In author Jodi Picoult’s 2010 novel “House Rules,” several characters take turns narrating from their own perspective. It’s an effective way to learn the inner feelings and struggles of the various individuals, and we learn that one of the characters, Emma, is particularly plagued by fears and regrets about her life. This quote is said to her at a moment when she’s feeling particularly anxious about the passage of time, and wishing she had acted differently with her children over the years. It’s the perfect reminder that the past is, as it’s often said, in the past — it cannot be revisited or changed, and by dwelling on it, we risk missing out on all life has to offer in the present and future. 

In 1892, St. James’s Theatre in London staged the first performance of Oscar Wilde’s four-act comedy “Lady Windermere’s Fan.” The play’s wildly improbable plot, following an upper-class woman who suspects her husband of having an affair, didn’t stop it from becoming the Irish playwright’s first hit. Theatergoers loved it, especially Wilde’s characteristically dazzling dialogue. The play gave us many of his most quotable lines, including “I can resist anything except temptation” and “Life is far too important a thing ever to talk seriously about.” But the most famous quote is this one, spoken by Lord Darlington to Mr. Dumby, a man who thinks all people are good. His simple but poignant observation about hope remains one of Wilde’s most succinct and beautiful lines.