The Diamond Lens: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
The Diamond Lens: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
The Diamond Lens is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for O'Brien, Fitz James (1828–1862).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"The Diamond Lens" by Fitz James O'Brien is a short story written during the mid-19th century, specifically in the 1850s, that falls under the genre of weird fiction blended with science fiction elements. The narrative explores the obsessive passion of a microscopist who becomes consumed with the search for perfection in his microscopy work, ultimately leading him to an extraordinary but tragic conclusion about his experiments and his desire for an unattainable love. In the story, the protagonist, Linley, is an ambitious young man fascinated by microscopic life and dedicated to improving the lens of his microscope. After a series of discoveries, including a prophecy from a spirit he consults, he constructs an incredibly powerful diamond lens. Through this lens, he encounters a fantastical creature he names Animula—an ethereal being of exquisite beauty living in a hidden world within a drop of water. As Linley's obsession deepens, he neglects his own well-being, culminating in a desperate realization of his love for Animula and the realization that his scientific pursuits have led to her demise when the drop of water evaporates. The story examines themes of ambition, love, and the consequences of unchecked obsession, ultimately portraying the tragic intersection between scientific pursuit and emotional longing.
Book and edition facts
- Title: The Diamond Lens
- Author credits: O'Brien, Fitz James (1828–1862)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Microscopy -- Fiction
- Murder -- Fiction
- Science fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: American Literature
- Category: Science-Fiction & Fantasy
- Category: Short Stories
- Science Fiction
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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