--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We are far from liking London well enough…" description: "\"“We are far from liking London well enough till we like its defects: the dense darkness of much of its winter, the soot on the chimney-pots and everywh..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/henry-james-417_christmas_we-are-far-from-liking-london-well-enoug_1944438.jpg" --- # We are far from liking London well enough till we like its… ![“We are far from liking London well enough till we like its defects: the dense darkness of much of its winter, the soot on the chimney-pots and everywhere else, the early lamplight, the brown blur of the houses, the splashing of hansoms in Oxford Street or the Strand on December afternoons. There…” quote by Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/henry-james-417_christmas_we-are-far-from-liking-london-well-enoug_1944438.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/henry-james-417_christmas_we-are-far-from-liking-london-well-enoug_1944438.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eb8/henry-james-417_christmas_we-are-far-from-liking-london-well-enoug_1944438.jpg) > ““We are far from liking London well enough till we like its defects: the dense darkness of much of its winter, the soot on the chimney-pots and everywhere else, the early lamplight, the brown blur of the houses, the splashing of hansoms in Oxford Street or the Strand on December afternoons. There is still something that recalls to me the enchantment of children—the anticipation of Christmas, the delight of a holiday walk—in the way the shop-fronts shine into the fog. It makes each of them seem a little world of light and warmth, and I can still waste time in looking at them with dirty Bloomsbury on one side and dirtier Soho on the other.”” [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He describes London’s gritty charm, finding beauty in its imperfections and festive atmosphere. **In simple terms:** London’s flaws create its allure. Key Takeaway Appreciate urban imperfections. Themes urban life nostalgia contrast Mood reflective warm Type descriptive poetic When to use this quote - city walking tours - holiday marketing - photography projects Key Concepts romanticism social observation Questions to Reflect On - What makes imperfect places endearing? - How does season affect perception? A Different Perspective May romanticize hardships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christmas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) [Cities-spaces-places](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cities-spaces-places/) [Oxford street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oxford-street/) ## Related quotes > [“But at sunset the clouds gathered again, bringing an earlier night, and the snow began to fall straight and steadily from a sky without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/but-at-sunset-the-clouds-gathered-again-bringing-an-earlier-night-and/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [“If you can smile like a flower in the deep darkness of winter, spring is always there.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/if-you-can-smile-like-a-flower-in-the-deep-darkness-of-winter-spring/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“The stone basin was crusted with ice now. 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I don't care for anything but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/i-shall-stay-here-as-long-as-i-may-i-don-t-want-to-think-i-needn-t/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“...It often seemed to her that she thought too much about herself, you could have made her blush any day of the year, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-often-seemed-to-her-that-she-thought-too-much-about-herself-you/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“I reflected acutely that the sense of such differences, such superiorities of quality, always, on the part of the majority—which could include even stupid,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/i-reflected-acutely-that-the-sense-of-such-differences-such/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [“She had had a real fright but had fallen back to earth. 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He has never done a thing in his life exept play games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/it-is-no-wonder-he-wins-every-game-he-has-never-done-a-thing-in-his/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) > [Make (the reader) think the evil, make him think it for himself, and you are released from weak specifications. 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"Christmas and Hanukah are completely different things." "But different things can often blend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/santa-claus-has-nothing-to-do-with-it-the-latke-said-christmas-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For Christmas one year I bought my son a BB gun. He bought me a t-shirt with a bulls eye on the back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/for-christmas-one-year-i-bought-my-son-a-bb-gun-he-bought-me-a-t/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [“Why did he hesitate? 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Me family does me 'ed in after one day at xmas, I'd rather be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/heaven-floating-about-with-everyone-you-ever-knew-for-eternity-me/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Like everyone in his right mind, I feared Santa Claus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-dillard/like-everyone-in-his-right-mind-i-feared-santa-claus/) [Annie Dillard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-dillard/) > [“I stopped keeping an eye out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve because, when I was five, my mother told me that Santa was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/i-stopped-keeping-an-eye-out-for-santa-claus-on-christmas-eve-because/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [On Hanukkah, the first dark night, Light yourself a candle bright. I'll you, if you will me invite To dance within that gentle light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-gordon/on-hanukkah-the-first-dark-night-light-yourself-a-candle-bright-i-ll/) [Nick Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-gordon/) [Browse all 5,100 Christmas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christmas/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We are far from liking London well enough till we like its defects: the dense darkness of much of its winter, the soot on the chimney-pots and everywhere else, the early lamplight, the brown blur of the houses, the splashing of hansoms in Oxford Street or the Strand on December afternoons. There is still something that recalls to me the enchantment of children—the anticipation of Christmas, the delight of a holiday walk—in the way the shop-fronts shine into the fog. 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