The Weird Adventures of Professor Delapine of the Sorbonne

In Short

This curious narrative follows a distinguished Sorbonne professor who transitions from a cynical skeptic of spiritualism to an investigator of profound, hidden human capabilities. Through a series of uncanny events—ranging from telepathic communication and levitating objects to the manipulation of casino roulette wheels—the professor demonstrates that will can triumph over matter. Blending early 20th-century scientific enthusiasm with the tropes of Victorian occult fiction, the work serves as both a philosophical argument for the unseen forces of nature and a whimsical, episodic adventure that celebrates the triumph of intellect and intuition.

The Story

The story begins with a scholarly dialogue between a narrator and a renowned professor, Delapine, who has moved past his earlier disdain for spiritualism. He argues that genuine, astonishing phenomena exist, hidden in plain sight, awaiting those with the courage to observe them. The narrative then shifts to the domestic lives of a circle of acquaintances in Paris, including the young and romantic Renée Payot and the physician Dr. Villebois. Conflict arises when Renée’s father attempts to force her into a loveless marriage with a wealthy man named Pierre, causing her profound distress.

As the plot thickens, the professor’s influence grows. He maintains a sophisticated laboratory, filled with advanced biological and chemical apparatus, which he uses to investigate the physical world. During a dinner party, Delapine’s uncanny nature is revealed; while in a deep, trance-like state, his fingers move in perfect synchronicity with a violin performance, suggesting an invisible connection between his mind and the world around him. Tragedy strikes when the professor appears to die, leading to an intense period of mourning and a tense confrontation with the villainous Pierre, who attempts to hide evidence of a poisoning. However, Delapine’s "death" is merely a profound state of suspended animation, and he eventually recovers, revealing his resilience and his command over his own physical state.

Following his recovery, the professor takes his circle of friends on a journey to the French Riviera. Here, the narrative becomes a series of triumphant vignettes. Delapine rescues friends from financial ruin, outwits fraudulent social climbers, and eventually visits the Monte Carlo casino. Using the sheer power of his will, he forces the roulette ball to land where he desires, winning a fortune. After being briefly detained by police, he forces them to acknowledge the scientific nature of his "Mind over Matter" technique. The story concludes with a flurry of weddings among the supporting cast, all of whom credit their newfound happiness and fortunes to their association with the mysterious, brilliant professor. The book ends on an optimistic note, with the friends looking forward to the professor’s future exploits and his promised memoirs, confident that his influence will continue to shape their lives and redefine the limits of human achievement.

How It Unfolds

The skeptical transformation The narrative opens with a debate on spiritualism, where the professor declares that genuine, scientifically verifiable phenomena are being ignored by a closed-minded society. He invites his interlocutor to visit his laboratory to witness, for the first time, the raw power of human suggestion and telepathy.

Domestic turmoil and intrusion The story shifts to the personal struggles of Renée, who faces pressure from her father to enter a miserable arranged marriage. The professor enters the scene as a mentor and protector, using his mysterious influence to quietly unravel the schemes of those around him.

The trance and the trial A central set-piece involves the professor’s apparent death, which serves as a test of faith and loyalty for his friends. As they mourn, they uncover a plot by the jealous Pierre, leading to a high-stakes standoff where the truth behind the professor’s condition and the attempted murder is revealed.

The Riviera excursion The group travels to the south of France, where the professor demonstrates his mastery over his environment. He engages in a series of social and financial maneuvers that restore his friends’ fortunes and secure their romantic futures.

The triumph of the will The climax occurs at the Monte Carlo casino, where the professor proves his theory by bending the laws of chance to his favor. He concludes his journey by lecturing the authorities on the power of the mind and exiting the scene as a wealthy, liberated hero.

The People

Professor Delapine stands at the center as the intellectual catalyst. He is a man of vast, quiet power who values "Mind over Matter" above all else, acting as a benevolent puppet master for his friends. Renée Payot is the emotional heart of the story; she begins as a victim of her father’s social ambitions but blossoms into a self-assured young woman through her deep, intuitive connection to the professor. Dr. Villebois acts as the grounded, scientific witness, providing the medical and rational perspective necessary to contrast with the professor’s more ethereal gifts. Pierre Duval serves as the antagonist, representing greed and the old-world rigidity that the professor seeks to dismantle. By the end, the supporting characters—including the poetically inclined Marcel and the observant Violette—are transformed from passive observers into active participants in a life enriched by the professor’s philosophy, moving from uncertainty to secure, happy futures.

In Its Own Voice

"So far from scoffing at it, as I confess I used to, I am now convinced that the real phenomena are far and away more astonishing than are these which these charlatans profess to exhibit or actually produce by conjuring and fraud."

The professor explains his shift from a cynical debunker to a believer in the reality of occult phenomena.

"When I concentrate the whole of my will on the little ball, and resolve that it shall stop, it is obliged to do so."

Delapine describes the simple, mental mechanics behind his immense financial success at the Monte Carlo casino.

"The philosophy of the unknown--it is the best of all philosophies because no one can dispute it."

A fellow scientist reflects on the nature of their pursuit, highlighting the book’s central interest in the boundaries of human knowledge.

What It's Really About

The book serves as a late-Victorian and Edwardian manifesto for the "new" science, bridging the gap between rigorous laboratory observation and the spiritualist fervor of the era. It argues that the universe is governed by laws of the mind that remain largely untapped by the average person. The core tension lies between the "flock of sheep" who blindly adhere to convention and those, like the professor, who recognize that reality is malleable. It is a work that champions the idea that individual will, when properly cultivated and disciplined through study, can overcome gravity, probability, and even death itself. Ultimately, it poses the question: if the mind can move matter, what keeps us from achieving our highest potential?

Why Read It Today

Readers interested in the history of science and the popular occultism of the early 20th century will find this a fascinating curiosity. It reads like an episodic adventure, capturing the peculiar atmosphere of an era obsessed with the intersection of the laboratory and the séance room. The prose is earnest, reflective, and occasionally pedantic, reflecting the intellectual fashions of 1916.

Modern readers should be prepared for the period-specific attitudes; the professor’s role as an all-knowing, paternalistic guide to his younger, more emotional protégés is very much a product of its time. The plot is less a tightly woven novel and more a series of demonstrations meant to prove a point, which may feel fragmented to those expecting a traditional narrative arc. However, the book’s persistent, quiet confidence in the face of the "unknown" is oddly compelling. It is a book for those who enjoy the charm of "gentleman scientist" fiction, where the answers to life’s greatest mysteries are often found in the quiet application of will, a bit of chemistry, and a firm belief in the unseen. It will leave you with a sense of the boundless, if occasionally naive, optimism of an age that truly believed science and spirit were on the verge of finally becoming one.