20 Cosy Autumn Quotes from Books and Films for Slow, Quiet Days
There’s a point every September when I start wanting lamps on in the afternoon and something bubbling away on the hob. It can still be reasonably warm outside. Doesn’t matter. As far as I’m concerned, we’re having soup.
Autumn suits a homebody. There’s less pressure to do something impressive with the evening, and a book and an early night begin to sound like a perfect plan.
Living in an old cottage in Scotland, I’m very aware that the season also involves wet shoes and washing that refuses to dry even with the fire on.
But I can forgive quite a lot for a lovely bit of late afternoon light through the window when it's not giving me a migraine.
I wanted to put together some cosy autumn quotes from books and films: a few about the season itself, and others about reading, home and the pleasure of having very little planned.
You’ll find a fair amount of Anne Shirley here. She’s difficult to leave out of anything involving autumn.
Quotes for the First Proper Autumn Days
1. Anne of Green Gables — L. M. Montgomery
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”
It had to be first. Anne comes home with branches to decorate her room, and Marilla is immediately concerned about the mess.
2. You’ve Got Mail
“Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies.”
— Joe Fox, You’ve Got Mail
I don’t need to be in New York to understand the urge to buy a notebook in September. A new notebook suggests I might become an organised person with excellent handwriting. It’s a lovely thought. Add the bookshop and Meg Ryan’s autumn wardrobe, and this film knows exactly what it’s doing.
3. The Great Gatsby — F. Scott Fitzgerald
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.”
September feels more like a fresh start to me than January does.
4. Persuasion — Jane Austen
“…the last smiles of the year upon the tawny leaves, and withered hedges…”
— Persuasion, excerpt
This is such a lovely description of late autumn, when the colours have faded a little and the countryside looks tired but beautiful. Persuasion belongs on the list for anyone who likes a thoughtful walk and an old love story.
5. Anne of the Island — L. M. Montgomery
“Beyond, the harvest hills were basking in an amber sunset radiance, under a pale, aerial sky of rose and blue.”
We talk so much about autumn leaves that it’s easy to forget those pink and gold evenings. I like a description that makes me want to stop reading for a moment and look out of the window.
6. Jane Eyre — Charlotte Brontë
“It was a fine autumn morning; the early sun shone serenely on embrowned groves and still green fields…”
— Jane Eyre, excerpt
Jane Eyre is hardly a relaxing sequence of events, but the countryside is another matter. This is the part of autumn I love: brown beginning to appear in the trees while there’s still plenty of green around. You can feel the change without everything looking bare yet.
Quotes for Staying In and Putting the Kettle On
7. Emma — Jane Austen
“Ah! there is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.”
— Emma
Mrs Elton says this, and agreeing with Mrs Elton isn’t something I’d make a habit of. On this particular point, though, she has my support.
8. The Wind in the Willows — Kenneth Grahame
“The smell of that buttered toast simply talked to Toad…”
— The Wind in the Willows, excerpt
This passage makes a very convincing case for thick bread, plenty of butter and a cup of tea.
9. The Hobbit — J. R. R. Tolkien
“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.”
— The Hobbit, opening line, quoted here
Ten words and I’m already thinking about round doors and a well-stocked pantry.
10. Walden — Henry David Thoreau
“I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society.”
— Walden
Someone coming round for a cup of tea, sitting down and staying for a chat is quite enough.
11. Little Women — Louisa May Alcott
“I’d rather take coffee than compliments just now.”
— Amy March, Little Women
Little Women has plenty of ambition and heartbreak, but it also understands how much of family life happens around meals, work and people getting under one another’s feet.
12. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland — Lewis Carroll
“…it’s always tea-time, and we’ve no time to wash the things between whiles.”
— The Hatter, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, excerpt
I’ll take the tea and cake, although I would prefer slightly more welcoming company.
13. Winnie-the-Pooh — A. A. Milne
“What’s for breakfast?”
— Pooh, Winnie-the-Pooh
Piglet wonders what exciting thing the day might bring. Pooh thinks about breakfast and sees very little difference between the two. I’m with Pooh.
Bookish Quotes for Rainy Afternoons
14. Pride and Prejudice — Jane Austen
“I declare, after all, there is no enjoyment like reading!”
— Caroline Bingley, Pride and Prejudice
Austen knew exactly the sort of person who likes to be seen reading. Still, taken sincerely, it makes an excellent argument for spending a rainy afternoon on the couch.
15. Dead Poets Society
“We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race.”
— John Keating, Dead Poets Society
Sometimes you want a sentence that makes you feel understood, or a story good enough to keep you off your phone.
16. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
This line makes me think about how quickly an afternoon disappears when I spend it half-working and half-scrolling. I’d like to be a little more deliberate about putting work away and enjoying the book I keep meaning to open.
17. The Velveteen Rabbit — Margery Williams
“It doesn’t happen all at once. You become. It takes a long time.”
— The Skin Horse, The Velveteen Rabbit
A gentle one for the days when everyone else seems to be getting somewhere faster. There is a lot of affection in this story for things that have become worn through being loved.
Quotes for Familiar Stories and Good Company
18. The Princess Bride
“As you wish.”
Three words that will probably bring the whole film back if you know it. I especially like that they belong to both the romance and the affection between the grandfather and his grandson.
19. Anne of Avonlea — L. M. Montgomery
“But oh, won’t you stay and have tea with me? Please, do.”
— Miss Lavendar, Anne of Avonlea
Anne and Diana arrive at a little stone house after walking through the autumn woods, and Miss Lavendar invites them in. There’s pale blue china on the table and food already laid out. Of all the scenes on this list, this is the one I would quite like to wander into.
20. The Wizard of Oz
“There’s no place like home.”
— Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz
Coming in out of the rain, changing into something dry and hearing the kettle start to boil. Dorothy had a much longer journey. I imagine she would appreciate the dry socks too.
An Autumn Afternoon Doesn’t Need Much of a Plan
I love looking at beautiful autumn photographs, but I don’t want enjoying the season to become another thing I have to get right. I’m quite happy with a mug I already own and a book with a creased spine.
If one of these quotes has reminded you of a story you haven’t visited for a while, perhaps that’s your evening sorted.
There’s still time for plenty of ordinary, lovely autumn days. I’d like to notice a few of them while they’re happening.
Which book or film do you always come back to when the weather turns colder? Tell me in the comments — I’d love a few more ideas for the reading pile.
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