--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The third floor was quieter still. For a…" description: "\"“The third floor was quieter still. For a few moments, I leaned against the railing surrounding the open center of the floor, gazing down at the band, ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/barry-eisler-1009_theatre_the-third-floor-was-quieter-still-for-a_410716.png" --- # The third floor was quieter still. For a few moments, I… ![“The third floor was quieter still. For a few moments, I leaned against the railing surrounding the open center of the floor, gazing down at the band, at the patrons at the tables before the stage, and at the waiters crossing between, and felt an odd sadness descend, both remote and heavy, as…” quote by Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/barry-eisler-1009_theatre_the-third-floor-was-quieter-still-for-a_410716.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/barry-eisler-1009_theatre_the-third-floor-was-quieter-still-for-a_410716.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/barry-eisler-1009_theatre_the-third-floor-was-quieter-still-for-a_410716.png) > ““The third floor was quieter still. For a few moments, I leaned against the railing surrounding the open center of the floor, gazing down at the band, at the patrons at the tables before the stage, and at the waiters crossing between, and felt an odd sadness descend, both remote and heavy, as though I was watching this lively scene not so much from on high but rather from an impossibly detached and alienated distance”” [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The narrator feels a detached melancholy while observing a lively scene, highlighting alienation despite proximity. **In simple terms:** Feeling isolated while surrounded by activity. Key Takeaway Recognize and address emotional distance in social settings. Themes alienation observation melancholy Mood reflective somber introspective Type literary emotional psychological When to use this quote - crowded events - social gatherings - personal reflection - mental health counseling - creative writing Key Concepts psychology social isolation empathy Questions to Reflect On - What triggers your sense of alienation in social places? - How can you reconnect emotionally with surroundings? A Different Perspective Detachment may stem from personal issues, not just external surroundings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Felt Odd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt-odd-2922202/) [Floor Gazing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/floor-gazing-3662407/) [Odd Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/odd-sadness-1528719/) [Quieter Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quieter-moments-3662408/) [Sadness Descend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness-descend-3662406/) [Theatre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ## Related quotes > [“We were quiet for a few moments. Then she said, “You were right. I wouldn’t have reacted so sharply if what you were saying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/we-were-quiet-for-a-few-moments-then-she-said-you-were-right-i-wouldn/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“She was experiencing the same odd happiness and odd sadness as then. The sadness meant: we are at the last station. The happiness meant:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/she-was-experiencing-the-same-odd-happiness-and-odd-sadness-as-then-2/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [She was experiencing the same odd happiness and odd sadness as then. The sadness meant: We are at the last station. The happiness meant:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/she-was-experiencing-the-same-odd-happiness-and-odd-sadness-as-then/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [“It felt odd to have interrupted the life of someone she knew nothing about, to kill someone she had only just met, as though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-freeman/it-felt-odd-to-have-interrupted-the-life-of-someone-she-knew-nothing/) [Pamela Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-freeman/) > [I remember doing my first coaching sessions at Macclesfield, when I was still playing, and I was just terrible. I felt really uncomfortable standing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-potter/i-remember-doing-my-first-coaching-sessions-at-macclesfield-when-i/) [Graham Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-potter/) > [“I felt an odd sense of protectiveness. It flaked off my skin, revealing a red-hot anger at the idea that someone would hurt him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-nicolle-taylor/i-felt-an-odd-sense-of-protectiveness-it-flaked-off-my-skin-revealing/) [Lauren Nicolle Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-nicolle-taylor/) > [I've always been "other." I've always felt odd; I have always felt foreign in the environment I've been in. When you are young, that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/i-ve-always-been-other-i-ve-always-felt-odd-i-have-always-felt/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [It felt odd to realize she was frightened more by what he might know, and not of what he might be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/it-felt-odd-to-realize-she-was-frightened-more-by-what-he-might-know/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [“I have felt that odd whirr of wings in the head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/i-have-felt-that-odd-whirr-of-wings-in-the-head/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“I saw the gooseflesh on my skin. I did not know what made it. I was not cold. Had a ghost passed over? No,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-plath/i-saw-the-gooseflesh-on-my-skin-i-did-not-know-what-made-it-i-was-not-2/) [Sylvia Plath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-plath/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) [David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) ## More by Barry Eisler > [“But, like all indulgences that are valued not just for their product but for their process, the sento will never entirely disappear. For in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/but-like-all-indulgences-that-are-valued-not-just-for-their-product/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“She’s a bargirl. You don’t know where her loyalties lie. That one was unconvincing. No one had directed her against me—I was the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/she-s-a-bargirl-you-don-t-know-where-her-loyalties-lie-that-one-was/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“In my unpleasant experience, unarmed against a knife, you’ve basically got four options. Your best bet is to run like hell, if you can.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/in-my-unpleasant-experience-unarmed-against-a-knife-you-ve-basically/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [The most important guideline when it comes to argument is the golden rule. If someone were addressing your point, what tone, what overall approach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/the-most-important-guideline-when-it-comes-to-argument-is-the-golden/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“That I was apparently into body building at all at this stage in my life probably meant affairs with young women, for whom a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/that-i-was-apparently-into-body-building-at-all-at-this-stage-in-my/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“Immediately the sounds of the street below grew detached, distant, the meaningless echoes of urban voices whose urgent notes reached but held no sway…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/immediately-the-sounds-of-the-street-below-grew-detached-distant-the/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I heard laughter and looked up. Some kids at the terminal next to me, playing an online game. I wondered for a moment how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-heard-laughter-and-looked-up-some-kids-at-the-terminal-next-to-me/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I