--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Our house is old, and noisy, and full…" description: "\"“Our house is old, and noisy, and full. when we moved into it we had two children and about five thousand books; I expect that when we finally overflow..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b6/shirley-jackson-1526_children_our-house-is-old-and-noisy-and-full-when_439874.jpg" --- # Our house is old, and noisy, and full. when we moved into… ![“Our house is old, and noisy, and full. when we moved into it we had two children and about five thousand books; I expect that when we finally overflow and move out again we will have perhaps twenty children and easily half a million books; we also own assorted beds and tables and chairs and…” quote by Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b6/shirley-jackson-1526_children_our-house-is-old-and-noisy-and-full-when_439874.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b6/shirley-jackson-1526_children_our-house-is-old-and-noisy-and-full-when_439874.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4b6/shirley-jackson-1526_children_our-house-is-old-and-noisy-and-full-when_439874.jpg) > ““Our house is old, and noisy, and full. when we moved into it we had two children and about five thousand books; I expect that when we finally overflow and move out again we will have perhaps twenty children and easily half a million books; we also own assorted beds and tables and chairs and rocking horses and lamps and doll dresses and ship models and paint brushes and literally thousands of socks.”” [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. An obsessive accumulation of possessions reflects a desire to fill emptiness, yet leads to chaos and absurdity. **In simple terms:** Collecting too much becomes overwhelming. Key Takeaway Simplify to find peace. Themes materialism obsession absurdity Mood reflective humorous Type inspirational satirical When to use this quote - moving house - decluttering - family planning - creative writing Key Concepts consumer culture hoarding identity through objects Questions to Reflect On - What truly adds value to your life? - How do you balance love for books with living space? A Different Perspective Over-accumulation can hinder meaningful experiences and relationships. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [“Currently, the Library of Congress houses eighteen million books. 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Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [“From the days of Sumerian clay tablets until now, humans have “published” at least 310 million books, 1.4 billion articles and essays, 180 million…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-kelly/from-the-days-of-sumerian-clay-tablets-until-now-humans-have/) [Kevin Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-kelly/) > [There are 20,000 million books I could have to read, but I can pick the ones and know that I'm learning something that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/there-are-20-000-million-books-i-could-have-to-read-but-i-can-pick/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [“A million books’ worth of theoretical knowledge couldn’t equal one direct experience of the self.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-delawar/a-million-books-worth-of-theoretical-knowledge-couldn-t-equal-one/) [Omar Delawar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-delawar/) ## More by Shirley Jackson > [I can't help it when people are frightened," says Merricat. 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