''The City of Pleasure'' is a 1907 novel by the British writer
Arnold Bennett. Bennett was working on the idea as early as 1903, but it took several years to develop during which time it altered significantly from Bennett's original idea. It was first submitted in 1905. It was
serialised in
The Sentinel in 1906 and drew a mixed critical response compared to his earlier work ''
The Grand Babylon Hotel
''The Grand Babylon Hotel'' is a novel by Arnold Bennett, published in January 1902, about the mysterious disappearance of a German prince. It originally appeared as a serial in the ''Golden Penny''. The titular Grand Babylon was modelled on the ...
''. Bennett's publishers
Chatto & Windus
Chatto & Windus is an imprint of Penguin Random House that was formerly an independent book publishing company founded in London in 1855 by John Camden Hotten. Following Hotten's death, the firm would reorganize under the names of his business ...
bought the
rights, despite misgivings, in order to not lose Bennett to another publishing house. The book sold disappointingly and by 11919, it had only shifted 2,500 copies well short of the 10,000 needed to cover the
advance
Advance commonly refers to:
*Advance, an offensive push in sports, games, thoughts, military combat, or sexual or romantic pursuits
* Advance payment for goods or services
* Advance against royalties, a payment to be offset against future royalty p ...
to Bennett.
[Hepburn p.39]
Film adaptation
In 1927 it was turned into a German
silent film ''
The City of a Thousand Delights
''The City of a Thousand Delights'' (German: ''Die Stadt der tausend Freuden'') is a 1927 German silent film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Paul Richter, Adele Sandrock and Langhorn Burton.Giesen, Rolf. ''Special Effects Artists: A Wor ...
'' directed by
Carmine Gallone and starring
Paul Richter
Paul Richter (1 April 1895 – 30 December 1961) was an Austrian film actor. He owed his great popularity in German films of the silent era largely to the directors Joe May and Fritz Lang.
Biography
Richter made his film debut right before W ...
,
Adele Sandrock, and
Langhorn Burton
Langhorne Burton (25 December 1880 – 6 December 1949) was a British film actor.
Filmography
* ''Liberty Hall'' (1914)
* '' The King's Minister'' (1914)
* '' Bootle's Baby'' (1914)
* ''The Difficult Way'' (1914)
* '' The Treasure of Heaven'' ( ...
.
References
Bibliography
* Hepburn, James. ''Arnold Bennett''. Routledge, 2013.
* Rappaport, Erika. ''Shopping for Pleasure: Women in the Making of London's West End''. Princeton University Press, 2021.
1907 British novels
Novels by Arnold Bennett
Novels first published in serial form
Chatto & Windus books
Novels set in London
British novels adapted into films
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