The Diamond Lens [Paperback]

Fitz-James O'Brien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2004

This casual mention of the spiritualist, Madame Vulpes, set me on a new track. What if this spiritualism should be really a great fact? What if, through communication with subtiler organisms than my own, I could reach at a single bound the goal, which perhaps a life of agonizing mental toil would never enable me to attain?

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

An incredible vision seen through a unique microscope lens is the essence of this engaging story. O'Brien's rich words paint the mysterious picture of a brilliant, demented scientist who discovers that success is a strong potion. Narration by George Gonneau is excellent with his characterizations outshone only by his thrilling dramatic pace. Original music by Brad Hill is a most definite plus which meshes perfectly with Gonneau's very professional narration to create a truly compelling audio presentation. M.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing (June 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419159194
• ISBN-13: 978-1419159190
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,511,578 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The Diamond Lens, November 12, 2010

By 

Frank Bruni (Santa Rosa, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Diamond Lens (Kindle Edition)

I too downloaded the 80 cent version of this book and had my Kindle crash. It totally locked up. I had assumed that Amazon would have fixed the problem after the previous person's critique, but obviously they did not. I advise you to stay away from this edition.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beware of low-priced versions, June 22, 2010

By 

Elliot (Irvine, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Diamond Lens (Kindle Edition)

I downloaded the free version of this book and it crashed my Kindle. I had to delete it and try a higher-priced version (which worked fine).

The story is one of the oldest pieces of real science fiction (1858). An obsessed amateur scientist steals a diamond (and murders its owner) in order to make a lens for a super-powerful microscope; his experiment succeeds but he is driven mad by what he discovers. If you have a taste for 19th century literature, it is a pretty good read. O'Brien's "What Was It?" is also proto-science fiction and is even better.

1.0 out of 5 stars WARNING - CAUSES KINDLE PROBLEMS!, February 18, 2011

By 

Bumpkin Boy - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Diamond Lens (Kindle Edition)

Why did I download this file that had warnings posted on it? Because I didn't believe the two previous reviews that claimed this book (booklet really - only 20 pages or so) crashed their Kindles. I had downloaded hundreds of free books successfully; why should this one be any different? So I went for it. Immediately after downloading The Diamond Lens, my Kindle crashed. I rebooted it but it kept crashing and rebooting itself, like it had an infection it couldn't shake off. I read the story, which is GOOD - but maybe not worth the hassle of this freebie OR the high price charged for the non-free version (depends what you're willing to pay for 20 pages). The continuous rebooting stopped only when I deleted the file from my Kindle. How could one little short story-sized file wreak such havoc? Does it have a virus or some other booby trap in it? I still don't know why, but I agree, this file is TROUBLE! Download at your own risk....