“I wanted to write a novel about desire, about the violence of desire, about the impossibility of satisfying it.”
What this quote means
Leïla Slimani evokes here the raw power of desire, that force that drives and consumes us. She highlights its violence, its insatiable nature: we desire, but we can never fully satisfy. This impossibility is the engine of our lives, but also a source of suffering. By writing it, she gives voice to this inner turmoil, inviting us to recognize our own contradictions. This unfulfilled quest makes us human, vulnerable, and yet alive.
How to apply it daily
Identify a current desire that obsesses you. Write it down on a piece of paper, then note what you feel when expressing it. Accept dissatisfaction as part of life.
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