A review by helmling
The Purple Cloud by M.P. Shiel

1.0

As an older example of the "last man" story, this one had somehow slipped through my survey of the history of science fiction...for good reason. Quite a slog. Listen, I tire easily of 19th century prose and this thing is the kind of book that has instilled that in me.

A considerable portion of the novel is just the main character going from place to place, taking note of the considerable number of dead bodies left behind by the titular toxic apocalypse. The only noteworthy thing I can say is that Shiel certainly took a chance on the protagonist. Rather than give us a bland everyman, this guy is a real piece of work. Spoilers...

Shiel's theme throughout is the duality of man which he develops by literally having the narrator hear voices--one "white," one "black"--urging him one way or another. What final moral we're supposed to take away from the fact that in his idle hours this lunatic decides to burn down most of the great cities of the world and is only restored to some state of civilization by his predictable late-in-the-game discovery of a lone, nubile female survivor escapes me.

Yeah, just, no.