Le secret de l'échafaud by comte de Auguste Villiers de L'Isle-Adam
"Le secret de l'échafaud" by comte de Auguste Villiers de L'Isle-Adam is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story begins with a detailed portrayal of the protagonist, Dr. Edmond-Désiré Couty de la Pommerais, a condemned man awaiting execution for murder, as he navigates the grim realities of his fate. The narrative explores themes of love, sacrifice, and the philosophical implications of death, particularly in relation to the observations of
the human experience at its most desperate moments. The opening of the novel immerses the reader in the tense atmosphere of a prison cell, where the protagonist sits in resignation, contemplating his impending execution. His past is briefly recounted, including the trial that led to his conviction for administering fatal doses of poison to a woman, a crime he denies. During this time, a notable visitor, the renowned surgeon Armand Velpeau, arrives with an unusual proposition centered on the nature of consciousness and memory after decapitation, setting the stage for a profound exploration of human existence and the science of life and death. This intriguing premise draws the reader into a web of ethical dilemmas and poignant reflections about mortality, preparing them for the unfolding drama. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, Auguste, comte de, 1838-1889 |
|---|---|
| Title | Le secret de l'échafaud |
| Note | Wikipedia page about this book: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Secret_de_l%27%C3%A9chafaud |
| Note | Reading ease score: 67.0 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. |
| Contents | L'amour suprême -- Sagacité d'Aspasie -- Le secret de l'échafaud -- L'instant de Dieu -- Une profession nouvelle -- L'agence du Chandelier d'Or -- La légende de l'éléphant blanc -- Catalina -- Les expériences du Dr Crookes -- Le droit du passé -- Le tzar et les grands-ducs -- L'aventure de Tsë-i-la -- Akëdysséril. |
| Credits |
Produced by Carlo Traverso, Christian Tanguy and the Online Distributed Proofreaders Europe at http://dp.rastko.net. This file was produced from images generously made available by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica) |
| Language | French |
| LoC Class | PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese |
| Subject | Short stories, French |
| Subject | French fiction -- 19th century |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 17623 |
| Release Date | Jan 29, 2006 |
| Most Recently Updated | Mar 5, 2009 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 87 downloads in the last 30 days. |
| Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free! | |
