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Nothing So Strange
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This is the story of two modern people—a young American who, both as a scientist and as a man, faced some of the biggest problems of our times; and the girl who gave him all her heart and brain.
When Jane met Dr. Mark Bradley in London she was only eighteen. She and her mother were both attracted by "Brad," and the situation thus engendered proved fateful, since it led to Brad's association with a great Viennese physicist and to his involvement in a tragic drama. But there was another drama, larger and less personal, that drew him into its widening orbit, a drama that became a secret and later an obsession.
Probing yet protective, Jane's love makes the strong thread in a pattern of deeply moving and significant events—strange events, too—and yet, to quote Daniel Webster, there is often "nothing so strange" as the truth.
Although the earlier scenes of NOTHING SO STRANGE are laid abroad, its outlook is American and its climax could only have taken place in America. It is as exciting and as human as anything Mr. Hilton has ever written.
This is the story of two modern people—a young American who, both as a scientist and as a man, faced some of the biggest problems of our times; and the girl who gave him all her heart and brain.
When Jane met Dr. Mark Bradley in London she was only eighteen. She and her mother were both attracted by "Brad," and the situation thus engendered proved fateful, since it led to Brad's association with a great Viennese physicist and to his involvement in a tragic drama. But there was another drama, larger and less personal, that drew him into its widening orbit, a drama that became a secret and later an obsession.
Probing yet protective, Jane's love makes the strong thread in a pattern of deeply moving and significant events—strange events, too—and yet, to quote Daniel Webster, there is often "nothing so strange" as the truth.
Although the earlier scenes of NOTHING SO STRANGE are laid abroad, its outlook is American and its climax could only have taken place in America. It is as exciting and as human as anything Mr. Hilton has ever written.
308 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1947
6 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
James Hilton
238 books274 followersJames Hilton was an English novelist and screenwriter. He is best remembered for his novels Lost Horizon, Goodbye, Mr. Chips and Random Harvest, as well as co-writing screenplays for the films Camille (1936) and Mrs. Miniver (1942), the latter earning him an Academy Award.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 30, 2013
I read and loved Nothing So Strange many years ago. After reading a new Hilton (Random Harvest) and rereading Lost Horizons recently, I wanted to tackle Nothing So Strange again, and I am glad I did.
I do not understand why Hilton flies under the radar in comparison to other contemporaries. I wonder if the simplicity of his language lulls people into a false sense that his stories are mere romance stories, charming but unimportant. But his writing is more than that. It is beautiful. It is unpretentious, unassuming, unaffected--and it is lovely. I struggle to give it its proper due, because I think Hilton really is one of the best writers of the twentieth century. He expresses passion with subtlety; with a mere paragraph, he can breathe life into an entire landscape; by recounting a single interaction, he creates three-dimensionality for even the most minor character (Julian Sands comes to mind). He excels at showing, not telling.
I also love these characters. For a book that often seems to hold the reader at arm's length, the characters quickly become rich and, more importantly, real. I also am baffled by how well the narration work. It is a bit all over the place, switching from third to first person, and Jane's narrative control at times is only a framework for a third-person or even first-person narration of Mark Bradley's life (this is a trope used in Random Harvest and Lost Horizons). It should not work, but it does--largely because of the clean writing and smooth transitions.
But none of this gets at the fact that Nothing So Strange, like Random Harvest, is much, much bigger on the inside. It isn't just a charming love story. First, the love story is mature and complicated. But that really isn't at the heart of the story either; it is more the two people in the eye of the storm, the calm as the storm around rages. The book is about the atomic bomb, about patriotism and loyalty--to people, countries, ideas; about what it meant to be involved in the science of it; about whether science, or philosophy, ideals, or ideas can retain purity or innocence against the violence of World War II. And like Random Harvest and Lost Horizons (though to a lesser extent) there is a prescience to this novel--not looking forward to World War II, as this is written in its aftermath, but toward a future that must, and has, grappled with these questions--though perhaps not quite as much as we should. The book delves also into truth as an idea,in science and in storytelling: what it means, how it differs from what we see and assume. It pulls its story out slowly, unfolding into something bigger and more complicated--stranger--than we could have originally guessed. And it does this all without lecturing. It is a love story with heft; it contemplates, it ponders, it almost listens.
Four paragraphs in, I have not mentioned the plot. The delight is in the read, so I don't want to spoil too much. But essentially, the plot begins with the narrator, Jane Waring, being questioned by a U.S. investigator about her relationship with a young scientist, Mark Bradley, she and her family had known when she was a young student living in England before the war. The unanswered questions of the first chapter--why he is being investigated, what their relationship amounted to, what Jane was holding back from the investigator, what happened to Bradley in the intervening years--are answered, then turned on their head, and answered differently, more deeply; and then turn yet again. The novel is a journey by a master storyteller. The story is the driving force of this quiet novel; only when you finish do you fully realize how far beyond the plot it took you.
