Life itself Quote by Halldór Laxness
““Shortly afterwards it started raining, very innocently at first, but the sky was packed tight with cloud and gradually the drops grew bigger and heavier, until it was autumn’s dismal rain that was falling—rain that seemed to fill the entire world with its leaden beat, rain suggestive in its dreariness of everlasting waterfalls between the planets, rain that thatched the heavens with drabness and brooded oppressively over the whole countryside, like a disease, strong in the power of its flat, unvarying monotony, its smothering heaviness, its cold, unrelenting cruelty. Smoothly, smoothly it fell, over the whole shire, over the fallen marsh grass, over the troubled lake, the iron-grey gravel flats, the sombre mountain above the croft, smudging out every prospect. And the heavy, hopeless, interminable beat wormed its way into every crevice in the house, lay like a pad of cotton wool over the ears, and embraced everything, both near and far, in its compass, like an unromantic story from life itself that has no rhythm and no crescendo, no climax, but which is nevertheless overwhelming in its scope, terrifying in its significance. And at the bottom of this unfathomed ocean of teeming rain sat the little house and its one neurotic woman.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Independent People, 1946
A relentless, oppressive rain mirrors the protagonist’s bleak, unchanging existence, suffocating hope and amplifying despair.
In simple terms: Rain symbolizes unending gloom and confinement.
Recognize how environment can reflect inner turmoil.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- rural life
- mental health
- creative writing
- weather description
- suffering
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How does environment shape mood?
- Can bleak settings inspire growth?
The metaphor may exaggerate the rain’s impact, overlooking moments of resilience.