“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab is a mosaic of profound thoughts and reflections that resonate deeply with the human experience. Each quote from this mesmerizing book is a thread in the tapestry of its storytelling, weaving together themes of memory, existence, art, and the enduring human spirit.
Schwab’s words offer a window into the soul of the novel’s protagonist, Addie LaRue, a woman cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets, yet determined to leave her mark on the world. These quotes capture the essence of Addie’s journey through time, her struggles, her resilience, and her profound insights on life, art, and the human condition.
They also reflect on the nature of memory, the fleeting moments of happiness, and the relentless passage of time. Through these poignant and beautifully crafted phrases, Schwab invites readers to ponder the depths of our existence, the power of stories, and the indelible impact one life can have. In this post, we dive into some of the most striking quotes from “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,” each offering a unique perspective on the novel’s rich and layered narrative.
Check out: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue Summary
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue Quotes
Here are some popular quotes from The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, popular as rated by readers in Goodreads:
1. “Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives–or to find strength in a very long one.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
2. “What is a person, if not the marks they leave behind?” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
3. “What she needs are stories.
Stories are a way to preserve one’s self. To be remembered. And to forget.
Stories come in so many forms: in charcoal, and in song, in paintings, poems, films. And books.
Books, she has found, are a way to live a thousand lives—or to find strength in a very long one.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
4. “Because time is cruel to all, and crueler still to artists. Because visions weakens, and voices wither, and talent fades…. Because happiness is brief, and history is lasting, and in the end… everyone wants to be remembered” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
5. “Blink and you’re twenty-eight, and everyone else is now a mile down the road, and you’re still trying to find it, and the irony is hardly lost on you that in wanting to live, to learn, to find yourself, you’ve gotten lost.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
6. “Never pray to the gods that answer after dark.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
7. “Humans are so ill-equipped for peace.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
8. “Three words, large enough to tip the world. I remember you.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
9. “But a life without art, without wonder, without beautiful things—she would go mad. She has gone mad.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
10. “His heart has a draft. It lets in light. It lets in storms. It lets in everything.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
11. “Stories are a way to preserve one’s self. To be remembered. And to forget.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
12. “Nothing is all good or all bad,” she says. “Life is so much messier than that.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
13. “Being forgotten, she thinks, is a bit like going mad. You begin to wonder what is real, if you are real. After all, how can a thing be real if it cannot be remembered?” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
14. “It is just a storm, he tells himself, but he is tired of looking for shelter. It is just a storm, but there is always another waiting in its wake.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
15. “Do you know how to live three hundred years?” she says. And when he asks how, she smiles. “The same way you live one. A second at a time.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
16. “But this is how you walk to the end of the world. This is how you live forever. Here is one day, and here is the next, and the next, and you take what you can, savor every stolen second, cling to every moment, until it’s gone.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
17. “I am stronger than your god and older than your devil. I am the darkness between stars, and the roots beneath the earth. I am promise, and potential, and when it comes to playing games, i divine the rules, I set the pieces, and I choose when to play.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
18. “I remember seeing that picture and realizing that photographs weren’t real. There’s no context, just the illusion that you’re showing a snapshot of a life, but life isn’t snapshots, it’s fluid. So photos are like fictions. I loved that about them. Everyone thinks photography is truth, but it’s just a very convincing lie.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
19. “Adeline has decided she would rather be a tree, like Estele. If she must grow roots, she would rather be left to flourish wild instead of pruned, would rather stand alone, allowed to grow beneath the open sky.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
20. “They teach you growing up that you are only one thing at a time—angry, lonely, content—but he’s never found that to be true. He is a dozen things at once. He is lost and scared and grateful, he is sorry and happy and afraid.” ― V.E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
Final thoughts
In wrapping up, the quotes from “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” offer more than just glimpses into the novel’s narrative; they provide profound reflections on existence, memory, and the human desire to leave a mark on the world. Each quote is a testament to V.E. Schwab’s ability to capture the complexities of life and time in eloquent and thought-provoking prose.
Addie LaRue’s story, though unique in its fantastical elements, speaks to a universal truth about the human experience — the quest for recognition, the fear of oblivion, and the unyielding hope that our lives, in some way, matter. These quotes are not just excerpts from a novel; they are reminders of our own struggles with memory, identity, and the passage of time.
Schwab’s words encourage readers to ponder the depth of their own existence and to find beauty and strength in the journey of life, however fleeting it may be. “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” thus remains not just a story to be read, but an experience to be contemplated, cherished, and remembered.
