Mysterious Island
(Jules Verne)
The mysterious island is a science fiction cum cast away masterpiece from Jules Verne. It is set against the backdrop of the American civil war. The story revolves around five men who find themselves stranded on an island in the south pacific. But they call themselves colonists rather than castaways and face circumstances head on.
Once they safely land on an island via a balloon, they quickly find an enterprising leader in the engineer Cyrus Smith who proves to be visionary as well. The other characters- a sailor, a reporter, a young boy who has a peculiar skill with botany and a slave who is passionately dedicated to Cyrus. Most of the beginning part of the book deals with how the cast always set themselves up on the island. It might sound a little boring with all the details. But as you read on, you start admiring at the innovative techniques used by them. And also how easily and simply they conquer some daunting challenges. The fact that they made everything from pottery to explosives and iron tools from just the raw resources on the island gives a hint of what human potential is capable off.
They also face a lot of enemies from wild beasts to a ship full of pirates. In the midst of that they even manage a rescue operation to another island. The narrative is describes in great detail the flora, fauna, and the surroundings of the island. Also the work undertaken by the colonists to transform their island is meticulously described and any illusion that they have a magic wand to make things happen is quickly dispelled. The reader would be awed at the author''s zeal to put in such a lot of information as well as the amount of research that he might have done to do the same.
One factor that dominates the book from the beginning to just a few pages before beginning is the presence of a mysterious other on the island. As the story progresses a reader who has not heard the story before will be brimming with suspense as to the identity of the other who seem to aid them quite often and yet remain hidden. At first only Cyrus gets a hint of him but by the end every one knows and they set out in search of their benefactor.
The book is about human spirit and courage and even more about the brotherly love and respect between men. This is illustrated in how the five men care for each other and how they bring back another from the verge of inhumanity. Its must read among castaway novels and Verne at one of his best.
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