Coffee-house Quote by Gustav Meyrink
““The stale air, the incessant, inane clatter of the billiard balls, the perpetual hacking cough of a half-blind journalist opposite me, the spindle-shanked infantry officer, alternately picking his nose or combing his moustache with nicotine-stained fingers in front of a small pocket-mirror, the seething clump of vile, sweaty, gabbling Italians round the card table in the corner, now rapping their knuckles and squawking as they played their trumps, now hawking up a lump of phlegm and spewing it onto the floor: all that was bad enough, but to see it reflected two, three times over in the mirrors on the walls! It slowly sucked the blood out of my veins.””
About This Quote
Source Short story: “The Mirror Room” by Gustav Meyrink, 1912
Overwhelming sensory chaos and mirrored reflections amplify despair, illustrating how environment can drain vitality.
In simple terms: Too much noise and reflection can sap energy.
Key Takeaway
Limit exposure to chaotic settings.
Themes
environment
perception
despair
sensory overload
mirrors
Mood
melancholic
intense
observational
Type
literary
descriptive
When to use this quote
- busy cafés
- noisy offices
- crowded events
- confined spaces
- intense social gatherings
Key Concepts
psychology
literary symbolism
mental fatigue
urban decay
Questions to Reflect On
- What environments restore your energy?
- How do you protect yourself from sensory overload?
A Different Perspective
May romanticize suffering as artistic.