I do not understand why Hilton flies under the radar in comparison to other contemporaries. I wonder if the simplicity of his language lulls people into a false sense that his stories are mere romance stories, charming but unimportant. But his writing is more than that. It is beautiful. It is unpretentious, unassuming, unaffected--and it is lovely. I struggle to give it its proper due, because I think Hilton really is one of the best writers of the twentieth century. He expresses passion with subtlety; with a mere paragraph, he can breathe life into an entire landscape; by recounting a single interaction, he creates three-dimensionality for even the most minor character (Julian Sands comes to mind). He excels at showing, not telling.
I also love these characters. For a book that often seems to hold the reader at arm's length, the characters quickly become rich and, more importantly, real. I also am baffled by how well the narration work. It is a bit all over the place, switching from third to first person, and Jane's narrative control at times is only a framework for a third-person or even first-person narration of Mark Bradley's life (this is a trope used in Random Harvest and Lost Horizons). It should not work, but it does--largely because of the clean writing and smooth transitions.
But none of this gets at the fact that Nothing So Strange, like Random Harvest, is much, much bigger on the inside. It isn't just a charming love story. First, the love story is mature and complicated. But that really isn't at the heart of the story either; it is more the two people in the eye of the storm, the calm as the storm around rages. The book is about the atomic bomb, about patriotism and loyalty--to people, countries, ideas; about what it meant to be involved in the science of it; about whether science, or philosophy, ideals, or ideas can retain purity or innocence against the violence of World War II. And like Random Harvest and Lost Horizons (though to a lesser extent) there is a prescience to this novel--not looking forward to World War II, as this is written in its aftermath, but toward a future that must, and has, grappled with these questions--though perhaps not quite as much as we should. The book delves also into truth as an idea,in science and in storytelling: what it means, how it differs from what we see and assume. It pulls its story out slowly, unfolding into something bigger and more complicated--stranger--than we could have originally guessed. And it does this all without lecturing. It is a love story with heft; it contemplates, it ponders, it almost listens.
Four paragraphs in, I have not mentioned the plot. The delight is in the read, so I don't want to spoil too much. But essentially, the plot begins with the narrator, Jane Waring, being questioned by a U.S. investigator about her relationship with a young scientist, Mark Bradley, she and her family had known when she was a young student living in England before the war. The unanswered questions of the first chapter--why he is being investigated, what their relationship amounted to, what Jane was holding back from the investigator, what happened to Bradley in the intervening years--are answered, then turned on their head, and answered differently, more deeply; and then turn yet again. The novel is a journey by a master storyteller. The story is the driving force of this quiet novel; only when you finish do you fully realize how far beyond the plot it took you.
June 19, 2024
James Hilton is one my favourite authors since he wrote such remarkable books with a surprising ending at each one.
3* Lost Horizon (1933)
3* So Well Remembered (1945)
5* The Passionate Year (1924)
4* Terry (1927)
4* Catherine Herself (1920)
4* Good-Bye, Mr. Chips (1934)
4* The Meadows of the moon (1927)
4* Morning Journey (1951)
5* Random Harvest (1941)
4* Nothing So Strange (1947)
TR We Are Not Alone (1937)
TR Time and Time Again (1953)
3* Lost Horizon (1933)
3* So Well Remembered (1945)
5* The Passionate Year (1924)
4* Terry (1927)
4* Catherine Herself (1920)
4* Good-Bye, Mr. Chips (1934)
4* The Meadows of the moon (1927)
4* Morning Journey (1951)
5* Random Harvest (1941)
4* Nothing So Strange (1947)
TR We Are Not Alone (1937)
TR Time and Time Again (1953)
August 29, 2016
This is the first novel I’ve read by Hilton that missed the mark for me. The shift in tone and setting between the first half (set in Europe before WWII) and the second half (set in the U.S. at the close of the war) was too jarring. While I had previously admired Hilton’s ability as a storyteller to shape characters, to advance the plot by moving back-and-forth in chronology, and to withhold and/or foreshadow key information, the structure of Nothing So Strange felt uneven for all these reasons. There were too many pauses in the narration and shifts to tangential scenes that tended to cause the novel to lose narrative focus. By the time we understand the secret behind Brad’s war work in the United States, the revelation isn’t too surprising. Since the narrative was delivered piecemeal, much of the emotional intensity was lost by the time we reach the conclusion.
