---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She still had her bad days, no question…"
description: "\"She still had her bad days, no question, when the black dog of depression sniffed her out and settled its crushing weight on her chest and breathed its..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71a/lev-grossman-747_bad-day_she-still-had-her-bad-days-no-question-w_2458169.jpg"
---

#  She still had her bad days, no question, when the black…

![“She still had her bad days, no question, when the black dog of depression sniffed her out and settled its crushing weight on her chest and breathed its pungent dog breath in her face. On those days she called in sick to the IT shop where, most days, she untangled tangled networks for a song. On…” quote by Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71a/lev-grossman-747_bad-day_she-still-had-her-bad-days-no-question-w_2458169.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71a/lev-grossman-747_bad-day_she-still-had-her-bad-days-no-question-w_2458169.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71a/lev-grossman-747_bad-day_she-still-had-her-bad-days-no-question-w_2458169.jpg)

> “She still had her bad days, no question, when the black dog of depression sniffed her out and settled its crushing weight on her chest and breathed its pungent dog breath in her face. On those days she called in sick to the IT shop where, most days, she untangled tangled networks for a song. On those days she pulled down the shades and ran dark for twelve or twenty-four or seventy-two hours, however long it took for the black dog to go on home to its dark master.”

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Depression is depicted as a heavy, oppressive presence that can dominate daily life, yet the narrator finds ways to cope through work and isolation.

**In simple terms:** Depression feels like a crushing weight.

Key Takeaway

Seek coping strategies and support.

Themes

mental health isolation work coping

Mood

somber introspective

Type

literary psychological

When to use this quote

- workplace stress
- mental health crisis
- creative burnout

Key Concepts

psychology stigma creative expression

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you recognize early signs?
- What healthy outlets help?

A Different Perspective

Isolation can worsen depression.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bad day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-day/) [Bad days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-days/) [Crush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crush/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Depression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depression/) [Dog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dog/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Shade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shade/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Twenties](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/twenties/) [Weight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weight/)

## Related quotes

> [“She still had her bad days, no question, when the black dog of depression sniffed her out and settled its crushing weight on her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/she-still-had-her-bad-days-no-question-when-the-black-dog-of/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [“A black dog, tall and wide as a full grown man, took a couple of steps toward them. It bared sharp, yellow fangs big…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-k-kinney-let-demon-dogs-lie-southern-haunts-devils-in-the-darkness/a-black-dog-tall-and-wide-as-a-full-grown-man-took-a-couple-of-steps/)

Pamela K. Kinney, "Let Demon Dogs Lie," Southern Haunts: Devils in the Darkness

> [“Minerva, kindly go to Hagrid's house, where you will find a large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog to my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/minerva-kindly-go-to-hagrid-s-house-where-you-will-find-a-large-black/)

[J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/)

> [The black dog gets the food; the white dog gets the blame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinese-proverbs/the-black-dog-gets-the-food-the-white-dog-gets-the-blame/)

Chinese Proverbs

> [“they project love, compassion, and care onto unfriendly dream figures, like the menacing black dog here, the love and concern transforms the image or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-waggoner/they-project-love-compassion-and-care-onto-unfriendly-dream-figures/)

[Robert Waggoner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-waggoner/)

> [ “That night, \[Black Dog\] lay beside Henry, and he stroked her sharp shoulder blades and scratched behind her ears. He did this late into… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-d-schmidt/that-night-black-dog-lay-beside-henry-and-he-stroked-her-sharp/)

[Gary D. Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-d-schmidt/)

> [“Churchill had a black dog. I have singledom,’ she says, exhaling theatrically. ‘I will die alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gemma-burgess/churchill-had-a-black-dog-i-have-singledom-she-says-exhaling/)

[Gemma Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gemma-burgess/)

> [“The maddened four men followed frantically, for it is better to be in the presence of the awful than only within hearing. ("The Black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-crane/the-maddened-four-men-followed-frantically-for-it-is-better-to-be-in/)

[Stephen Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-crane/)

> [I have highs and lows. I have great big moments of adrenaline, but that can be followed by depression. It's a black dog, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-bremner/i-have-highs-and-lows-i-have-great-big-moments-of-adrenaline-but-that/)

