Literary notes about Mezzanine (AI summary)
The term mezzanine in literature is often used to evoke a sense of an intermediary, liminal space that bridges public and private realms or different levels of experience. Authors use it not only to describe a physical structure—such as an intermediate floor in hotels, theaters, or mansions [1][2][3]—but also to hint at subtle shifts in narrative perspective or social interaction, as seen when characters move between levels or observe events from a vantage point above the main action [4][5][6]. In some works, the mezzanine carries an air of exclusivity or transition, marking a boundary between distinct zones of activity or emotion, and its varied depictions underscore its symbolic role in setting the stage for unfolding drama [7][8][9].
- The hotel elevator dropped us off in the main vestibule on the mezzanine.
— from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas: An Underwater Tour of the World by Jules Verne - The mezzanine floor consisted of private rooms and had a separate exit to the boulevard!
— from The Blonde LadyBeing a Record of the Duel of Wits between Arsène Lupin and the English Detective by Maurice Leblanc - The mezzanine floor of the department store was arranged as a lounge or waiting room for customers.
— from Dorothy Dixon and the Double Cousin by Dorothy Wayne - Stanton, watching them narrowly from the vantage-point afforded by the galleried mezzanine, drew his own conclusions.
— from The Real Man by Francis Lynde - "But last evening, while I was waiting for him to finish his talk with some mining men, I was standing in the mezzanine, looking down into the lobby.
— from The Real Man by Francis Lynde - I knew that she frequently wrote letters in the mezzanine at this hour, and got as far as the top of the staircase in my effort to join her.
— from Initials Only by Anna Katharine Green - He crossed to the stairs, spilled pages crackling like a fall of dry leaves under his step, and sprinted up the first short flight to the mezzanine.
— from Small World by William F. Nolan - Within, presents in its frontage a mezzanine-storey, and lofty Venetian windows, reminding one of the old-fashioned assembly-room façade.
— from Club Life of London, Vol. 2 (of 2)
With Anecdotes of the Clubs, Coffee-Houses and Taverns of the Metropolis During the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries by John Timbs - He walked in, accosted the first man he saw, and was waved to a flight of stairs reaching a mezzanine floor.
— from Burned Bridges by Bertrand W. Sinclair