However, the ending does carry that trademark Hilton touch: a desire to connect through love, even in the darkest moments (in this case, the beginning of the atomic age). Hilton’s novels always give hope that individuals can find each other (and find themselves) by building stronger personal bonds in an impersonal world that appears to be coming apart at the seams. In the end, this wasn’t a bad novel; I just didn’t think it was quite up to the high standard set by Hilton in his previous work.
However, the ending does carry that trademark Hilton touch: a desire to connect through love, even in the darkest moments (in this case, the beginning of the atomic age). Hilton’s novels always give hope that individuals can find each other (and find themselves) by building stronger personal bonds in an impersonal world that appears to be coming apart at the seams. In the end, this wasn’t a bad novel; I just didn’t think it was quite up to the high standard set by Hilton in his previous work.
October 25, 2013
My favorite James Hilton is still Random Harvest but this one was good.
August 21, 2022
Plot challenging to follow at times, overall, enjoyed the time spent with this book, my first vintage read.
January 30, 2022
hmmmmm. ok well this book is kinda old coming out in 1947. i liked it. i feel like it’s better than 3 stars maybe like 3.3 just because it’s not quite 3.5. the plot is very interesting having a lot of twists & turns and it doesn’t have a clear direction/goal but it works. also everything takes place during world war 2. i think this was kind of a slower read and when the book ended i felt like there were some loose ends in a way. however with everything said i still really liked it. it was a nice change of pace and i think it has a lot of timeless quotes especially when it came to the whole theme/discussion regarding science and politics (since that’s kinda what this book is about… idk it’s hard to explain) but they are VERY very relevant to today. i think the relationship between brad and jane is adorbs tbh but i also wanted to know more about mr. chandos + jane and the movie thing. anyway i had fun😸📖
emojis for this book: 🧪🌏🏔🇩🇪🇺🇸🚬✈️
emojis for this book: 🧪🌏🏔🇩🇪🇺🇸🚬✈️
January 6, 2021
2021 Reading Challenge Book #1
Page Count: 308
Word Count: 112,112
A ponderous, sort of dubious romance between endlessly argumentative characters. The pacing suffered the weight of philosophy and the story ultimately lacked substance as well as resolution. I did like the writing style, but must admit that I got a bit bored in places.
Page Count: 308
Word Count: 112,112
A ponderous, sort of dubious romance between endlessly argumentative characters. The pacing suffered the weight of philosophy and the story ultimately lacked substance as well as resolution. I did like the writing style, but must admit that I got a bit bored in places.
August 19, 2008
A very well written book about a scientist's struggles before and during World War II, told from the perspective of a wealthy young woman who unexpectedly comes into his life. Written by the author of Mr. Chips and Lost Horizon, the story is fast-paced and engaging from cover to cover.
April 29, 2008
Timeless subject of scientists and society. Copyright 1947, the story is placed immediately before and during World War II.
September 29, 2009
A romance set during and after World War II telling the tale of a scientist and a reporter. A bit sappy but I liked it.
December 5, 2024
I particularly enjoy novels that are very specific as to the time and location in which the action takes place. This novel very definitely fulfils these criteria - we even know exactly when and where the main female character was conceived and born!
Time-wise the novel is set against a backdrop of specific major historical events, including the Wallace Simpson affair, Nazi Germany’s “Union” with Austria, and the Manhattan Project to develop nuclear weapons during World War II.
Although the novel hops between America and England, it’s not just grand residences (a posh New York penthouse, Hollywood mansion and Hampstead town house) that get honourable mentions. Other, more surprising locations include the Hog’s Back hiking route in Surrey; a bedsit off the Camden Road “smelling of stale cabbage and floor polish”; and a bus trip to Ely Cathedral near Cambridge (“Ely was like a steel engraving, but inside the Cathedral the Octagon window had the look of stored-up sunshine from a summer day.”)
As part of the backdrop to the story, identifiable locales range from busy London “ABC” restaurants (the PizzaExpress of their day) to run-down cafes on the Mariahilfer Strasse, Vienna’s main shopping street; from the science labs at University College London and the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge to the top-secret Los Alamos Laboratory where the first atomic weapons were designed and constructed.
The novel’s structure is quite filmic, with flashbacks, a cyclic movement backwards and forwards through time, and confessional-style narrative in the first person. In fact, it’s only when we get to page 44 that we first discover the name (Jane) of the first-person narrator who recounts (most of) Mark Bradley’s story throughout the novel.
The structure reminded me of another of James Hilton’s novel, “Random Harvest”, which lent itself very successfully indeed to adaptation for the big screen. Talking of the cinema, Hilton worked as a screen writer in Hollywood and the novel sometimes feels a bit like a screenplay, with a lot of dialogue and big speeches.
