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The Mysterious Island eBook Jules Verne

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The Mysterious Island eBook Jules Verne

Published in 1874, the novel is a crossover sequel to Verne's famous Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaways. The book tells the adventures of five Americans on an uncharted island in the South Pacific. The story begins in the American Civil War, during the siege of Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederate States of America. As famine and death ravage the city, five northern prisoners of war decide to escape by hijacking a balloon. After flying in stormy weather for several days, the group crash-lands on a cliff-bound, volcanic, unknown (and fictitious) island. (Wikipedia) This story is "science-y" fiction with the only "supernatural" force being the mysterious and hidden benefactor that renders assistance at the most opportune times as the five men (considering themselves to be colonists) establish themselves on the island. The colonists not only meet their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter, but due to an engineer well versed in all areas of science, they also produce pottery, bricks, nitroglycerin, iron, and a simple electric telegraph.

For me, the most fascinating aspect of this book is that Jules Verne knew so much about science in 1874 that the colonists fantastic feats, although a little far-fetched, are believable in 2015. I found the conversation among the characters about the sustainability of coal energy to be particularly fascinating. How would Jules Verne feel to know that nearly 150 years later, we STILL rely on coal energy! At 500 Kindle pages, this was a lengthy read and at times it felt over-powered with detail. The painstaking process of creating their "Granite House" dwelling includes descriptions of the survey of the island for the best location, the search for the raw materials to make nitroglycerine, the manufacture of nitroglycerine, the preparation of the site, and the creation of instruments and tools to produce bricks and mortar to outfit their home with a hearth, etc. The day-to-day activity of exploring, building, cultivating, hunting, and animal herding is interrupted by a rescue of a castaway from the closest charted island and a battle with pirates.

Despite it's length and occasional tedium, I felt compelled to finish the book and stick with the colonists to learn their fate.


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The Mysterious Island eBook Jules Verne Reviews

I purchased a leather bound omnibus of four Verne tales in an Antique store in 1969 and was instantly hooked. I found a copy of the Mysterious Island later that year, a worn library book in my elementary school library, and surprised my teacher by doing a book report on it . . . she assumed it was over my head, but I surprised her. My mother purchased a copy for my next birthday, a Kingstone translation, a hardback version I still have.

The Kingstone translation is all I have ever know, but I heard about the Jordan Stump translation and had to buy it.

I am told that this version is more truthful to how the book reads in French, the language Verne wrote in. I will certainly say that the version holds up well, having not read my Kingstone versions in ten or fifteen years.

It is a great tale that shows how a number of strong willed men, when led by a man knowledgeable in engineering and the sciences, can overcome severe adversity. The Mysterious Island is a not an easy read for most, written in the common language of the 19th century and containing many, many sections wherein the characters use their knowledge of period skills and science to survive on an uncharted island. For those of you who have not yet attempted the reading of Verne's novels, I would suggest starting with '20000 leagues' . . . if you like that try this one; it too has a great deal of geography and science involved in the story.
This book was a favorite of mine as a child but this version was a much better translation. Decades later it is still an affecting story of man's perseverance. Verne' s style is to write the incredible, perhaps not always the believable. You would have to have quite the scientific mind to understand whether the works of Cyrus Harding were even possible. Or understand the accuracy of Herbert's descriptions of the flora and fauna. But this is science-fiction so it is unimportant in the end. Very stimulating for the mind.
Think of this book as "Lost" for the Civil War era. Prisoners escape a Confederate prison camp/city in a balloon, which is blown by a hurricane to a mysterious island, where they survive and thrive, while mysteries slowly build up.

I read this book back in high school, but only remembered a few high points, including the central mystery's resolution. Re-reading it now, and listening to the audio book, led me to re-evaluate it. Be aware that even though it was probably fairly progressive, when it was written, that description does not hold up today. Neither does some of the science, including how the hurricane moved. I also have to wonder if this book is where the idea of 'monkey butlers' came from.

Also, please note that this book is almost required reading for fans of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
As a child I was introduced to , "The Mysterious Island," through a 1961 film complete with giant mutant animals and other horrific dangers. That is not the story Jules Verne wrote.

Details of survival and people caring for one another are the mainstay of thus novel, a combination of adventure and gentleness, tensions and success, mysteries and discovery.

Jules Verne is a bit of a slow read but I find his work to be satisfying. It is reading a classic. A dictionary of scientific terms in the areas of geography, botany, zoology, and geology seemed necessary at times.

People looking for a fairly long yet satisfying read will like this book. It is interesting to note that, in keeping with the moral writing styles of its time, there is no sexual suggestions. Indeed there are no women on this island nor the suggestion that they were even missed!

So get in your balloon and escape to "The Mysterious Island," for an interesting and different read.
Published in 1874, the novel is a crossover sequel to Verne's famous Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaways. The book tells the adventures of five Americans on an uncharted island in the South Pacific. The story begins in the American Civil War, during the siege of Richmond, Virginia, the capital of the Confederate States of America. As famine and death ravage the city, five northern prisoners of war decide to escape by hijacking a balloon. After flying in stormy weather for several days, the group crash-lands on a cliff-bound, volcanic, unknown (and fictitious) island. (Wikipedia) This story is "science-y" fiction with the only "supernatural" force being the mysterious and hidden benefactor that renders assistance at the most opportune times as the five men (considering themselves to be colonists) establish themselves on the island. The colonists not only meet their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter, but due to an engineer well versed in all areas of science, they also produce pottery, bricks, nitroglycerin, iron, and a simple electric telegraph.

For me, the most fascinating aspect of this book is that Jules Verne knew so much about science in 1874 that the colonists fantastic feats, although a little far-fetched, are believable in 2015. I found the conversation among the characters about the sustainability of coal energy to be particularly fascinating. How would Jules Verne feel to know that nearly 150 years later, we STILL rely on coal energy! At 500 pages, this was a lengthy read and at times it felt over-powered with detail. The painstaking process of creating their "Granite House" dwelling includes descriptions of the survey of the island for the best location, the search for the raw materials to make nitroglycerine, the manufacture of nitroglycerine, the preparation of the site, and the creation of instruments and tools to produce bricks and mortar to outfit their home with a hearth, etc. The day-to-day activity of exploring, building, cultivating, hunting, and animal herding is interrupted by a rescue of a castaway from the closest charted island and a battle with pirates.

Despite it's length and occasional tedium, I felt compelled to finish the book and stick with the colonists to learn their fate.