Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_City_of_Beautiful_Nonsense_(novel)

Release date is 2025-03-30

Tuula Temonen and Tapio Riikonen

"Suloisen järjettömyyden kaupunki" by E. Temple Thurston is a novel likely written in the early 20th century. The story centers on John Grey, a writer living in modest circumstances above a vegetable shop in London, as he becomes entangled in a whimsical and romantic adventure. The narrative weaves together the lives of ordinary Londoners and injects their everyday existence with moments of chance, longing, and poetic absurdity. The novel is colored by themes of faith, poverty, human yearning, and the magical undercurrents of city life. The opening of the book introduces us to the quiet, secretive atmosphere of London on the eve of St. Joseph’s Day, drawing attention to a diverse congregation seeking solace and miracles at a candle-lit church altar. Among them are John Grey, the reflective and idealistic writer, and a mysterious young woman wrapped in a luxurious fur coat—both marked by poignant longings. Their moment of shared charity at the altar subtly entwines their fates. The story soon transitions to John’s humble lodgings atop Mrs. Meakin's lively vegetable shop, sketches his solitary, somewhat enigmatic life and humble ambitions, and follows his stroll through Kensington Gardens, where he reunites with the enigmatic woman. Here, their tentative connection deepens amid playful banter and city romance, hinting at the unfolding of a fairy-tale-like adventure. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: Helsinki: Otava, 1924