---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Vienna is cold, and dark, and sad. It is…"
description: "\"Vienna is cold, and dark, and sad. It is laid out as though for a royal parade; the streets are wide and they're flanked by monumental buildings, decor..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b0/quentin-crisp-1163_angry_vienna-is-cold-and-dark-and-sad-it-is-la_2878104.jpg"
---

#  Vienna is cold, and dark, and sad. It is laid out as…

![“Vienna is cold, and dark, and sad. It is laid out as though for a royal parade; the streets are wide and they're flanked by monumental buildings, decorated with the faces of angry gods. And on the roof are statues of national heroes, wielding weapons of destruction.” quote by Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b0/quentin-crisp-1163_angry_vienna-is-cold-and-dark-and-sad-it-is-la_2878104.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b0/quentin-crisp-1163_angry_vienna-is-cold-and-dark-and-sad-it-is-la_2878104.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b0/quentin-crisp-1163_angry_vienna-is-cold-and-dark-and-sad-it-is-la_2878104.jpg)

> “Vienna is cold, and dark, and sad. It is laid out as though for a royal parade; the streets are wide and they're flanked by monumental buildings, decorated with the faces of angry gods. And on the roof are statues of national heroes, wielding weapons of destruction.”

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

## About This Quote

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

Vienna’s grandeur masks underlying darkness and destructive history.

**In simple terms:** Beauty hides grim realities.

Key Takeaway

Recognize hidden darkness in beautiful places.

Themes

cityscape history duality monuments

Mood

reflective poetic

Type

cultural historical

When to use this quote

- travel
- urban exploration
- historical study
- political analysis

Key Concepts

cultural critique historical memory

Questions to Reflect On

- How does architecture reflect history?
- What hidden stories lie in familiar places?

A Different Perspective

May generalize about a city.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Angry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/) [City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/city/) [Cold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cold/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Destruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destruction/) [Faces](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faces/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Parades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parades/) [Streets](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/streets/) [Vienna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vienna/) [Weapons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weapons/)

## Related quotes

> [“Dalhia,” he says, his tone is as dark and sad as the place I have lived for the past two years before meeting him.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-karr/dalhia-he-says-his-tone-is-as-dark-and-sad-as-the-place-i-have-lived/)

[Kim Karr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-karr/)

> [Its cold.. dark.. a sad day.. again.. I need joy.. something happy in my life.. someone full of joy!.. enough with the lonelyness.. my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lakeisha-hays/its-cold-dark-a-sad-day-again-i-need-joy-something-happy-in-my-life/)

Lakeisha Hays

> [For me, what really excites me about my characters and what pushes their core is the kind of dark, sad side of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/for-me-what-really-excites-me-about-my-characters-and-what-pushes/)

[Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/)

> [It's fun to tackle, but it's also very dark and sad at times, especially with the research I did and reading these stories about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-paul/it-s-fun-to-tackle-but-it-s-also-very-dark-and-sad-at-times/)

[Aaron Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-paul/)

> [Budapest is a prime site for dreams: the East’s exuberant vision of the West, the West’s uneasy hallucination of the East. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-john-harrison/budapest-is-a-prime-site-for-dreams-the-east-s-exuberant-vision-of/)

[M. John Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-john-harrison/)

> [Anyone who has walked through the deserted palaces of Versailles or Vienna realise how much of a part of the life of a nation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-rees-mogg/anyone-who-has-walked-through-the-deserted-palaces-of-versailles-or/)

[William Rees-Mogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-rees-mogg/)

> [I remain extraordinarily proud of the Vaughan Williams symphonies I recorded with the LSO, and in the 1980s and '90s, I made an almost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-previn/i-remain-extraordinarily-proud-of-the-vaughan-williams-symphonies-i/)

[Andre Previn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-previn/)

> [Lord, if there is a heartache Vienna cannot cure I hope never to feel it. I came home cured of everything except Vienna.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/storm-jameson/lord-if-there-is-a-heartache-vienna-cannot-cure-i-hope-never-to-feel/)

[Storm Jameson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/storm-jameson/)

