--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After a little while I felt a little…" description: "\"“After a little while I felt a little better, but very little. I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/raymond-chandler-629_life_after-a-little-while-i-felt-a-little-bet_804582.jpg" --- # After a little while I felt a little better, but very… ![“After a little while I felt a little better, but very little. I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun. I put them on and went out of the room.” quote by Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/raymond-chandler-629_life_after-a-little-while-i-felt-a-little-bet_804582.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/raymond-chandler-629_life_after-a-little-while-i-felt-a-little-bet_804582.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/raymond-chandler-629_life_after-a-little-while-i-felt-a-little-bet_804582.jpg) > ““After a little while I felt a little better, but very little. I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I had was a coat, a hat and a gun. I put them on and went out of the room.”” [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Despair drives the narrator to seek escape through material comforts and a drastic lifestyle change. **In simple terms:** Despair leads to seeking escape via possessions and change. Key Takeaway Address underlying pain before seeking distractions. Themes despair escape materialism Mood somber reflective Type literary psychological When to use this quote - seeking therapy - changing environment - building support network Key Concepts existential crisis coping mechanisms loneliness Questions to Reflect On - What truly heals you? - Are possessions a true remedy? A Different Perspective Material fixes rarely solve deep emotional issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ## Related quotes > [I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/i-needed-a-drink-i-needed-a-lot-of-life-insurance-i-needed-a-vacation/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“I got up on my feet and went over to the bowl in the corner and threw cold water on my face. After a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/i-got-up-on-my-feet-and-went-over-to-the-bowl-in-the-corner-and-threw/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“I needed a drink, I needed a lot of life insurance, I needed a vacation, I needed a home in the country. What I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/i-needed-a-drink-i-needed-a-lot-of-life-insurance-i-needed-a-vacation-2/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“I needed a drink and was in a hurry to get one. I”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/i-needed-a-drink-and-was-in-a-hurry-to-get-one-i/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [The gun went off accidentally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-spector/the-gun-went-off-accidentally/) [Phil Spector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-spector/) > [“One day about a month ago, I really hit bottom. You know, I just felt that in a Godless universe, I didn't want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/one-day-about-a-month-ago-i-really-hit-bottom-you-know-i-just-felt/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [“Not if we kill them—” I began, only to cut off when a sudden rushing noise filled the air. And Ray grabbed my gun…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-chance/not-if-we-kill-them-i-began-only-to-cut-off-when-a-sudden-rushing/) [Karen Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-chance/) > [“The gun went off again with a second deafening bang. Bill Denbrough shouted, “YOU KILLED MY BROTHER, YOU FUCKER!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-gun-went-off-again-with-a-second-deafening-bang-bill-denbrough/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [When Hailey was born my first thought was that I needed a drink and that hospitals should have bars in them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-lawson/when-hailey-was-born-my-first-thought-was-that-i-needed-a-drink-and/) [Jenny Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-lawson/) > [I wanted a drink. There were a hundred reasons why a man will want a drink, but I wanted one now for the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-block/i-wanted-a-drink-there-were-a-hundred-reasons-why-a-man-will-want-a/) [Lawrence Block](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-block/) > [“Her heart sprang up into her throat. Watching that shadow play was like paying a quarter for a peep show. Only she got it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/candis-terry/her-heart-sprang-up-into-her-throat-watching-that-shadow-play-was/) [Candis Terry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/candis-terry/) > [It's incredibly painful to think back to the time I had to come back to work. I was so, so needed at home. Like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brigid-schulte/it-s-incredibly-painful-to-think-back-to-the-time-i-had-to-come-back/) [Brigid Schulte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brigid-schulte/) > [“His client needs him, he says. Needs him? But isn’t he needed at home?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-kephart/his-client-needs-him-he-says-needs-him-but-isn-t-he-needed-at-home/) [Beth Kephart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-kephart/) > [It began to dawn on me that perhaps my country needed me more at home than overseas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-david/it-began-to-dawn-on-me-that-perhaps-my-country-needed-me-more-at-home/) [Larry David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-david/) > [“...But would that be enough? Because at the moment it felt like it could never be enough. People needed more than a place to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-brown/but-would-that-be-enough-because-at-the-moment-it-felt-like-it-could/) [Jennifer Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-brown/) ## More by Raymond Chandler > [Television's perfect. You turn a few knobs, a few of those mechanical adjustments at which the higher apes are so proficient, and lean back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/television-s-perfect-you-turn-a-few-knobs-a-few-of-those-mechanical/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [There is no trap so deadly as the trap you set for yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/there-is-no-trap-so-deadly-as-the-trap-you-set-for-yourself/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Common sense is the guy who tells you that you ought to have had your brakes relined last week before you smashed a front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/common-sense-is-the-guy-who-tells-you-that-you-ought-to-have-had-your/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [ “Hammett was the ace performer... He is said to have lacked heart; yet the story he himself thought the most of \[The Glass Key\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/hammett-was-the-ace-performer-he-is-said-to-have-lacked-heart-yet-the/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [She jerked away from me like a startled fawn might, if I had a startled fawn and it jerked away from me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/she-jerked-away-from-me-like-a-startled-fawn-might-if-i-had-a/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [A good story cannot be devised; it has to be distilled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/a-good-story-cannot-be-devised-it-has-to-be-distilled/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Dashiell Hammett took murder out of theVenetian vase and dropped it into the alley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/dashiell-hammett-took-murder-out-of-thevenetian-vase-and-dropped-it/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [ “He \[James Cain\] is every kind of writer I detest...a Proust in greasy overalls, a dirty little boy with a piece of chalk and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/he-james-cain-is-every-kind-of-writer-i-detest-a-proust-in-greasy/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained-glass window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/it-was-a-blonde-a-blonde-to-make-a-bishop-kick-a-hole-in-a-stained/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“I had been stalking the bluebottle fly for five minutes, waiting for him to sit down. He didn't want to sit down. He just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/i-had-been-stalking-the-bluebottle-fly-for-five-minutes-waiting-for/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“A three-piece Mexican band was making the kind of music a Mexican band always makes. Whatever they play, it all sounds the same. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/a-three-piece-mexican-band-was-making-the-kind-of-music-a-mexican/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Mostly I just kill time," he said, "and it dies hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/mostly-i-just-kill-time-he-said-and-it-dies-hard/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“The book was not new. Dates were stamped on the front endpaper, in and out dates. A rent book. A lending library of elaborate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/the-book-was-not-new-dates-were-stamped-on-the-front-endpaper-in-and/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [Without magic, there is no art. Without art, there is no idealism. Without idealism, there is no integrity. Without integrity, there is nothing but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/without-magic-there-is-no-art-without-art-there-is-no-idealism/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) > [“The homicide skipper that year was a Captain Gregorius, a type of copper that is getting rarer but by no means extinct, the kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raymond-chandler/the-homicide-skipper-that-year-was-a-captain-gregorius-a-type-of/) [Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) [Explore all 430 Raymond Chandler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raymond-chandler/) ## More Life quotes > [Of all the people who have affected my life and influenced the choices I've made, none has been more important than my father. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-atlas/of-all-the-people-who-have-affected-my-life-and-influenced-the/) [Teddy Atlas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-atlas/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life works most perfectly when a reciprocal love relationship is in place between man and God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-moore/life-works-most-perfectly-when-a-reciprocal-love-relationship-is-in/) [Beth Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-moore/) > [I value the experiences that come with life too much to sit by and not put my full effort into them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-miller/i-value-the-experiences-that-come-with-life-too-much-to-sit-by-and/) [Jim Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-miller/) > [Entertainment is a sacred pursuit when done well. When done well, it raises the quality of human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chabon/entertainment-is-a-sacred-pursuit-when-done-well-when-done-well-it/) [Michael Chabon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chabon/) > [“There's more to life than you can see. Your sight is limited.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tammy-kling/there-s-more-to-life-than-you-can-see-your-sight-is-limited/) [Tammy Kling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tammy-kling/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) Deanna L. Lawlis > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [The only people who think the Internet is a calamity are people whose lives have been hurt by it; the only people who insist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-klosterman/the-only-people-who-think-the-internet-is-a-calamity-are-people-whose/) [Chuck Klosterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-klosterman/) > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The future is only an indifferent void no one cares about, but the past is filled with life, and its countenance is irritating, repellent,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/the-future-is-only-an-indifferent-void-no-one-cares-about-but-the/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [But just remember, life without me would be even more unbearable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-rice/but-just-remember-life-without-me-would-be-even-more-unbearable/) [Anne Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-rice/) [Browse all 265,290 Life quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“After a little while I felt a little better, but very little. 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