I have to say, though, I found the “speechifying” a little tiring - and unconvincing. Do people really have such lengthy, intense conversations which they memorise in detail and then repeat verbatim years later? Yet this is the premise of the novel, which basically takes the form of a series of very long, recorded memories - to help us, retrospectively, form a judgement on Mark Bradley’s scientific ethics.
I found it a struggle to sympathise with the main characters, who seem a little wooden and two dimensional. They’re very rich or very clever or just super well-connected. They’re self possessed and very self-preoccupied. They spend their lives doing clever things - writing books on current affairs, making films, publishing scientific research, hosting society dinners, climbing mountains, flying planes. And having endless clever conversations.
But by the end of the novel I was feeling a bit overawed with all the ethics and intellectualism, and wishing there’d been more of the ordinary stuff of endearing, normal people and their day to day lives …
Time-wise the novel is set against a backdrop of specific major historical events, including the Wallace Simpson affair, Nazi Germany’s “Union” with Austria, and the Manhattan Project to develop nuclear weapons during World War II.
Although the novel hops between America and England, it’s not just grand residences (a posh New York penthouse, Hollywood mansion and Hampstead town house) that get honourable mentions. Other, more surprising locations include the Hog’s Back hiking route in Surrey; a bedsit off the Camden Road “smelling of stale cabbage and floor polish”; and a bus trip to Ely Cathedral near Cambridge (“Ely was like a steel engraving, but inside the Cathedral the Octagon window had the look of stored-up sunshine from a summer day.”)
As part of the backdrop to the story, identifiable locales range from busy London “ABC” restaurants (the PizzaExpress of their day) to run-down cafes on the Mariahilfer Strasse, Vienna’s main shopping street; from the science labs at University College London and the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge to the top-secret Los Alamos Laboratory where the first atomic weapons were designed and constructed.
The novel’s structure is quite filmic, with flashbacks, a cyclic movement backwards and forwards through time, and confessional-style narrative in the first person. In fact, it’s only when we get to page 44 that we first discover the name (Jane) of the first-person narrator who recounts (most of) Mark Bradley’s story throughout the novel.
The structure reminded me of another of James Hilton’s novel, “Random Harvest”, which lent itself very successfully indeed to adaptation for the big screen. Talking of the cinema, Hilton worked as a screen writer in Hollywood and the novel sometimes feels a bit like a screenplay, with a lot of dialogue and big speeches.
I have to say, though, I found the “speechifying” a little tiring - and unconvincing. Do people really have such lengthy, intense conversations which they memorise in detail and then repeat verbatim years later? Yet this is the premise of the novel, which basically takes the form of a series of very long, recorded memories - to help us, retrospectively, form a judgement on Mark Bradley’s scientific ethics.
I found it a struggle to sympathise with the main characters, who seem a little wooden and two dimensional. They’re very rich or very clever or just super well-connected. They’re self possessed and very self-preoccupied. They spend their lives doing clever things - writing books on current affairs, making films, publishing scientific research, hosting society dinners, climbing mountains, flying planes. And having endless clever conversations.
But by the end of the novel I was feeling a bit overawed with all the ethics and intellectualism, and wishing there’d been more of the ordinary stuff of endearing, normal people and their day to day lives …
April 15, 2020
This is yet another fine novel by James Hilton. Like so many of his books, this is psychological study. It examines deep emotional issues as well as the dynamics of the scientific world between 1936 and 1945. The characters are excellent, the writing is concise and understandable. The down-side 'for me' is that James Hilton died young and wrote but few novels.
January 20, 2023
This novel was interesting mainly because it was written shortly after WWII and the author delves into the morality of using atomic bombs to end the war. It is well written but it didn't really grab me and it took me quite a while to get through it as I was not motivated to pick it up all that often.
July 13, 2025
Not a favorite of Hilton's for me. It all came around in the end, but I didn't really see the connection between the protagonists. They seemed quite distant throughout. Not the heart that I've come to expect in Hilton's writing. Took me a long time to read because I just wasn't that attached to the characters.
August 27, 2022
This book - from 1947 - is an interesting exploration of scientific researchers and post-war societal discordance. And there are a couple love stories. Weak ending.
September 23, 2022
Contrary to the title, it was a very strange book. It was interesting, but often tedious, and I thought, sad. Hilton let me down on this one.
January 3, 2026
Slow
A slow, tough read. Far too much dialogue and little movement or action. Not one of James Hilton's better reads.
A slow, tough read. Far too much dialogue and little movement or action. Not one of James Hilton's better reads.
March 18, 2017
A slightly drawn out and impossible story, yet Hilton glides you into the crashing paths of two lost souls. "Or maybe I'm just remembering Daniel Webster's remark that there's nothing so strange as the truth. I can always imagine you getting into the most complicated trouble from the highest possible motives. I'm capable of doing that myself, that's why it doesn't shock me so much."
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews