I am sure I do not know why the beauty of Monte Carlo should not satisfy more than it does. The bluest of all seas is nowhere bluer than when you see it between the marble balustrades of the long white terrace before the casino, palms are nowhere greener than in that high garden which the mountain screen from every unkind breath, no colours could be more rich and various than those of the red and purple Alps that tower up behind the town, on whose summit such violent thunderstorms gather and break. But for me, at least, there was not at all the pleasure I had anticipated in this dazzling white and blue, these feathery palms and ragged Alps. ...I had a continual restless feeling that there was nothing at all real about Monte Carlo; that the sea was too blue to be wet, the casino too white to be anything but pasteboard, and that from their very greenness the palms must be cotton. ... in atmosphere and spirit the entire kingdom of Monaco is an extension of the casino.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The author finds Monte Carlo visually stunning yet artificial, lacking genuine feeling despite its beauty.
- In plain terms
- Even though it looks great, the place feels fake and disappointing.
- What can you take from it?
- Aesthetic perfection does not ensure emotional satisfaction.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When does beauty feel fake?
- What makes a place real?
Another view
Personal preference varies and others may find it real.
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