Literary Lovers

“‘Faith, always faith,’ said Francoise. ‘…Evidently, that makes everything secure. Your feelings must always wear the same faces, all neatly arranged around you, immutable. And even if there’s nothing inside it’s all the same to you. They’re like the white sepulchers of the Holy Bible—they sparkle on the outside. They’re firm, they’re faithful, they can even be white-washed periodically with beautiful words.’ She was again overcome by a flood of tears. ‘Only, they must never be opened, because you’ll find only dust and ashes inside.’ She repeated. ‘Dust and ashes.’ It was blinding evidence…”

from Simone de Beauvoir’s She Came to Stay