The Gay Gnani of Gingalee; or, Discords of Devolution A Tragical Entanglement of Modern Mysticism and Modern Science

Set in a bustling early‑twentieth‑century city, the story follows a self‑styled “Gnani” whose love of nonsense rivals his thirst for truth. He drifts between newspaper offices, chemistry labs, and lively soda‑fountain debates, all while wielding a tongue‑in‑cheek philosophy that insists even the most serious science must make room for playful absurdity. The narrator’s prelude frames this as a “harmonic fiction,” promising a satire that lampoons both academic pomposity and the pretensions of mystical gurus.

When a gaunt youth, bound by a guru’s vows, tries to sell his soul‑shaking ideas at the soda counter, the Gnani is drawn into a chaotic contest of wit, cards, and secret societies. Along the way he encounters a mysterious boardroom of mystics, a bewildering “interlude” that hints at deeper conspiracies, and a host of eccentric characters whose earnestness is undercut by the narrator’s irreverent commentary. The first act balances clever dialogue with a gently mocking look at how humanity clings to both rational discovery and delightful folly.