Helpful Score: 3
How is it possible that I have lived 41 years without having known the pleasure of a Jules Verne novel? This is a masterfully written novel about 5 castaways that are strewn upon an uncharted island in the Pacific Ocean with nothing except the clothes on their backs. The castaways, using their intelligence, are able to use the natural amenities of the island for their survival. This book contains beautifully written descriptions of science, natural history, geology and many other sciences. The island also holds great mysteries. I immensely enjoyed this novel and can say that it places in my top 10 novels of all time. The afterword by Isaac Asimov is humorous and thought provoking.
If you have never read this novel I highly recommend that you take the time to immerse yourself in the pleasures within.
If you have never read this novel I highly recommend that you take the time to immerse yourself in the pleasures within.
Helpful Score: 3
Do NOT use this book as a survival manual!!
Right, now that we have that straightened out...what a book! I write this review with tongue in cheek, just as the author must have written this book. Why? well...
Five Union prisoners of war escape Richmond, VA in a Rebel spy balloon, and a mere five days later end up on a remote island in the Pacific. Being very resourceful (not to mention absolute geniuses) they do what anyone stranded on a deserted island would do: they forge their own iron and steel tools, make glass, an elevator, nitroglycerin, and even a telegraph using 100% natural materials (think the professor from Gilligan's Island). But in the course of their struggle against nature, strange incidents convince them that this island may not be as deserted as they thought...(insert ominous music)...
Be prepared for a kicker ending that will leave you chocking on your lithodomus!
Right, now that we have that straightened out...what a book! I write this review with tongue in cheek, just as the author must have written this book. Why? well...
Five Union prisoners of war escape Richmond, VA in a Rebel spy balloon, and a mere five days later end up on a remote island in the Pacific. Being very resourceful (not to mention absolute geniuses) they do what anyone stranded on a deserted island would do: they forge their own iron and steel tools, make glass, an elevator, nitroglycerin, and even a telegraph using 100% natural materials (think the professor from Gilligan's Island). But in the course of their struggle against nature, strange incidents convince them that this island may not be as deserted as they thought...(insert ominous music)...
Be prepared for a kicker ending that will leave you chocking on your lithodomus!
Helpful Score: 1
I picked up The Mysterious Island from a reference related to the TV series "LOST". Though a bit onerous to get my mind to accept the writing style and character descriptions, it became a joy to read and I happily read all 629 pages in no time. This would be a lot of fun as a discussion topic just in character development alone. All Verne's characters appear one-dimensional because everything he describes is so darn positive. And yet the true nature of the characters develop exactly as Verne probably intended - a really interesting difference from more modern writing styles. Definitely worth reading. I laughed out loud (though it is NOT a comedy) and shook my head many times throughout - particularly the surprise ending!
