The Mysterious Island (Scribner's Illustrated Classics)

Rating:
Summary: A little unbelievable
Review: The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne is about five men, escaping from prison during the Civil War, who try to survive on a deserted island. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe sparked ideas for both this book and the story of The Swiss Family Robinson. All books such as this are hard to write because the author must convince the reader that those stranded on the island don't 'cheat' by getting the things they need. The stranded humans must plausibly obtain their wants and needs without too many coincidences or gifts from God. This book does a mediocre job. The afterward by Isaac Asimov writes that in this book the five men do not have a stranded ship in which to take items as Robinson Crusoe had had. However, the men are placed on an island with everything they could possibly need: a somewhat unbelievable variety of flora and fauna proportional to the size of the island. Also, one of the men, an engineer, knows just about everything. He can make fire, create a battery out of the acids in the decomposed seaweed (???), make a kiln that produces pottery, and knows the exact amount of coal and iron to melt together to form steel. This is unbelievable to me that the engineer could do all of this with the raw tools he had available. Throughout the novel a mysterious being would provide the now very comfortable colonists with items or help as they needed it without making himself known. I think this is cheating as there would most likely not be anyone to help me if I were deserted on an island. The book is great when looked at from in intellectual view because it explains how neccessities and stoves could be produced if the means were there...emphasis on the 'could be.' It is interesting to see, for example, the bread tree in which a sort of flour can be obtained. Also the chemistry within the novel is very advanced and would without doubt make exactly what the characters were making...if you knew how to do it.


Rating:
Summary: Mysterious whisper
Review: This is a fine Victorian era fantasy novel by Jules Verne. Five Civil War era Americans get stranded on a mysterious island. They manage to survive, and even thrive, thanks to their ingenuity (and from some other means that I won't reveal because that would give away the secret behind the mystery). That's all I am going to say about this book, read it yourself and discover what happens. Recommended to fans of 19th Century fiction.

Rating:
Summary: outstanding storytelling and timeless too
Review: This is a great adventure tale in which a small band of men fleeing the Civil War make their way to a "mysterious island" where they do much better than simply make do in a primitive day to day survival. They make the island their kingdom, and make the most of its natural features and resources to an amazing degree. Verne draws the reader into wondering what's going to happen next and what they are going to make or build next. The conclusion is creative and satisfying as well. The Mysterious Island is simply a classic story that can be enjoyed by all ages.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Have For Verne Fans!!!
Review: This is a great book. It has a biography of Verne plus two prefaces to different novels he wrote (the only two), and detailed notes. The novels runs about 650 pages long, but caution, there are some versions that are 200 pages shorter, and some of the character names are changed. Make sure it is this version, but if you do not want all the extra information, there are editions with just the novel. A great book, and perfect if you loved "Twenty-Thousand Leagues under The Sea".