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Dr. Ox's Experiment: Drama in the Air
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This is an OCR edition with typos.
Excerpt from
CHAPTER V. IN WHICH THE BURGOMASTER AND THE COUNSELLOR PAY A VISIT TO DOCTOR OX, AND WHAT FOLLOWS. The Counsellor Niklausse and the Burgomaster Van Tricasse at last knew what it was to have an agitated night. The grave event which had taken place at Doctor Ox's house actually kept them awake. What consequences was this affair destined to bring about ? They could not imagine. Would it be necessary for them to come to a decision ? Would the municipal authority, whom they represented, be compelled to interfere ? Would they be obliged to order arrests to be made, that so great a scandal should not be repeated ? All these doubts could not but trouble these soft natures; and on that evening, before separating, the two notables had "decided" to see each other the next day. On the next morning, then, before dinner, the Burgomaster Van Tricasse proceeded in person to the Counsellor Niklausse's house. He found his friend more calm. He himself had recovered his equanimity. " Nothing new ?" asked Van Tricasse. " Nothing new since yesterday," replied Niklausse. "And the doctor, Dominique Gustos?" "I have not heard anything, either of him or of the advocate, Andre Schut." After an hour's conversation, which consisted cf three remarks which it is needless to repeat, the counsellor and the burgomaster had resolved to pay a visit to Doctor Ox, so as to draw from him, without seeming to do so, some details of the affair. Contrary to all their habits, after coming to this decision the two notables set about putting it into execution forthwith. They left the house and directed their steps towards Doctor Ox's laboratory, which was situated outside the town, near the Oudenarde gate -- the gate whose tower threatened to fall in ruins. They did not take each other's ar...
This is an OCR edition with typos.
Excerpt from
CHAPTER V. IN WHICH THE BURGOMASTER AND THE COUNSELLOR PAY A VISIT TO DOCTOR OX, AND WHAT FOLLOWS. The Counsellor Niklausse and the Burgomaster Van Tricasse at last knew what it was to have an agitated night. The grave event which had taken place at Doctor Ox's house actually kept them awake. What consequences was this affair destined to bring about ? They could not imagine. Would it be necessary for them to come to a decision ? Would the municipal authority, whom they represented, be compelled to interfere ? Would they be obliged to order arrests to be made, that so great a scandal should not be repeated ? All these doubts could not but trouble these soft natures; and on that evening, before separating, the two notables had "decided" to see each other the next day. On the next morning, then, before dinner, the Burgomaster Van Tricasse proceeded in person to the Counsellor Niklausse's house. He found his friend more calm. He himself had recovered his equanimity. " Nothing new ?" asked Van Tricasse. " Nothing new since yesterday," replied Niklausse. "And the doctor, Dominique Gustos?" "I have not heard anything, either of him or of the advocate, Andre Schut." After an hour's conversation, which consisted cf three remarks which it is needless to repeat, the counsellor and the burgomaster had resolved to pay a visit to Doctor Ox, so as to draw from him, without seeming to do so, some details of the affair. Contrary to all their habits, after coming to this decision the two notables set about putting it into execution forthwith. They left the house and directed their steps towards Doctor Ox's laboratory, which was situated outside the town, near the Oudenarde gate -- the gate whose tower threatened to fall in ruins. They did not take each other's ar...
- GenresFiction
100 pages, Hardcover
Published June 1, 1984
19 people want to read
About the author
Jules Verne
6,598 books12.1k followersNovels of French writer Jules Gabriel Verne, considered the founder of modern science fiction, include
Journey to the Center of the Earth
(1864) and
Around the World in Eighty Days
(1873).
This author who pioneered the genre. People best know him for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870).
Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before people invented navigable aircraft and practical submarines and devised any means of spacecraft. He ranks behind Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie as the second most translated author of all time. People made his prominent films. People often refer to Verne alongside Herbert George Wells as the "father of science fiction."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_V...
This author who pioneered the genre. People best know him for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870).
Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before people invented navigable aircraft and practical submarines and devised any means of spacecraft. He ranks behind Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie as the second most translated author of all time. People made his prominent films. People often refer to Verne alongside Herbert George Wells as the "father of science fiction."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_V...
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 6, 2009
Dr. Ox's Experiment is a short, funny story set in a quiet Flemish town - extremely quiet. The citizens almost never argue, make loud noises, run, or do anything at a normal or fast pace. Even a family dog is named Snail. But everything changes when Dr. Ox and his assistant Ygene arrive. Pretending to set up a new hydrogen-oxygen lighting system, the doctor observes the results of the pure oxygen he actually releases into the town's air. Although the same results would not happen in real life, it's interesting and sometimes hilarious to watch the citizens grow louder, faster and more intense and excitable than ever before. There's a riot at the opera, oversized plants, excessive eating and drinking, and a war (over an incident of a cow that happened centuries ago) with the neighboring town that is stopped only by an incident that ends the experiment and returns the town to normal.
February 29, 2024
I loved Jules Verne since my childhood years when I owned many of his books at home.
So when I found this one in the local library I immediately borrowed it. This is one of the least known stories from the great writer. It describes a fully quiet small town, not even traceable on any map, where a mysterious scientist, Dr. Ox arrives and plans to make an experiment.
The writer takes advantage of this opportunity to explore various issues, like science, politics, religion, music and opera, and so on. In addition, Jules Verne develops realistic characters and we can see how their behavior progresses along the experiment.
Once more, the writer is interested to explore how people change, not necessarily in a positive way, while being part of a larger experiment they are mostly unaware of. The subject is people and their personalities, not math, chemistry or physics. Besides that, the writer provides some very clever points in other areas, like society, politics, arts and other.
It is highly recommended and very easy to read.
So when I found this one in the local library I immediately borrowed it. This is one of the least known stories from the great writer. It describes a fully quiet small town, not even traceable on any map, where a mysterious scientist, Dr. Ox arrives and plans to make an experiment.
The writer takes advantage of this opportunity to explore various issues, like science, politics, religion, music and opera, and so on. In addition, Jules Verne develops realistic characters and we can see how their behavior progresses along the experiment.
Once more, the writer is interested to explore how people change, not necessarily in a positive way, while being part of a larger experiment they are mostly unaware of. The subject is people and their personalities, not math, chemistry or physics. Besides that, the writer provides some very clever points in other areas, like society, politics, arts and other.
It is highly recommended and very easy to read.
May 23, 2024
Een relatief kort verhaal, waarin de wetenschapper Dr. Ox - heel onethisch - een experiment uitvoert op de bevolking van een slaperig Vlaams stadje. Het experiment loopt uit de hand, en ernstige gevolgen kunnen ternauwernood worden voorkomen. Na het ongelooflijk saaie "Stoomhuis", het boek van Jules Verne dat ik hiervóór las, was dit verhaal gelukkig met iets meer vaart en humor geschreven.
March 10, 2010
Dr. Ox arrives at the town of Quiqendone with the idea of a fantasic experiment to provide lighting to the town when in fact he wants to experiment on the citizens....
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews