The stabbing horror of life is not contained in calamities and disasters, because these things wake one up and one gets very familiar and intimate with them and finally they become tame again. No, it is more like being in a hotel room in Hoboken let us say, and just enough money in one's pocket for another meal.

Summary

This quote suggests that the true horror of life doesn't lie in obvious calamities or disasters, as they eventually become familiar or manageable. Instead, it compares life's horrors to a mundane situation in an unfamiliar place, where one is barely able to afford their next meal. The implication is that the grinding day-to-day struggle and uncertainty can be far more terrifying and enduring than temporary crises, evoking a feeling of unease and vulnerability.

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