Customer Reviews

Adrift in the Pacific: Two Years Holiday

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I know best the title of this book as "A Long Vacation". In English,
other variants are "Boy Castaways", "Two Year Holiday", "Two
Year's Vacation", "A Two Years' Vacation", "Adrift in the Pacific", etc.
The "Adrift" part is misleading, since most of the book the boys are
actually on land. I have also heard of this book being published in
two volumes: #1 Adrift in the Pacific, and #2 Two Year's Holiday.
In any case the story is about a group of boys on a ship that has
drifted away from her dock and they are blown across the globe to an island
off South America. Unlike Mysterious Island, there is no Civil War,
no adults, no scientist like Cyrus Harding, etc. so there are many
more differences than similarities. As usual Verne anticipates
the future with things like para-sailing. A very good, exciting story.
Compare it to Golding's "Lord of the Flies".

The adventure story of 15 boys of different country origins took the heart of Japanese young people and lots of dramas, movies, comics based upon this story had been created in Japan and the love for this adventure would never seem to fade. What made this obscure Verne story into one of the most well known Verne classic in Japan is the title of the translation from English version "Adrift In The Pacific"

Coined as "Jugo Shonen Hyouryuuki(The adventure of fifteen boys adrift at sea)" this story was made distinctive, which made its original title from French original "Two Years Vacation" left forgotten.

The story line is very simple, 15 boys accidentally adrift in the huge boat find an uninhabited island and create their miniature world community thereupon with fights though with lesser degree than adults and final dramatic discovery of Patagonian coast which eventually rescue themselves. It is no doubt no less exciting than famous Verne classics such as "Around The World In Eighty Days" "Journey To The Center Of The World" and "20,000 leagues Under The Sea".

Highly recommended if you like Tom Sawyer styled adventure stories.

This book is a clear respite from today's highly technological and impersonal life, taking you back to the 1800's.