Master of His Fate

"Master of His Fate" by J. Maclaren Cobban is a captivating story set in late 19th-century London, where Julius Courtney, a respected intellectual, navigates a life seemingly unbound by societal norms. The story revolves around personal ambition, how art reflects life, and the tangled web of human connections. Beginning at the Hyacinth Club, philosophical discussions about nature and science are disrupted by alarming news from Paris, alluding to hypnosis and mental breakdowns; Julius challenges conventional thoughts, showing his disagreement with materialism and rigid social expectations. The drama thickens as Lefevre, Julius's doctor friend, investigates strange happenings: a young man stuck in a trance and a woman fading into semi-consciousness, both linked to a shadowy figure named M. Dolaro. As these characters intertwine, the reader is drawn into a vortex of unfolding secrets, questioning identity, control, and the concealed weights of history.