"Petty Troubles of Married Life" by Honoré de Balzac

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• "Then what? . . . . . Why, then come a crowd of petty unforeseen troubles, like the following: . . ."
• "General Rule.--No man has ever yet discovered the way to give friendly advice to any woman, not even to his own wife."
• "But as to knowing women as well as I know them, it will not be knowing them much; they don't know themselves!"
• "Axiom.--A husband should always know what is the matter with his wife, for she always knows what is not."
• "Axiom.--Inasmuch as women are always willing and able to explain their strong points, they leave us to guess at their weak ones."
•  "You imagine you have married a creature endowed with reason: you are woefully mistaken, my friend."

"The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde

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•  "Oh! it is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn't. More than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read."
• "The truth is rarely pure and never simple. Modern life would be very tedious if it were either, and modern literature a complete impossibility!"
• "I really don't see anything romantic in proposing. It is very romantic to be in love. But there is nothing romantic about a definite proposal."
• "My dear fellow, the way you flirt with Gwendolen is perfectly disgraceful. It is almost as bad as the way Gwendolen flirts with you."