shifted my head slightly. The corners of our mouths brushed together. I felt her breath on my cheek. Then we were kissing. Her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-shifted-my-head-slightly-the-corners-of-our-mouths-brushed-together/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I looked at her. Why was it her question seemed suffused with double entendre? She was attractive, of course, more than attractive, but that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-looked-at-her-why-was-it-her-question-seemed-suffused-with-double/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I realized my knowledge of that potentially damning evidence gave Delilah a reason to want me out of the way. “Out of the way”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-realized-my-knowledge-of-that-potentially-damning-evidence-gave/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I wouldn’t want to try to take this guy out with anything less than a scoped rifle. Which is something that’s hard to confuse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-wouldn-t-want-to-try-to-take-this-guy-out-with-anything-less-than-a/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“I picked up the earthen cup and went to take a sip. “Not like that,” Miyamoto said. “Let it cool a little. Give yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/i-picked-up-the-earthen-cup-and-went-to-take-a-sip-not-like-that/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“It seemed he’d recently learned the value of playing up the difficulty of accomplishing whatever he was tasked with, the better to play the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/it-seemed-he-d-recently-learned-the-value-of-playing-up-the/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [“Yukiko walked over, her mouth stretching into a feline grin at the sight of Murakami. Naomi followed a moment later. She was wearing another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/yukiko-walked-over-her-mouth-stretching-into-a-feline-grin-at-the/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) > [It would be awesome to be so impressive that we could sway people to our way of thinking just by declaiming our thoughts, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/it-would-be-awesome-to-be-so-impressive-that-we-could-sway-people-to/) [Barry Eisler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) [Explore all 305 Barry Eisler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/) ## More Theatre quotes > [I'm trying to write a film with my friend. I'd love to get the thrill of speaking actors making my work even funnier.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-howard/i-m-trying-to-write-a-film-with-my-friend-i-d-love-to-get-the-thrill/) [Russell Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-howard/) > [There has got to be a way for me to have a role on TV or in film that is just as normal as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adeel-akhtar/there-has-got-to-be-a-way-for-me-to-have-a-role-on-tv-or-in-film-that/) [Adeel Akhtar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adeel-akhtar/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. Hollywood loves to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-s-goyer/i-love-casting-against-type-and-doing-things-you-wouldn-t-expect/) [David S. Goyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-s-goyer/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) [David Hudgins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-hudgins/) > [In the future, I would like to do more films with contemporary themes. Perhaps comedy, which is something I have done in theater but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-evans/in-the-future-i-would-like-to-do-more-films-with-contemporary-themes/) [Luke Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-evans/) > [I'm very used to working with first time actors - you can just look back at 'E.T.' with Drew Barrymore, and Christian Bale from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/i-m-very-used-to-working-with-first-time-actors-you-can-just-look/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [On stage, you can bring all those strong emotions that you don't have the opportunity to live. You don't want to die for love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvie-guillem/on-stage-you-can-bring-all-those-strong-emotions-that-you-don-t-have/) [Sylvie Guillem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvie-guillem/) > [You will see a 3-D movie in a movie theater for the shared experience of it - or for a date, and so on.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-stringer/you-will-see-a-3-d-movie-in-a-movie-theater-for-the-shared-experience/) [Howard Stringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-stringer/) > [I'm an actor, so I'm never going to feel like I've done enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/italia-ricci/i-m-an-actor-so-i-m-never-going-to-feel-like-i-ve-done-enough/) [Italia Ricci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/italia-ricci/) > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [The liveness of theater, and the excitement of experiencing it alongside an audience, is something you can't get at home. That makes the theater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-blaemire/the-liveness-of-theater-and-the-excitement-of-experiencing-it/) [Nick Blaemire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-blaemire/) > [When I was 13, I auditioned for the theater school, and I was there for four years. In the meantime, I did my first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ana-de-armas/when-i-was-13-i-auditioned-for-the-theater-school-and-i-was-there-for/) [Ana de Armas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ana-de-armas/) > [I'm going to stay on stage until I drop dead. Then I'm going to have myself stuffed, like Trigger, and I'm going to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-reynolds/i-m-going-to-stay-on-stage-until-i-drop-dead-then-i-m-going-to-have/) [Debbie Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-reynolds/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 24,215 Theatre quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theatre/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The third floor was quieter still. For a few moments, I leaned against the railing surrounding the open center of the floor, gazing down at the band, at the patrons at the tables before the stage, and at the waiters crossing between, and felt an odd sadness descend, both remote and heavy, as though I was watching this lively scene not so much from on high but rather from an impossibly detached and alienated distance”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Barry Eisler" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/the-third-floor-was-quieter-still-for-a-few-moments-i-leaned-against/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Theatre" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/the-third-floor-was-quieter-still-for-a-few-moments-i-leaned-against/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/barry-eisler-1009_theatre_the-third-floor-was-quieter-still-for-a_410716.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/barry-eisler-1009_theatre_the-third-floor-was-quieter-still-for-a_410716.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb8/barry-eisler-1009_theatre_the-third-floor-was-quieter-still-for-a_410716.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The third floor was quieter still. For a few moments, I leaned against the railing surrounding the open…” — Barry Eisler", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Barry Eisler", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-eisler/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“The third floor was quieter still....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/the-third-floor-was-quieter-still-for-a-few-moments-i-leaned-against/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-eisler/the-third-floor-was-quieter-still-for-a-few-moments-i-leaned-against/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```