Author
Bernard Alexander Canter
1870-1956
Bernard Alexander Canter (1870-1956) is a public-domain author available on Rivro. Read free books, explore subjects, and discover related classics.
WikipediaBooks by Bernard Alexander Canter
Germania
"Germania" by Bernard Alexander Canter is a historical novel likely written in the early 20th century. The narrative appears to explore the lives and adventures of a family of Belfers in ancient Germany, set against a backdrop of pagan beliefs and tribal conflicts. The characters, especially Sigbert and his three sons, seem to grapple with the harsh realities of survival in a wilderness filled with both the bounty of nature and the dangers that it brings. The opening of the story focuses on Sigbert, the patriarch, and his three sons as they navigate a dense forest, reflecting on their dire circumstances after four days of wandering without sustenance. Tension mounts as they face not only physical hardships but also the existential concerns driven by their reliance on capricious gods for guidance. Through their discussions, the boys express differing opinions on the divine, particularly regarding the goddess Nehalennia, leading to a deeper exploration of faith and the consequences of their choices. Amidst their tribulations, an unexpected encounter with a wild boar and the personal dynamics between the siblings add to the unfolding drama, hinting at the larger conflicts that permeate their world.
Nieuw Utopia
"Nieuw Utopia" by Bernard Alexander Canter is a utopian-philosophical novel written in the early 20th century. It centers on Professor Godefroy Leyden, an eminent physician who seeks rejuvenation through gland transplantation and finds his soul cast into a metaphysical realm while his body lies in narcotic stasis. The narrative blends scientific speculation with satire, pitting medical inquiry against legal formalism and probing materialism, religion, and the nature of truth as it gestures toward an ideal social vision. The opening of Nieuw Utopia frames its tale as “abstract truth,” then follows Leyden, compelled to retire by law at seventy, as he undertakes an experimental operation involving transplanted ape glands. The procedure succeeds physically but leaves him in a deep, unending narcose: his body rejuvenates as his soul, expelled by anesthesia, dwells in “Psychia,” unable to return because the implanted animal forces keep the body mechanically alive. Surgeons exhaust their remedies while the legal faculty, caricatured as worshippers of form over spirit, prepares to prosecute him for evading the retirement law. Meanwhile Leyden, lucid in his disembodied state, observes the operation, tests the properties of his “psychic” body, contemplates light and time, and watches patients he once cured, before praying in humility. He then meets the jackal-headed Anubis, who demands a confession; Leyden counters with cool, scientific reasoning about sin, justice, and atavism, and begins recounting his life—just as the excerpt ends.