George Jean Nathan

Name: A Book Without a Title
Author: George Jean Nathan

Summary

“A Book Without a Title”, is a work by George Jean Nathan. It explores elements such as lover, lariat and lonely roadway.

Quotes from A Book Without a Title (George Jean Nathan)

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ To the lonely house on the lonely roadway came one day out of the world to live with the old woman her young and beautiful and very lovely granddaughter. And one day—it was not so long afterward—the very lovely girl, rummaging about the great house, came upon a tall mirror, the mirror that the withered and bitter old woman had long been wont to use and that for all these many lonely years had seen and reflected naught but acrimony and decay and despair and ugliness. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ A lonely dreamer, dreaming under the poplars of a far hill, saw Love dancing in the bright valley and casting promiscuously about her a lariat of silk and roses. That he, too, might feel the soft caress of the lariat about him, the dreamer clambered down into the gay valley and there made eyes at Love. And Love, seeing, whirled her lariat high above her and deftly twirled it 'round the dreamer. And as in Love's hand the lariat of silk and roses fell about him and drew tighter and tighter about his arms and legs, the dreamer saw it slowly turn before his eyes into a band of solid steel. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ A young woman, not content with delighting in the exquisite beauty of a magnolia bloom at a distance, came close to it and, coming close, touched it to make certain of its reality and, touching it, turned its fragile white petals to an ugly brown. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ The young man, sitting at the feet of a philosopher, noticed a cynic smile tugging at the silence of the philosopher's lips.
"I was thinking," observed with an alas presently the philosopher, "that one is always a woman's second lover." ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ XLVIII THE LOVER
"Three brilliant men are my suitors," said the beautiful young woman. "And I would marry the one who loves me most. Tell me how I may know that one."
"Pick the one who, when he is with you, is the most stupid," replied her old nurse.
[55]
XLIX THE PUBLIC
The hurdy-gurdy man's monkey, cap in hand, clambered to the sill of the mediocre artist's window. And the mediocre artist tossed into his cap a peanut. The monkey, putting the peanut in his mouth, swallowed it, and grinned. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ But what he spoke to him of immortality we need not here repeat, for the while he spoke out of the romantic eloquence of his heart, his matter-of-fact mind kept incorrigibly whispering to him that immortality is the theory that life is a rough ocean voyage and the soul a club breakfast. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ For the gods had made an awful mistake when they bore him into the world. They had placed his heart in his head, where his brain should have been, and his brain in his bosom, where his heart should have been. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ A poet, poor and neglected, lived up under the dusty eaves, with for sole companion a parrot. One day, the poet evolved a particularly lovely line and, in his happiness, repeated it to himself aloud, and time upon time. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ And the news of the poet's beautiful play spread far. And it came in time to be produced upon the great highway of a city with a company of actors the very least of whom received as weekly emolument some nuggets nine hundred and more. And citizens traveled from ulterior Haarlm and the far reaches of Brukkelhyn and counties beyond the Duchy of Nhuyohrk to see the costly actors play the poet's work. And the citizens looked at one another sorely perplexed, for they felt no strange tears creep into their eyes nor odd pullings at the strings of their hearts. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ The child, entering the dark room at night, hummed a tune to hide his fear and frightened a mouse who was playing in a far corner. The mouse ran blindly under the child's foot and the child, believing the mouse was his grandmother's ball of wool, gave it a vigorous kick and killed it. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ I THE ATHEIST
"I worship no one," cried the atheist. "Divinities are senseless, useless, barriers to progress and ambition, a curse to man. Gods, fetiches, graven images, idols—faugh!"
On the atheist's work-table stood the photograph of a beautiful girl. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ Modesty, sitting sadly on a rock by the wayside, realized then that his wish for a lonely adventure was never to be fulfilled. For he must always, when he sallied forth from his mistress, take with him his mistress' lover. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ A man beheld a butterfly and, catching her, held her in his arms and feasted his eyes upon her prettiness. But as he held her so, the powder rubbed off her nose and....
[65]
LIX BOOMERANG
There was a critic—a sincere and art-loving man—who flouted the mob's taste, who inveighed against the popular, who protested vigorously against the low, mean art form that in dramatic shape packed nightly the playhouses of the great city with the unesthetic, artistically depraved and vulgar bourgeoisie. That things should come to so unholy a pass, he sighed. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ And they went forth into the kingdom and brought before Solomon women who were strong and women who were wise and women who were gentle and women who were serious with the grave problems of life—the pick of the women of all the great kingdom who best were suited to the king.... ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ There were many ardent suitors for her hand. And they sent her orchids and violets and lilies and roses. All save one, a poor young fellow, who sent her but a simple little bunch of daisies.
She married the man who sent orchids. ”

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Source: Gutenberg

George Jean Nathan, A Book Without a Title

“ Said the king to the third of these, "Have you ever used a hair tonic of any kind?"
"No, your majesty, never!" replied the fellow. [77]
Whereupon the king signaled promptly the headsman.
And to this day the post of Lord of the Exchequer is vacant.
[78]
LXXI THE REFORMER
The Great Uplifter died and stood before Saint Peter.
"Alas," said Saint Peter, "I cannot let you in."
"But why?" demanded the Great Uplifter. "For surely I have been a good and striving man."
"Just so," answered Saint Peter. "You have been a good and striving man and you must be rewarded with happiness. ”

George Jean Nathan

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