Published in 1894, La Fin Des Livres (The End of Books) is less a novel and more of a speculative essay dressed up as fiction. Written by bibliophile Octave Uzanne and illustrated by the fantastic Albert Robida, it presents a conversation between friends in a Parisian library. They dream up a 20th century where printing is dead.

The Story

The 'story' is simple: a group of intellectuals debate the future. They predict that cheap, mass-produced phonographs (called 'audiophones') will replace books. Why read 'War and Peace' when you can listen to a dramatic performance on a wax cylinder? Newspapers will be delivered as daily spoken summaries. Libraries will become 'phonographotecques.' The written word, they argue, is doomed by convenience. Robida's illustrations bring this world to life, showing people lounging in parks with listening tubes to their ears instead of holding books.

Why You Should Read It

It's fascinating because they got so much wrong, but also eerily right. They didn't predict the internet, but they perfectly predicted the podcast, the audiobook boom, and our shift toward audio-based information. Reading it today feels like looking into a cracked mirror. Their excitement about technology is mixed with a real sadness about losing the tactile pleasure of a book. You can feel them wrestling with the idea of progress, wondering what beautiful things we might lose in the pursuit of what's new and easy.

Final Verdict

Perfect for anyone curious about the history of technology, lovers of weird old books, or people who enjoy a good debate about Kindle vs. paperback. It's a quick, illustrated glimpse into the anxieties of a past generation that mirrors our own digital-age worries. Don't expect a thrilling plot—come for the prophetic chit-chat and Robida's charming, detailed drawings of a world that never quite was.