- Hardcover: 493 pages
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Reprinted edition edition (30 Nov 1988)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0684189577
- ISBN-13: 978-0684189574
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 18.7 x 4.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
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- #25 in Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators > V > Verne, Jules
The Mysterious Island
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Product Description
Product Description
The five castaways, having landed from a balloon on an island in the Pacific, begin their struggle for survival and the adventures that will lead them to the mysterious Captain Nemo.
Verne's remarkable novel, originally published in 1875 and by Scribners in 1918 with N.C. Wyeth's magnificent illustrations, is the latest of the Scribner Illustrated Classics to be reissued. The original canvases have been newly photographed and reproduced with exceptional fidelity for this edition, and the text has been reset in the original typeface.
About the Author
Jordan Stump (Translator) is an associate professor of French at the University of Nebraska Lincoln, and translator of more than half a dozen French novels. His translation of Nobel Prize winning novelist Claude Simon s Le jardin des plantes won the French-American Foundation Translation Prize for 2001. Caleb Carr (Introduction) is the bestselling author of The Alienist and, most recently, The Lessons of Terror. He lives in New York.
--This text refers to the
Mass Market Paperback
edition.
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First Sentence
"ARE we rising again?" Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
"ARE we rising again?" Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
51 of 51 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Five men escape from imprisonment as POWs during the American Civil war by stealing a balloon designed for observation purposes. They are carried much further than expected and end up on a deserted island. Despite having nothing to work with at the start, they slowly begin to build themselves the facilities that they need. But in the background there is a disturbing thought; is the island really deserted?
This is a lengthy book, but I found that I couldn't put it down. The writing flows nicely and the descriptions are extensive without being overly long. The question would have to be raised if a group of men really could develop all of the technology from scratch as described, but with the right level of theoretical and practical education, it should be possible. The book illustrates the old adage "Necessity is the mother of invention".
This is a classic Jules Verne novel, although not one of the better known stories; this is a shame as it is a really good read. Certainly worth downloading to your Kindle.
This is a lengthy book, but I found that I couldn't put it down. The writing flows nicely and the descriptions are extensive without being overly long. The question would have to be raised if a group of men really could develop all of the technology from scratch as described, but with the right level of theoretical and practical education, it should be possible. The book illustrates the old adage "Necessity is the mother of invention".
This is a classic Jules Verne novel, although not one of the better known stories; this is a shame as it is a really good read. Certainly worth downloading to your Kindle.
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
This is quite a long read but also a very good one. Even though quite an old book the language and wording is easy to follow and does not feel old fashioned.
The story surrounds some POW's in the American Civil War who escape using a hot air balloon, but are then stranded on an island. The story follows them as they move from just surviving to colonizing the island. One of them is a scientist who knows how to make just about anything from the minerals, plants and other materials that they find.
All through the book strange mysterious things happen which make them wonder if they are alone on the island. Towards the end things start to take an unexpected turn (but to find out what you will have to read the book).
The story surrounds some POW's in the American Civil War who escape using a hot air balloon, but are then stranded on an island. The story follows them as they move from just surviving to colonizing the island. One of them is a scientist who knows how to make just about anything from the minerals, plants and other materials that they find.
All through the book strange mysterious things happen which make them wonder if they are alone on the island. Towards the end things start to take an unexpected turn (but to find out what you will have to read the book).
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Mention Jules Verne, and books that spring to mind are 20,000 Leagues, Around the World in 80 days, and Journey to the Center of the Earth. The Mysterious Island is one of his lesser known works, which is something of a mystery itself.
The book surpasses one's imagination and never fails to surprise. From the initial pages when Capt. Cyrus Harding and his friends decide to escape from a prison camp, the story seizes the complete attention of the reader, and unfolds at a pace and in a direction excelling Jules Verne's characteristic stories. The spirit and ingenuity of man is demonstrated in almost every page, as Cyrus and Co. find themselves marooned on a deserted island, and armed with only their wits, transform their desperate situation into a wonder world of science and technology. The reader is drawn into the adventure and finds himself trying to find solutions to the problems and obstacles that lie in plenty for the castaways, as Cyrus and his indomitable friends surmount myriad problems in their fight for survival. They are aided in their ventures by an uncanny and eerie source that remains a mystery until the very end.
This book cannot fail to fascinate and inspire awe in the mind of any reader. One begins to grasp the marvels and inventive genius behind the simple daily conveniences and devices that are normally taken for granted. The line between reality and fantasy is incredibly thin, and for sheer reading pleasure and boundless adventure, this book will never cease to please.
PS: The book has been adapted into a movie, which is one of the worst adaptations of any novel that I have ever had the misfortune of viewing. It is criminal to even mention the movie and the original work in the same breath.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Disappointing basic layout
Saw the film years ago as a youngster and because I've a Kindle link I thought it would be good to read the book. Read more
Published 1 month ago by R. Woodland
One of Verne's best
Quite brilliant. For what it is, a 700 page tale of some men stranded on a desert island, it is surprisingly captivating. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Andrew Ives
Make sure you pick the right edition!
This book unfortunately exists in many different editions, with various cuts and abridgements from the French original. Read more
Published 8 months ago by D. R. Cantrell
Interesting read for SF addicts
This is all three books of the Mysterious Island trilogy. The translation is Victorian or Edwardian I think, prepared by someone who read technical dictionaries for fun and likes... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. CJ Patrick
dissapointing
i was enjoying the book. its probably the longest amount of time iv ever needed to read a book, about 95% of the story was quite boring but the twists in the storyline just kept me... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mr. Smeaton
One Of Verne's Best .
This was written in 1875 and set in 1865 and is a castaway novel,updated for the scientific age.We follow a group of men who,after escaping captivity in the American Civil... Read more
Published 15 months ago by M P Hall
Bah! Humbug!
It appears I'm the only one so far who didn't like this book. I did stick it out for about a third of the book, but I couldn't bear it any longer. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Dr. G. Nicholls
Five On A Desert Island!
A REVIEW OF 'THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND' BY JULES VERNE
'The Mysterious Island' (1874) is one of the lesser-known works of Jules Verne, who today tends to be remembered for... Read more
'The Mysterious Island' (1874) is one of the lesser-known works of Jules Verne, who today tends to be remembered for... Read more
Published on 16 May 2010 by Barty Literati
A note of caution
This particular edition features an introduction written by one Caleb Carr. The first thing I must do is confess that I myself have never taken it upon me to write even something... Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2006 by A.J.
I wish I had been there
I should start by saying that this is my favourite Jules Verne novel. The story concerns a group of men who find themselves stranded on a remote island after their baloon crash... Read more
Published on 19 Aug 2005 by Mr. J. J. Davenport
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