[Rory Bremner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-bremner/)

> [“For one brief, the great black dog reared onto its hind legs and placed its front paws on Harry's shoulders, but Mrs. Weasley shoved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/for-one-brief-the-great-black-dog-reared-onto-its-hind-legs-and/)

[J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/)

> [I think 'Black Dog' came out at a time where a lot of people were feeling quite low and confused in quite a chaotic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlo-parks/i-think-black-dog-came-out-at-a-time-where-a-lot-of-people-were/)

[Arlo Parks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlo-parks/)

> [I do have a favorite Zeppelin song, Larry, Black Dog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-do-have-a-favorite-zeppelin-song-larry-black-dog/)

[Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/)

> [Every dog has its day. Every Black Dog has its night.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/every-dog-has-its-day-every-black-dog-has-its-night/)

[Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/)

> [Your hair is a tangled mess,"he said, thinking he liked it that way, like a lion's mane.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-harrison/your-hair-is-a-tangled-mess-he-said-thinking-he-liked-it-that-way/)

[Kim Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-harrison/)

> [Curiosity is a raw and genuine sign from deep inside our tangled psyches, and we'd do well to follow the direction it points us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/po-bronson/curiosity-is-a-raw-and-genuine-sign-from-deep-inside-our-tangled/)

[Po Bronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/po-bronson/)

## More by Lev Grossman

> [“It was about damn time something happened.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/it-was-about-damn-time-something-happened/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [We're wired to expect the world to be brighter and more meaningful and more obviously interesting than it actually is. And when we realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/we-re-wired-to-expect-the-world-to-be-brighter-and-more-meaningful/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [“He was going to sign the papers and he was going to be a motherfucking magician.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/he-was-going-to-sign-the-papers-and-he-was-going-to-be-a/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [“Being brave was easy when you would rather die than give up. Fatigue meant nothing when you actually wanted to suffer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/being-brave-was-easy-when-you-would-rather-die-than-give-up-fatigue/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [As a writer I'm more drawn to villains who are just slightly mad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/as-a-writer-i-m-more-drawn-to-villains-who-are-just-slightly-mad/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [“He wasn't in a safe little story where wrongs were automatically righted; he was still in the real world, where bad bitter things happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/he-wasn-t-in-a-safe-little-story-where-wrongs-were-automatically/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [I love rare books. Not that I own a lot of them, mind you. You couldn't quite call me a rare-book collector. But I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-love-rare-books-not-that-i-own-a-lot-of-them-mind-you-you-couldn-t/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [By now he had learned enough to know that when he was getting annoyed at somebody else, it was usually because there was something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/by-now-he-had-learned-enough-to-know-that-when-he-was-getting-annoyed/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [About as close you can get to the perfect cerebral thriller: searingly smart, ridiculously funny, and fast as hell... I defy anybody to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/about-as-close-you-can-get-to-the-perfect-cerebral-thriller-searingly/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [“It's true," Eliot said. "Statistically, historically, and however else you want to look at it, you are almost never right. A monkey making life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/it-s-true-eliot-said-statistically-historically-and-however-else-you/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [“God, I hope we don’t have to use that,” was all he said out loud. “Oh, come on, Quentina. We’re not looking for trouble.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/god-i-hope-we-don-t-have-to-use-that-was-all-he-said-out-loud-oh-come/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [I mean, when you're tired of book reviews, you're tired of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-mean-when-you-re-tired-of-book-reviews-you-re-tired-of-life/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [My specialty as a collector is books that almost have value. When I love a book, I don't buy the first edition, because those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/my-specialty-as-a-collector-is-books-that-almost-have-value-when-i/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [I used to write in a local coffee shop, but there was another guy, another writer, who kept sitting in my favorite seat. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-used-to-write-in-a-local-coffee-shop-but-there-was-another-guy/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

> [I don't know if I've ever derived such an immediate sense of calm and well-being from any book as I did from 'Right Ho,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/i-don-t-know-if-i-ve-ever-derived-such-an-immediate-sense-of-calm-and/)

[Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

[Explore all 379 Lev Grossman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/)

