Afternoon Quote by David Nicholls
“Occasionally, very occasionally, say at four o’clock in the afternoon on a wet Sunday, she feels panic-stricken and almost breathless with loneliness. Once or twice she has been known to pick up the phone to check that it isn’t broken. Sometimes she thinks how nice it would be to be woken by a call in the night: ‘get in a taxi now’ or ‘I need to see you, we need to talk’. But at the best of times she feels like a character in a Muriel Spark novel – independent, bookish, sharp-minded, secretly romantic.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: One Day by David Nicholls, 2009
A character experiences acute loneliness and yearning for connection, imagining rescue through a phone call.
In simple terms: Loneliness leads to imagined rescue.
Key Takeaway
Acknowledge loneliness, reach out authentically.
Themes
loneliness
yearning
imagination
independence
Mood
melancholy
hopeful
Type
literary
emotional
When to use this quote
- Sunday afternoons
- wet days
- quiet evenings
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
romantic idealism
social isolation
self‑perception
Questions to Reflect On
- What does the imagined call represent?
- How can you transform longing into genuine contact?
A Different Perspective
The imagined rescue may be unrealistic, highlighting avoidance of real conversation.