> [The closest Western Civilization has come to unity since the Congress of Vienna in 1815 was the week the Sgt. Pepper album was released..…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/langdon-winner/the-closest-western-civilization-has-come-to-unity-since-the-congress/)

[Langdon Winner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/langdon-winner/)

> [Music was literally in the air at the time, the Vienna of 1780. Everybody played music, classical music. There were in fact so many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-weiner/music-was-literally-in-the-air-at-the-time-the-vienna-of-1780/)

[Eric Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-weiner/)

> [Anywhere you want. Thailand, South Carolina, Brezil, Peru-- Oh, wait, no, I'm banned from Peru. I'd forgotten about that. It's a long story, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magnus/anywhere-you-want-thailand-south-carolina-brezil-peru-oh-wait-no-i-m/)

[Magnus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magnus/)

> [In America, even your menus have the gift of language… The Chef's own Vienna Roast. A hearty, rich meat loaf, gently seasoned to perfection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-lee/in-america-even-your-menus-have-the-gift-of-language-the-chef-s-own/)

[Laurie Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-lee/)

> [Freud pointed out, in his Problem of Lay Analysis, that it is extremely unlikely that a young man who would throw the best years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/freud-pointed-out-in-his-problem-of-lay-analysis-that-it-is-extremely/)

[Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/)

> [I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-had-been-a-student-in-vienna-and-one-of-the-neat-little-things-i/)

[John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/)

> [Vienna is a handsome, lively city, and pleases me exceedingly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederic-chopin/vienna-is-a-handsome-lively-city-and-pleases-me-exceedingly/)

[Frederic Chopin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederic-chopin/)

## More by Quentin Crisp

> [You can behave as badly as you like in America. Nobody notices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/you-can-behave-as-badly-as-you-like-in-america-nobody-notices/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Never keep up with the Joneses. Drag them down to your level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/never-keep-up-with-the-joneses-drag-them-down-to-your-level/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [“Masturbation is not only an expression of self-regard: it is also the natural emotional outlet of those who, before anything has reared its ugly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/masturbation-is-not-only-an-expression-of-self-regard-it-is-also-the/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [I am the last of Britain's stately homos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-am-the-last-of-britain-s-stately-homos/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [My mother protected me from the world and my father threatened me with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/my-mother-protected-me-from-the-world-and-my-father-threatened-me/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Nothing more rapidly inclines a person to go into a monastery than reading a book on etiquette. There are so many trivial ways in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/nothing-more-rapidly-inclines-a-person-to-go-into-a-monastery-than/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Vice is its own reward. It is virtue which, if it is to be marketed with consumer appeal, must carry Green Shield stamps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/vice-is-its-own-reward-it-is-virtue-which-if-it-is-to-be-marketed/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Most men when they make up their faces, the makeup stands forward, and their faces are behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/most-men-when-they-make-up-their-faces-the-makeup-stands-forward-and/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Development of character consists solely in moving toward self-sufficiency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/development-of-character-consists-solely-in-moving-toward-self/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Women have decided to be people, which is a great mistake. Women were nicer than people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/women-have-decided-to-be-people-which-is-a-great-mistake-women-were/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [Sex is the last refuge of the misreable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/sex-is-the-last-refuge-of-the-misreable/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [I was amazed to receive later a substantial sum for sitting in my room and talking about myself. If only I could get some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-was-amazed-to-receive-later-a-substantial-sum-for-sitting-in-my/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [If you live in America, you don't have to work. You can just drift along in the smiling and nodding racket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/if-you-live-in-america-you-don-t-have-to-work-you-can-just-drift/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [“I was from birth an object of mild ridicule because of my movements - especially the perpetual flutter of my hands - and my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-was-from-birth-an-object-of-mild-ridicule-because-of-my-movements/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

> [If a man were to look over the fence on one side of his garden and observe that the neighbor on his left had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/if-a-man-were-to-look-over-the-fence-on-one-side-of-his-garden-and/)

[Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

[Explore all 279 Quentin Crisp quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/)

