“The appearance presented by the streets of London an hour before sunrise, on a summer’s morning, is most striking even to the few whose unfortunate pursuits of pleasure, or scarcely less unfortunate pursuits of business, cause them to be well acquainted with the scene.  There is an air of cold, solitary desolation about the noiseless streets which we are accustomed to see thronged at other times by a busy, eager crowd, and over the quiet, closely-shut buildings, which throughout the day are swarming with life and bustle, that is very impressive.”

Source: Sketches by Boz (1836-1837), Ch. 1 : The Streets — Morning

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "The appearance presented by the streets of London an hour before sunrise, on a summer’s morning, is most striking even …" by Charles Dickens?
Charles Dickens photo
Charles Dickens 116
English writer and social critic and a Journalist 1812–1870

Related quotes

Felix Adler photo
Joseph Merrick photo
F. Anstey photo

“I can’t call myself a busy man—unfortunately,” said Horace, with that frankness which scorns to conceal what other people know perfectly well already.”

F. Anstey (1856–1934) English novelist and journalist

Source: The Brass Bottle (1900), Chapter 3, “An Unexpected Opening”

“I have a head for business and a body for sin. Unfortunately, the sin appears to be gluttony.”

Jenny Colgan (1972) British writer

Source: Meet Me at the Cupcake Café

Rudyard Kipling photo

“A thin grey fog hung over the city, and the streets were very cold; for summer was in England.”

Rudyard Kipling (1865–1936) English short-story writer, poet, and novelist

Source: The Light That Failed [Illustrated]

“When friends do business, there is no need of contracts. Unfortunately, there are no friends in business.”

Morris West (1916–1999) Australian writer

Kenji Tanaka quoting a saying he heard from a (presumably fictitious) "very modern Zen master" in Ch. 13, p. 232
The Ringmaster (1991)

George Orwell photo

“How sweet the air does smell — even the air of a back-street in the suburbs — after the shut-in, subfaecal stench of the spike!”

Source: Down and out in Paris and London (1933), Ch. 27, on the morning after Orwell is let out of his first tramps' accommodation, or 'spike'.

Bertolt Brecht photo
Tim Moore photo

Related topics