By Christa Protano
Since October 1st—the unofficial start of fall (aka Gilmore Girls season, IYKYK …)—my Insta feed has been peppered with Tender Peach and Red Orange squares featuring quotes about the arrival of the season. Search Pinterest for free printables to brighten up your home and you’ve probably seen “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers” a few times by now. But did you know that most of these popular quotes first saw the gorgeous autumnal light of day in a classic novel? As we are busy turning over our decor, many authors tend to find inspiration in the arrival of the fall season, too. It’s perhaps one of the most prolific seasons of the year for writing and reading among the literati. The crisp, colder air and comfort found in getting back in a routine lends itself to a fresh-start mentality, along with a newfound motivation to tackle a growing TBR list. All that said, you are cordially invited to grab your favorite fall beverage, light that pumpkin chai candle, and get cozy with one of these frequently quoted classics.
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” —Lucy Maud Montgomery
In Chapter 16, Anne Shirley professes her love for the autumnal month to Marilla and we couldn’t agree more. You’ll even find this popular quote foil-stamped on our Word Cloud edition of the coming of age classic. But not just for fall, Anne makes a great read for all seasons. Read more about its history here.
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” —F. Scott Fitzgerald
Early on in Gatsby, Jordan Baker tries to make her friend Daisy Buchanan look on the bright side and get out of her depressed funk. Fitzgerald uses this quote and the changing of seasons as a metaphor for his characters who are seeking a fresh start.
Known as the Great American Novel, Fitzgerald’s masterpiece is available as a sparkling leather-bound edition, Word Cloud Classic, and even a graphic novel.
“And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees
and changing leaves.” —Virginia Woolf
In Chapter 19’s “The Window,” we get a peak inside Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey’s marriage during an otherwise quiet moment told through each character’s stream of consciousness. Mrs. Ramsey reads the quote in a book of poetry, while Mr. Ramsey is sitting across from her lost in his own thoughts and story. The scene is considered to be one of the most moving in the novel because of what is left unspoken between the two characters.
Released this past summer, To the Lighthouse is available as a Word Cloud edition, along with the author’s beloved Mrs. Dalloway. Need another reason to tackle Woolf’s ground-breaking style of writing this season? We’ve got five more right here.
“Her pleasure in the walk must arise from the exercise and the day, from the view of the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves and withered hedges, and from repeating to herself some few of the thousand poetical descriptions extant of autumn—that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness—that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling.” —Jane Austen
In Chapter 10 of Austen’s final work, Anne Elliot tries to focus on everything that the fall season has to offer while on a group walk that includes the company of her unrequited love interest, Captain Wentworth. Nice try, Anne, but even autumn’s magical transformation can’t hide those unresolved feelings for long.
You can find Persuasion and other popular works by Jane Austen in our beautiful Word Cloud boxed set.
“He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams.”
—J.R.R. Tolkien
Even Middle Earth experiences the wonders of autumn, as we learn in Tolkien’s first installment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. In The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo dreams about what his journey would have been like had he accompanied Bilbo Baggins.
If you are a fan of this epic story, be sure to check out An Encyclopedia of Tolkien, which serves as an unofficial companion guide to Tolkien’s imaginary world.
