The City of Beautiful Nonsense

The City of Beautiful Nonsense (1909) is a novel by Ernest Temple Thurston. After a decade of working odd jobs while pursuing his literary interests, Temple Thurston finally broke through to a popular audience with this novel of romance and wonder. Adapted twice for the cinema and followed by a sequel entitled The World of Wonderful Reality (1919), The City of Beautiful Nonsense is a stunning portrait of Edwardian London and turn of the century Venice, two of the world’s most fabled cities. “It was half-past seven in the evening. At half-past seven it is dark, the lamps are lighted, the houses huddle together in groups. They have secrets to tell as soon as it is dark. Ah! If you knew the secrets that houses are telling when the shadows draw them so close together! But you never will know. They close their eyes and they whisper.” In flowing, meditative prose, Temple Thurston weaves a tale of love at first sight exploring themes of religion, tradition, and modernity. After their first meeting in a silent, candlelit church, John and Jill begin running into one another by chance on the streets of London. As they strike up a relationship, they share their innermost feelings and dreams for the future, learning about themselves as much as they do of one another. Drawn to the city of Venice, John wants nothing more than to bring Jill there, to grow their love in a city seemingly built for lovers. Heartfelt and dreamlike, The City of Beautiful Nonsense is the type of novel that stays with you long after you’ve read its last words. This edition Ernest Temple Thurston’s The City of Beautiful Nonsense is a classic work of British literature reimagined for modern readers.

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