--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Then she laughed. It was almost a racking…" description: "\"“Then she laughed. It was almost a racking laugh. It shook her as the wind shakes a tree. I thought there was puzzlement in it, not exactly surprise, b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee5/raymond-chandler-629_laughed_then-she-laughed-it-was-almost-a-racking_3053591.jpg" --- # Then she laughed. It was almost a racking laugh. It shook… ![“Then she laughed. It was almost a racking laugh. It shook her as the wind shakes a tree. I thought there was puzzlement in it, not exactly surprise, but as if a new idea had been added to something already known and it didn't fit. Then I thought that was too much to get out of a laugh.” quote by Raymond Chandler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee5/raymond-chandler-629_laughed_then-she-laughed-it-was-almost-a-racking_3053591.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee5/raymond-chandler-629_laughed_then-she-laughed-it-was-almost-a-racking_3053591.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ee5/raymond-chandler-629_laughed_then-she-laughed-it-was-almost-a-racking_3053591.jpg) > ““Then she laughed. It was almost a racking laugh. It shook her as the wind shakes a tree. I thought there was puzzlement in it, not exactly surprise, but as if a new idea had been added to something already known and it didn't fit. Then I thought that was too much to get out of a laugh.”” [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. A laugh can carry hidden puzzlement, hinting at new ideas that disrupt familiar understanding. **In simple terms:** Laughter can reveal unexpected thoughts. Key Takeaway Listen for deeper meaning in humor. Themes communication perception disruption Mood mysterious analytical Type literary psychological When to use this quote - interpersonal dialogue - creative writing - performance art Key Concepts laugh puzzlement new ideas Questions to Reflect On - What does a laugh reveal about a character? - How can humor shift perspective? A Different Perspective Humor may be misinterpreted. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Laughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughter/) ## Related quotes > [I see. So you playacted the role of a rake who was only pretending to be in earnest, knowing you would come across as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaelen-foley/i-see-so-you-playacted-the-role-of-a-rake-who-was-only-pretending-to/) [Gaelen Foley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaelen-foley/) > [“Someone who shakes a tree needs to be ready for what might fall on him. - Craig Carney”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/someone-who-shakes-a-tree-needs-to-be-ready-for-what-might-fall-on/) [James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/) > [“So the carnival steams by, shakes ANY tree: it rains jackasses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/so-the-carnival-steams-by-shakes-any-tree-it-rains-jackasses/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Life thought me how to laugh, how to cry, how to stick around, how to let go. I've seen things I wish to see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/usman-ismaheel/life-thought-me-how-to-laugh-how-to-cry-how-to-stick-around-how-to/) [Usman Ismaheel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/usman-ismaheel/) > [The thought, Of your kiss, Steals from me, My breath. The thought, Of your touch, Makes my heart, My flesh, Tremble. The thought, Of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-nickel/the-thought-of-your-kiss-steals-from-me-my-breath-the-thought-of-your/) [Eric Nickel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-nickel/) > [I put the storyboard down and came back to it like two weeks later and saw that I had written 'Butt-Head' next to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-judge/i-put-the-storyboard-down-and-came-back-to-it-like-two-weeks-later/) [Mike Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-judge/) > [As soon as you have made a thought, laugh at it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-soon-as-you-have-made-a-thought-laugh-at-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The hardest I've ever laughed was with Lea Michele.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-groff/the-hardest-i-ve-ever-laughed-was-with-lea-michele/) [Jonathan Groff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-groff/) > [And I laughed so hard I think I died](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-bon-jovi/and-i-laughed-so-hard-i-think-i-died/) [Jon Bon Jovi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-bon-jovi/) > [“she laughed I was aware of becoming involved in her laughter and being part of it, until her teeth were only accidental stars with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-s-eliot/she-laughed-i-was-aware-of-becoming-involved-in-her-laughter-and/) [T. 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Why is that?” Jed laughed… laughed a low but real belly laugh that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-leigh/haven-t-have-i-i-ve-never-heard-you-yawn-cough-or-sneeze-why-is-that/) [Garrett Leigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-leigh/) > [“His own heart laughed: and that was quite enough for him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/his-own-heart-laughed-and-that-was-quite-enough-for-him/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“She fart ... Then (They laughed) ... (She also) ... Then ... She said: "I am hungry”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deyth-banger/she-fart-then-they-laughed-she-also-then-she-said-i-am-hungry/) Deyth Banger ## 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 Laughed quotes > [Do you ever read any of the books you burn?" He laughed. "That's against the law!" "Oh. Of course.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/do-you-ever-read-any-of-the-books-you-burn-he-laughed-that-s-against/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“They laughed, but I was melancholy. 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It is the love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-handler/we-laughed-the-rest-of-the-way-because-the-point-of-this-story-is-it/) [Daniel Handler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-handler/) > [Once you realize that documentation should be laughed at, peed upon, put on fire, and just ridiculed in general, then, and only then, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/once-you-realize-that-documentation-should-be-laughed-at-peed-upon/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [The Pink Panther wasn't shown to the press for reasons that soon became apparent when I saw it at a public performance. Two people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-french/the-pink-panther-wasn-t-shown-to-the-press-for-reasons-that-soon/) [Philip French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-french/) > [To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-laugh-often-and-love-much-to-win-the-respect-of-intelligent/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Maddi glared at him. "Thats why your not built like Alden. French fries." Race laughed. "Id love to look like Alden. Hot female speakers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-lindsey/maddi-glared-at-him-thats-why-your-not-built-like-alden-french-fries/) [Mary Lindsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-lindsey/) > [Enna leaned back her head and laughed at the sky. 'Of course he wasn't! Who could kill Razo?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-hale/enna-leaned-back-her-head-and-laughed-at-the-sky-of-course-he-wasn-t/) [Shannon Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-hale/) > [“I felt a tickle on my skin; it took me a moment to realize that Cole was driving his die-cast Mustang up my arm.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/i-felt-a-tickle-on-my-skin-it-took-me-a-moment-to-realize-that-cole/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [From the first time you laughed with me, all those months, and all those stories,” Joe said quietly. “They were all you, to me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-hart/from-the-first-time-you-laughed-with-me-all-those-months-and-all/) [Megan Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-hart/) > [Told my mom, I can become the next Hitler if I drop out of school. She laughed hysterically for 2 hours. I'm glad she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/told-my-mom-i-can-become-the-next-hitler-if-i-drop-out-of-school-she/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“Violate me?” He laughed, a black lock of hair falling in front of one eye. “That sounds delightful.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliette-cross/violate-me-he-laughed-a-black-lock-of-hair-falling-in-front-of-one/) [Juliette Cross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliette-cross/) > [“Why was he laughing? Did he know that he would survive? No. That's impossible. He realized that he would end his life here. He…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/captain-smoker/why-was-he-laughing-did-he-know-that-he-would-survive-no-that-s/) Captain Smoker > [“I'd watch his smooth chest rise and fall with each steady breath, I'd watch the pulsating of his stomach when he laughed, and I'd…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-newell/i-d-watch-his-smooth-chest-rise-and-fall-with-each-steady-breath-i-d/) [Ashley Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-newell/) > [No one has ever laughed at a pun who did not see in the one word a twofold meaning. To materialists this world is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/no-one-has-ever-laughed-at-a-pun-who-did-not-see-in-the-one-word-a/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) Browse all 1,310 Laughed quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Then she laughed. It was almost a racking laugh. It shook her as the wind shakes a tree. 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