A Thing of Beauty
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 First US edition | |
| Author | A. J. Cronin |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | George Salter |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Gollancz (UK) Little, Brown (US) |
| Publication date | 1955, 1956 By A.J. Cronin |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 440 pp. (US hardback edition) |
| ISBN | 0-515-03379-0 (US hardback edition) |
A Thing of Beauty is a novel by author A. J. Cronin,[1] initially published in 1956, with the alternate title of Crusader's Tomb. It tells the story of Stephen Desmonde, an English painter who struggles for recognition in a conventional world, sacrificing everything for his passion for art. The title is a reference to John Keats' 1818 poem, Endymion, which begins with "A thing of beauty is a joy for ever."
The novel was listed on The New York Times’ 100 Outstanding Books list in 1956.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "A Thing of Beauty | ISBNdb". isbndb.com. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ^ "100 of the Year's Outstanding Books…". The New York Times. 3 June 1956. Retrieved 7 May 2026.
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