
An introspective narrator, Jean Loubeyrac, lives a quiet life amid the chestnut groves of the Périgord, where evenings are spent by a crackling fire with a pipe, roasted chestnuts and a glass of sweet wine. He spends his days pondering the age‑old debate between destiny and chance, recalling the lofty arguments of mathematicians who claim the roulette’s spin can be reduced to pure probability. His tranquil routine, however, is suddenly interrupted when a sudden gust of wind seems to usher in an unexpected visitor, urging him onward.
The story soon carries Jean far beyond his familiar riverbanks, thrusting him into a world of exotic seas and distant ports where a charismatic, lanky figure—once a mathematician turned adventurer—reappears from a bygone tropical expedition. As old memories mingle with new mysteries, Jean is forced to confront the very “Lord of Chance” he has long debated, setting the stage for a journey that blends philosophy, humor, and the restless lure of the unknown.
Language
fr
Duration
~5 hours (311K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
France: Albin Michel, 1921.
Credits
Laurent Vogel and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
Release date
2023-04-28
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1890–1925
A French novelist and poet who lived fast, traveled widely, and left behind a small but striking body of work. His writing often draws on movement, distance, and the restless mood of the early 20th century.
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