Master Zacharius by Jules Verne
Author: Jules Verne | Published: 1854
Master Zacharius Synopsis
Master Zacharius, or the Clockmaker who Lost His Soul (French: Maître Zacharius ou l'horloger qui avait perdu son âme, tradition genevoise) is an 1854 short story by Jules Verne. The story, an intensely romantic fantasy echoing the works of E. T. A. Hoffmann, is a Faustian tragedy about an inventor whose overpowering pride leads to his downfall.
The clockmaker Master Zacharius lives with his daughter Gérande, his apprentice Aubert Thun, and his elderly servant Scholastique on a small island in the middle of the Rhone in Geneva. Zacharius is praised throughout France and Germany for creating the escapement, and he is incredibly proud of his accomplishments. He is concerned by an enigmatic riddle: for some days, the numerous clocks he has produced and sold have stopped abruptly, one by one. Zacharius has mental anguish and serious illness due to being unable to stop the occurrence or identify its cause.
Zacharius receives a mysterious visitor one day who claims to be there to take him on a voyage to the realm of infinite time. Zacharius agrees to go, so they embark on a nighttime journey. Zacharius observes the planet transforming as they travel: the seasons vanish, a single star replaces the sun and moon, and the days and nights lengthen.
About Jules Verne
Jules Verne (1828-1905) was a French author known as the "Father of Science Fiction." He was born on February 8, 1828, in Nantes, France. Verne was fascinated with travel and exploration from an early age, inspired by the stories of his seafaring father. However, his father wanted him to pursue a legal career, so Verne studied law in Paris.
Despite studying law, Verne developed a passion for writing, and his first published work was a play in 1850. However, it was his adventure novels that brought him fame and recognition. Verne's most famous works include "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (1870), "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1864), "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1873), and "The Mysterious Island" (1874). Verne's novels were characterized by his vivid imagination, scientific accuracy, and a sense of wonder. He explored uncharted territories, futuristic inventions, and undersea and space travel, often predicting technological advancements that later became a reality. Find out more about Jules Verne at sevenov.com.