Project Gutenberg 2011-10-07 Public domain in the USA. 184 Mallock, W. H. (William Hurrell) 1849 1923 Newdigate prizeman Mallock, William Hurrell The New Paul and Virginia; Or, Positivism on an Island Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_Paul_and_Virginia Produced by Christine Bell and Marc D'Hooghe (From images generously made available by the Internet Archive) "The New Paul and Virginia; Or, Positivism on an Island" by W. H. Mallock is a satirical novel written in the late 19th century. The book explores themes of modern philosophy and the clash between religious belief and scientific reasoning, primarily through its characters, Professor Paul Darnley and Virginia St. John. It serves as a reflection on the societal shifts occurring during the Victorian era, particularly concerning the rise of positivism—a philosophy advocating for a reliance on scientific knowledge rather than spiritual or metaphysical concepts. The story begins aboard the ocean-steamer "Australasian", where the famous Professor Darnley and the beautiful Virginia find themselves among a group of curious passengers. Following a catastrophic shipwreck, the two are cast ashore on a deserted island, where they aspire to create a new society based on human happiness and the principles of modern thought. However, the narrative takes a tumultuous turn as the implications of their ideals are tested through encounters with various characters, including a drunken curate and the ghostly presence of Virginia's husband. The novel delves into the contradictions of a life devoid of spiritual faith, ultimately leading to ironic and comedic conclusions that challenge the legitimacy of both scientific and religious ideologies. As the characters grapple with their desires and beliefs, the story examines the complexities of human nature, culminating in a commentary on the absence of true happiness in a purely rational world. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 69.9 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read. en Islands -- Fiction Positivism -- Fiction PR Text Category: Humour Category: Novels Category: British Literature Category: Philosophy & Ethics 119565 2025-08-15T09:39:03.519652 text/html 96668 2024-04-03T08:34:23 text/html 139562 2025-08-15T09:39:09.960042 application/epub+zip 139745 2025-08-15T09:39:06.989651 application/epub+zip 103722 2025-08-15T09:39:05.797561 application/epub+zip 342803 2025-08-15T09:39:11.922033 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 333866 2025-08-15T09:39:09.079078 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 279824 2022-09-17T08:54:02.878523 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 108749 2025-08-15T09:39:03.207577 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 88809 2024-04-03T09:22:26 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 17509 2025-08-15T09:39:12.044067 application/rdf+xml 21426 2025-08-15T09:39:06.292543 image/jpeg 4618 2025-08-15T09:39:06.044559 image/jpeg 140940 2025-08-15T09:39:03.531600 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia