
1886
AVIS AU LECTEUR
I. Menlo Park
II. Phonograph's papa
III. Les Lamentations d'Edison.
IV. Sowana
V. Résumé du soliloque
VI. Des bruits mystérieux
VII. Une dépêche!
VIII. Le songeur touche un objet de songe
A modern legend rises around a charismatic inventor whose fame eclipses the ordinary, casting him as the “magician of Menlo Park.” The narrator warns readers not to conflate this larger‑than‑life figure with the historical Thomas Edison, framing the tale as a work of art‑metaphysics that reshapes a well‑known name into something almost mythic. In this imagined world, the genius is as much a sorcerer of light and sound as a scientist, inviting dreamers and skeptics alike to follow his extraordinary path.
The story opens on the secluded grounds of Menlo Park, where a grand pavilion stands amid meticulously trimmed gardens and ancient trees. Inside, the inventor—portrayed with an almost sculptural visage—sits alone in a velvet‑clad chair, smoking a hazy Havana as a golden‑red mist filters through a wide western window. Around him lie enigmatic instruments, humming gears, and strange devices that hint at experiments beyond the era’s known technology, setting the stage for a narrative that blends wonder, mystery, and the relentless pursuit of unseen possibilities.
Language
fr
Duration
~9 hours (539K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Carlo Traverso, Rénald Lévesque 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)
Release date
2008-09-21
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1838–1889
A restless, aristocratic dreamer of French literature, he wrote strange, brilliant tales that helped shape Symbolism and early science fiction. His work mixes dark wit, philosophical wonder, and a sharp distrust of modern life.
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