The Diamond Lens; With Other Stories [Paperback]

Fitz James O'brien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2012

Book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1885. Excerpt: ... meaning: desperate appeals, perhaps, from Tom, the baker's assistant, to Amelia, the daughter of the dry-goods retailer, who is always selling at a sacrifice in consequence of the late fire. That may be Tom himself who is now passing me in a white apron, and I look up at the windows of the house (which does not, however, give any signs of a recent conflagration) and almost hope to see Amelia wave a white pocket-handkerchief. The bit of orange-peel lying on the sidewalk inspires thought. Who will fall over it 1 who but the industrious mother of six children, the youngest of which is only nine months old, all of whom are dependent on her exertions for support 1 I see her slip and tumble. I see the pale face convulsed with agony, and the vain struggle to get up; the pitying crowd closing her off from all air; the anxious young doctor who happened to be passing by; the manipulation of the broken limb, the shake of the head, the moan of the victim, the litter borne on men's shoulders, the gates of the New York Hospital unclosing, the subscription taken up on the spot. There is some food for speculation in that three-year-old, tattered child, masked with dirt, who is throwing a brick at another three-year-old, tattered child, masked with dirt. It is not difficult to perceive that he is destined to lurk, as it were, through life. His bad, flat face -- or, at least, what can be seen of it -- does not look as if it were made for the light of day. The mire in which he wallows now is but a type of the moral mire in which he will wallow hereafter. The feeble little hand lifted at this instant to smite his companion, half in earnest, half in jest, will be raised against his fellowbeings forevermore, Golosh Street -- as I will call this nameless lane before alluded to--is an interesting locality....

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: 96 pages
• Publisher: General Books LLC (January 4, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0217755178
• ISBN-13: 978-0217755177
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 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: #5,759,264 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....