The Purple Cloud is a novel written by M. P. Shiel, first published in 1901. The story is set in the early 20th century and revolves around a young man named Adam Jeffson, who embarks on a journey to the North Pole. After a long and perilous journey, Jeffson discovers a strange purple cloud that has covered the entire earth, killing all living creatures except for himself. As Jeffson travels across the world, he is both fascinated and horrified by the devastation that the cloud has caused. He soon realizes that he is the ...
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The Purple Cloud is a novel written by M. P. Shiel, first published in 1901. The story is set in the early 20th century and revolves around a young man named Adam Jeffson, who embarks on a journey to the North Pole. After a long and perilous journey, Jeffson discovers a strange purple cloud that has covered the entire earth, killing all living creatures except for himself. As Jeffson travels across the world, he is both fascinated and horrified by the devastation that the cloud has caused. He soon realizes that he is the last man on earth and must come to terms with his loneliness and isolation. The novel explores themes of survival, loneliness, and the consequences of human actions. It is a gripping and thought-provoking tale that has been praised for its vivid descriptions, compelling characters, and haunting atmosphere. The Purple Cloud is a classic of early science fiction and a must-read for fans of the genre.Do you know much about the philosophy of the hypnotic trance? That was the relation between us--hypnotist and subject. She had been under another man before my time, suffered from tic of the fifth nerve, had had most of her teeth drawn before I saw her, and an attempt had been made to wrench out the nerve on the left side by external scission.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
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Add this copy of The Purple Cloud to cart. $49.09, new condition, Sold by Booksplease rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Southport, MERSEYSIDE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2004 by Kessinger Publishing.
Great book of another story about the end of the world (reccurent to this period of time ~1930)
I just finished reading Earth abides and it is as good as this one, though different.
klarkash
Feb 19, 2008
Mind-bending Prose at the End of the World
This flawed but still magnificent 1901 work was an early "end of the world" novel, exerting an influence on Stephen King's "The Stand" among many others. Shiel's work is distinguished by indescribably ornate prose and a wide range of erudite references. The power of "The Purple Cloud" is also its downfall; the last third of the novel can't match the first sections, in which Shiel paints, with insane visionary power, the enduring modern fantasy of finding oneself the last man alive on earth. The protagonist Adam Jeffson is the first to reach the North Pole, where his presence seems to trigger a bizarre phenomenon of natural vengeance for his hubris- descending by ship from the pole, he finds not a single soul alive, as a lethal cloud of purple poison has spread over the earth, obliterating all life in its path. Jeffson, borne on waves of Shiel's billowing, decadent poetry of the damned, begins his own campaign of obliteration, burning the dead cities of the earth. Shiel achieves a heightened, widescreen glory unencumbered by plausibility- you will love or hate this book depending on your appreciation for verbal audacity and 50-cent words. Fans of Poe, Lovecraft, and Clark Ashton Smith will find much to appreciate here.
