The world's smallest violin is playing.

[shootingstar]

'He (Nora's brother) is not himself;' Ravi went on, anger in his voice. 'He's going to have to move out of his shoebox in Shepherd's Bush. What with him not being able to play lead guitar in a successful rock band. Mind you. I've got no money either. Pub gigs don't pay these days. Even when you agree to clean the toilets. Ever cleaned pub toilets, Nora?'
'I'm having a pretty sh*t time too, if we're doing the Misery Olympics.'
Ravi cough-Luaghed. A hardness momentarily shadowed his face.
'The world's smallest violin is playing.'
She wasn't in the mood. 'Is this about The Labyrinths (a band Nora, Joe and Ravi were members)? Still?'
'It meant a lot to me. And to your brother. To all of us. We had a deal with Universal. Right. There. Album, singles, tour, promo. We could be Coldplay now.' . . .

(The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, episode Doors)

What does the author want to express using this sentence in this context? Maybe he refers to the song "The world's smallest violin" by AJR.
The world's smallest violin

 

[emsr2d2]

OK, so the first thing you need to know is that it's a commonly used "joke" in BrE. The idea is that when someone is unhappy or having a bad time, you imagine a violin in the background playing particularly sad music. When someone is trying to express that they have very little sympathy for that person (ie they don't think their unhappiness is worthy of this sad violin music), they show it by indicating that only a very tiny violin is playing - the person's sadness doesn't warrant a full-size violin! The phrase is often accompanied by the speaker rubbing their first finger and thumb together, as if the two fingers are a violin bow and a violin string but in a very small way!
Honestly, it's quite hard to explain but all BrE speakers would know exactly what was meant. In fact, sometimes people just do the gesture with their hand and don't bother with the words!

 

[jutfrank]

I don't think it's particular to British English.

 

[SoothingDave]

It's well known as a meme online in the US. I would say it is beyond having "very little sympathy" into actual schadenfreude* in most cases.

*schadenfreude is German for taking delight in the misfortune of others.

 

[Skrej]

Indeed, it's well-known in the US as well. I use it myself from time to time.

I phrase it as "Here's the world's smallest violin playing My Heart Bleeds for You", along with the accompanying gesture.

My gesture uses both hands. With my left thumb and forefinger, I hold the "violin" up to my left shoulder (close to the ear as I tilt my head like real violinists do to hold the instrument), while my right thumb and forefinger mimic the bowing motion.

Sometimes I'll make the motion, and then ask the unsuspecting person if they know what this is. When they look puzzled and say "No", then I deliver the line.

Friends I've used it on before usually throw something before I can get the words out.

 

[shootingstar]

Thank you very much. To summarise your replies I would say this sentence has an melodramatic, ironic or dismissive overtone in this context. Ravi is speaking and with this words he is criticising Nora for her complaint " 'I'm having a pretty sh*t time too, if we're doing the Misery Olympics' ". I wouldn't say it is "Schadenfreude" = "taking delight in the misfortune of others". It has an ironic, trivialising and mocking overtone in my opinion.

 

[emsr2d2]

Thank you very much. To summarise your replies, I would say this sentence has an a melodramatic, ironic or dismissive overtone in this context. Ravi is speaking and With this his words, he Ravi is criticising trivialising Nora's for her complaint "I'm having a pretty sh*t time too, if we're doing the Misery Olympics". I wouldn't say it is schadenfreude (no quotation marks or equals sign needed) (taking delight in the misfortune of others). It has an ironic, trivialising and mocking overtone in my opinion.

See my corrections above. It is none of the underlined words.