
A richly imagined tale unfolds in a dream‑like landscape where mythic figures mingle with the ordinary. The narrator’s voice drifts through lush, exotic imagery—emerald cats, jeweled birds, and a mournful chorus of flora and fauna—setting a tone that feels at once elegiac and mischievously playful. From the opening verses, listeners are drawn into a world where the tragic loss of a beloved figure echoes through forests, seas, and the very stones beneath the hills.
The story follows a curious outsider who, guided by cryptic verses and strange companions, embarks on a quest to uncover the meaning behind a haunting lament. Along the way, he encounters eccentric characters and surreal encounters that blur the line between reality and reverie. The first act balances lyrical wonder with a subtle undercurrent of melancholy, inviting listeners to linger on each vivid description while hinting at deeper mysteries yet to emerge.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (57K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United Kingdom: Duckworth, 1925.
Credits
Tim Lindell, Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)
Release date
2022-02-19
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1904–1994
An English writer and historian with a famously stylish public persona, he moved through Oxford, Florence, Paris, and China while turning a life of art, travel, and scholarship into books that still feel vivid. Best known for his works on the Medici and the Bourbons, he brought elegance and curiosity to everything he wrote.
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