The novel presents man's search and quest for the ultimate power and godhood. It is a narrative of man's interference into nature and the consequent destruction. It also delves into human psychology that rejects everything ugly. Written in the times of Industrial Revolution, the work also comments on the conditions of society and people.

The wear and tear of being a homosexual early this century when you had to keep quiet. The hero is a college professor who leads a double life, straight at work, gay at home. Originally published in 1919, the novel had a quick death, shunned by society.