
This ebook was created in honour of Distributed Proofreaders’ 20th Anniversary.
A TWENTIETH CENTURY IDEALIST
TABLE OF CONTENTS AND PLAN OF THE BOOK
ILLUSTRATIONS
PROLOGUE
PART FIRST - III ADELE HERSELF
PART SECOND - VIII A STUDIO FOR IMPRESSIONS
PART THIRD - XXIX ILLNESS AND HALLUCINATION
THE HIMALAYA CATHEDRAL - XXXIV ADELE SEES THE DELECTABLE MOUNTAINS
FOOTNOTES:
A thoughtful wanderer sets out from an American home, drawn by a restless curiosity that sees ordinary life as a veil hiding deeper mysteries. Guided by a professor’s quiet charisma and the lingering echoes of a doctor’s musings on ideals, the journey quickly becomes a meditation on what it means to live by one’s own vision. Along the way, encounters with music, art, and fleeting moments of spiritual insight hint at a world beyond the everyday, inviting listeners to contemplate the balance between daring ambition and cautious wisdom.
Crossing seas and continents, the narrative weaves together vivid travel scenes—from Mediterranean ports to bustling Asian studios—while the protagonist, Adele, grapples with emerging ideas of perfection and purpose. As the story climbs toward the towering Himalayas, the soaring landscapes mirror an inner ascent, promising a fresh perspective on the relationship between mind, nature, and the ideals that shape us. This early act offers a rich tapestry of philosophy, romance, and adventure that sets the stage for an unforgettable exploration.
Language
en
Duration
~8 hours (514K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Release date
2021-02-23
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
1842–1921
Best known as an architect and engineer as well as a novelist, this Philadelphia figure moved between big public projects and imaginative fiction. His 1905 book A Twentieth Century Idealist gives a glimpse of a practical builder with a strong interest in ideas and utopian thinking.
View all books
by Maria S. (Maria Susanna) Cummins

by Jane Austen

by Anthony Trollope

by Wilkie Collins

by Ruth Comfort Mitchell

by Anna Bartlett Warner, Susan Warner

by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon