman, Make Good Art
Designed by Ambush. Get the artwork on iPhone case/skin, a mug, or a sticker.
⇢ Redbubble
29
Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
– Paulo Coelho, Brida
30
If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.
– Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief
31
To define is to limit.
– Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
A digital download from Instant Quotes will let you print this artwork in 8.3 × 11.7 inches.
⇢ Etsy
32
Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.
– Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island
33
If you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all.
– John Green, Paper Towns
John Green’s quote was beautifully visualized by Bright Designs. The background behind the quote is a passage from Paper Towns with that specific text.
⇢ Etsy
34
Everything is possible. The impossible just takes longer.
– Dan Brown, Digital Fortress
35
So many things are possible just as long as you don’t know they’re impossible.
– Norton Juster, The Phantom Tollbooth
36
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
– Oscar Wilde, Lady Windermere’s Fan
The artwork, designed by Lisa Foster, is available as a canvas and framed print. The maximum size is 20 × 17 inches.
⇢ Society6
37
Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.
– Haruki Murakami, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
38
See Also: Famous Movie Quotes From Your Favorite Characters
Above all, don’t lie to yourself.
– Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Brothers Karamazov
39
Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.
– John Green, The Fault in Our Stars
John Green’s iconic quote in an iconic design by Risa Rodil. You can have it on 30 personal and home products, including bags, stationery, phone cases, and even duvet covers.
⇢ Redbubble
40
You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from.
– Cormac McCarthy, No Country For Old Men
41
We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.
– J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
A hand-lettered artwork by Simple Serene is available on posters, travel mugs, iPhone skins, and wall clocks, among others.
⇢ Amazon Handmade
42
Nothing that’s worthwhile is ever easy.
– Nicholas Sparks, Message in a Bottle
43
It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.
– Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club
44
Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.
– Marthe Troly-Curtin, Phrynette Married
The quote attributed to Marthe Troly-Curtin, appeared in her novel Phrynette Married, first published in 1912. You can have it visualized in a design by DC Intrusive.
⇢ Redbubble
45
It is never too late to be wise.
– Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe
46
Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.
– Sun Tzu, The Art of War
47
When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
– Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist
The artwork was created by Leider Design. To be seen on eleven different products, including framed print, throw pillow, and tote bag.
⇢ Redbubble
48
One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.
– Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums
49
Anything worth dying for is certainly worth living for.
– Joseph Heller, Catch-22
A minimalist artwork from the Bookworm Prints. Available in four sizes. Printed on premium paper, with matte finish.
⇢ Etsy
50
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
– J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
• • •
Where to buy posters with quotes from books
One more thing before we get to the list. There are many sites where you can order your favorite book quote printed on a poster, mug, t-shirt, and tens of other products.
Below, we list the sites that offer high-quality book quote designs on a large selection of items.
Etsy – it’s the top destination for anyone who wants to express the love for books. The largest marketplace with hand-crafted goods offers thousands of literary quotes – on posters, jewelry, personal items, electronic accessories, and clothes.
Redbubble – a marketplace for custom-designed items, including prints, stationery, cases & covers, or t-shirts. Opposite to other sites, such as CafePress, the quality of artwork is very high.
Zazzle – the site offers a huge variety of merchandise, from clothing, to home decor, to personal accessories. What’s more, users can upload their own image and create their own design.
Amazon Handmade – if you don’t want to sign up to other online stores, you can start exploring Amazon’s own section with hand-crafted items. It’s quickly growing, and you’ll find here posters, home decor, and stationery – also with book quotes.
• • •
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