## More Bad day quotes

> [“When you have a bad day, a really bad day, try and treat the world better than it treated you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-stump/when-you-have-a-bad-day-a-really-bad-day-try-and-treat-the-world/)

[Patrick Stump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-stump/)

> [Everybody has bad days, but how you respond to it is a testament to whether you are a winner or a loser.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-gordon/everybody-has-bad-days-but-how-you-respond-to-it-is-a-testament-to/)

[Aaron Gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-gordon/)

> [“My mum always taught me the value of knowing, recognizing and acknowledging when you had a good day. There are so many bad days…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/my-mum-always-taught-me-the-value-of-knowing-recognizing-and/)

[Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/)

> [Today I will do my best.If I have a good day,i will be pruod of myself.If I have a bad day,I will not dwell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix-mae/today-i-will-do-my-best-if-i-have-a-good-day-i-will-be-pruod-of/)

[Nix Mae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix-mae/)

> [Inspiration comes from so many sources. Music, other fiction, the non-fiction I read, TV shows, films, news reports, people I know, stories I hear,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trudi-canavan/inspiration-comes-from-so-many-sources-music-other-fiction-the-non/)

[Trudi Canavan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trudi-canavan/)

> [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/)

[Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/)

> [Remember, success is not measured by heights attained but by obstacles overcome. We're going to pass through many obstacles in our lives: good days,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-jenner/remember-success-is-not-measured-by-heights-attained-but-by-obstacles/)

[Bruce Jenner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-jenner/)

> [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

> [The whole secret to mastering the game of golf - and this applies to the beginner as well as the pro - is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-palmer/the-whole-secret-to-mastering-the-game-of-golf-and-this-applies-to/)

[Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-palmer/)

> [“Thus in the bad days, in the dark swampy times.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-russ/thus-in-the-bad-days-in-the-dark-swampy-times/)

[Joanna Russ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-russ/)

> [Take a deep breath. It,s just a bad day not a bad life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/take-a-deep-breath-it-s-just-a-bad-day-not-a-bad-life/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [To be tested is good. The challenged life may be the best therapist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-sheehy/to-be-tested-is-good-the-challenged-life-may-be-the-best-therapist/)

[Gail Sheehy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-sheehy/)

> [But just remember, the next time you see a person, do not judge whats on the outside, we could be having a bad day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate/but-just-remember-the-next-time-you-see-a-person-do-not-judge-whats/)

[Nate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate/)

> [Every night I go to sleep smiling, even when I have a bad day. I'm just thankful that God allowed me to live it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-night-i-go-to-sleep-smiling-even-when-i-have-a-bad-day-i-m-just/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [If you have a bad day,pray. If you have a good day,pray. Pray for the best. Pray with the best. Prayer is the best.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/if-you-have-a-bad-day-pray-if-you-have-a-good-day-pray-pray-for-the/)

[Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/)

[Browse all 1,054 Bad day quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-day/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "She still had her bad days, no question, when the black dog of depression sniffed her out and settled its crushing weight on her chest and breathed its pungent dog breath in her face. On those days she called in sick to the IT shop where, most days, she untangled tangled networks for a song. On those days she pulled down the shades and ran dark for twelve or twenty-four or seventy-two hours, however long it took for the black dog to go on home to its dark master.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Lev Grossman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/she-still-had-her-bad-days-no-question-when-the-black-dog-of-2/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bad day"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/she-still-had-her-bad-days-no-question-when-the-black-dog-of-2/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71a/lev-grossman-747_bad-day_she-still-had-her-bad-days-no-question-w_2458169.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71a/lev-grossman-747_bad-day_she-still-had-her-bad-days-no-question-w_2458169.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/71a/lev-grossman-747_bad-day_she-still-had-her-bad-days-no-question-w_2458169.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“She still had her bad days, no question, when the black dog of depression sniffed her out and settled its…” — Lev Grossman",
                "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": "Lev Grossman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "She still had her bad days,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/she-still-had-her-bad-days-no-question-when-the-black-dog-of-2/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/she-still-had-her-bad-days-no-question-when-the-black-dog-of-2/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
