These are my all time best 5 Edward Bulwer-Lytton quotations abstracted from his literary works.
English novelist, poet, playwright, and politician Edward Bulwer-Lytton was the one who coined the phrases: “the great unwashed“,”pursuit of the almighty dollar“, and the famous opening line “It was a dark and stormy night“.
“It was a dark and stormy night” is from his 1830 novel, “Paul Clifford“.
It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents—except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flame of the lamps that struggled against the darkness.
His writing career began back in 1820.
Bulwer-Lytton wrote in a wide spectrum of genres, including historical fiction, mystery, romance, the occult and science fiction.
He was the central figure in the underground Victorian spiritualism and the occult.
His 1842 book “Zanoni” is aid to be possibly the most influential occult book of the nineteenth century.
Best 5 Edward Bulwer-Lytton Quotations
Here are my selection of the best five Edward Bulwer Lytton quotes linking to sources:
“Three things are ever silent:Thought, Destiny, and the Grave.” – Edward Bulwer-Lytton
(Harold: The Last Of The Saxon King By The Right Hon.Lord Lytton, London: George Routledge And Sons, 1874, Book X, The Sacrifice On The Altar, Ch. 2, P. 338) source
(The quote is also found here.)
“…the easiest person to deceive is one’s own self.” – Edward Bulwer-Lytton
(The Disowned By Lytton (Edward Bulwer Lytton), In One Volume, Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1842, Ch. XLIV, P. 239) source
(The quote is also found in: The Disowned By Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, London: Routledge, Warne & Routledge, 1864, Ch. XLIV, P. 155) source
(Another source of the quote is found here.)
“The pen is mightier than the sword.” – Edward Bulwer-Lytton
(Richelieu, Or, The Conspiracy: A Play in Five Acts By Lord Lytton, London New York: George Routledge Sons, 1874, Act II, Sc. II, P. 37) source
(The quote is also found in: Richelieu, Or, The Conspiracy: A Play in Five Acts By Lord Lytton, Boston: Walter H. Baker & Co, 1896, Act II, Sc. II, P. 29) source
(Another source o the quote is here.)
“…a fool… flatters himself, a wise man flatters the fool.” – Edward Bulwer-Lytton
(Pelham, Or, The Adventures Of A Gentleman By Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, Bart., Complete In One Volume, Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott & Co., 1883, Ch.XII; p.76) source
(The quote is also found in: Pelham Or, Adventures Of A Gentleman By The Right Hon. Lord Lytton, London: George Routledge And Son, 1875, Ch. XII, P. 40) source
“Life consists in the alternate process of learning and unlearning, but it is often wiser to unlearn than to learn.” – Edward Bulwer-Lytton
(Kenelm Chillingly His Adventures And Opinions By The Right Hon. Lord Lytton, London: George Routledge And Sons, 1888, Book IV, Ch.VII, P. 232) source
(The quote is also found in: Kenelm Chillingly His Adventures And Opinions By Lord Lytton (Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton, Bart.), New York: Hovendon Co., Book IV, Ch. VII, P. 250) source
Here is the full collections of Edward Bulwer-Lytton quotes.