## More Angry quotes

> [“Some say the Earth is angry Because he wants no company; I say the Earth is angry Because he lives alone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-k-jemisin/some-say-the-earth-is-angry-because-he-wants-no-company-i-say-the/)

[N.K. Jemisin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/n-k-jemisin/)

> [There's only so much for a man to take...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gilchrist/there-s-only-so-much-for-a-man-to-take/)

Kirsten Gilchrist

> [It is afraid of an informed, angry public demanding the constitutional government it was promised - and it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/it-is-afraid-of-an-informed-angry-public-demanding-the-constitutional/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [“When you feel terribly angry, you're possessed by anger ghost.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/when-you-feel-terribly-angry-you-re-possessed-by-anger-ghost/)

[Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/)

> [You should be angry. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn't do anything to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/you-should-be-angry-you-must-not-be-bitter-bitterness-is-like-cancer/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I always fight better when my opponent's angry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-haye/i-always-fight-better-when-my-opponent-s-angry/)

[David Haye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-haye/)

> [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/)

[Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/)

> [When you're frustrated with people, when they've made you angry, it just may be because you haven't given them enough time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-pausch/when-you-re-frustrated-with-people-when-they-ve-made-you-angry-it/)

[Randy Pausch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-pausch/)

> [When I was writing 'Black Panther,' on one level, I was angry because DC would never let me write 'Batman,' so I was doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-priest/when-i-was-writing-black-panther-on-one-level-i-was-angry-because-dc/)

[Christopher Priest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-priest/)

> [Another step had her backed up against the wall, and he braced his arms on both sides of her. "I'm beginning to look forward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-lindsey/another-step-had-her-backed-up-against-the-wall-and-he-braced-his/)

[Johanna Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-lindsey/)

> [I'm an angry guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-gandolfini/i-m-an-angry-guy/)

[James Gandolfini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-gandolfini/)

> [Apparently, I'm the angriest man. I don't know. It's just an interpretation. If it was someone else, they might be called focused or competitive.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alun-wyn-jones/apparently-i-m-the-angriest-man-i-don-t-know-it-s-just-an/)

[Alun Wyn Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alun-wyn-jones/)

> [In the 1998 Oscars, I found myself in the bathroom in a stall, next to Tom Selleck. So I leaned over and I said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hanks/in-the-1998-oscars-i-found-myself-in-the-bathroom-in-a-stall-next-to/)

[Tom Hanks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hanks/)

> [Of course I get angry, but I want to use my brain a little bit and not just smash things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/of-course-i-get-angry-but-i-want-to-use-my-brain-a-little-bit-and-not/)

[Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/)

> [“Rather than being incensed by the nature of the bruise, maybe we should be inspired by the possibilities in the bruise.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/rather-than-being-incensed-by-the-nature-of-the-bruise-maybe-we/)

[Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/)

[Browse all 3,857 Angry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angry/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Vienna is cold, and dark, and sad. It is laid out as though for a royal parade; the streets are wide and they're flanked by monumental buildings, decorated with the faces of angry gods. And on the roof are statues of national heroes, wielding weapons of destruction.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Quentin Crisp"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/vienna-is-cold-and-dark-and-sad-it-is-laid-out-as-though-for-a-royal/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Angry"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/vienna-is-cold-and-dark-and-sad-it-is-laid-out-as-though-for-a-royal/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b0/quentin-crisp-1163_angry_vienna-is-cold-and-dark-and-sad-it-is-la_2878104.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b0/quentin-crisp-1163_angry_vienna-is-cold-and-dark-and-sad-it-is-la_2878104.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b0/quentin-crisp-1163_angry_vienna-is-cold-and-dark-and-sad-it-is-la_2878104.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Vienna is cold, and dark, and sad. It is laid out as though for a royal parade; the streets are wide and…” — Quentin Crisp",
                "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": "Quentin Crisp",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Vienna is cold, and dark, and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/vienna-is-cold-and-dark-and-sad-it-is-laid-out-as-though-for-a-royal/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/vienna-is-cold-and-dark-and-sad-it-is-laid-out-as-though-for-a-royal/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
