Customer Reviews

Off on a Comet (Large Print Edition)

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I became interested in Off On A Comet through the old Classics Comics version, and I was able to track it down once in the late 1970's; this book is exceedingly rare. It concerns the travels of a French foreign legionnaire, his sidekick, and various others carried off on a comet which sideswipes the earth in the 1800's. This "comet" is a small, planetiod-like world with atmosphere, land, and ocean. The journey is utterly unbelievable in the light of present knowledge, but Verne is as scientifically correct relative to the knowledge of his day as he could be. Before the travelers are redeposited on the earth in another grazing collision, the comet's eccentric orbit carries them near Venus and Mars, causing them to suffer through terrible extremes of climate. Verne delights in the ability of human ingenuity to overdome obstacles, conflicts, and deprivation as they explore and edure their temporary home. The flights of imagination involved are remarkable and the characterizations are good. I was, however, surprised at the vicious anti-Semitism evident in the characters and the narrative. This will be an enormous problem for many readers, and is a major flaw in an otherwise superb work

As with another reviewer, nostalgic recollection of the great Classics Illustrated Comic version of Off on a Comet prompted me to get the original from the library. Alas, Off on a Comet begins at a point near the end of the Classics Comics plot. Turns out all the good parts are in part one of Hector Servadac, called To the Sun. The library found me a volume called "The Space Novels of Jules Verne" (Dover publications, 1960) which contains both To the Sun? and Off on a Comet. Sometimes these are called Hector Servadac: Part One and Hector Servadac: Part Two, respectively.

Off on a Comet! a Journey through Planetary Space by Jules Verne. Published by MobileReference (mobi).

This is a story of Hector Servadac and his friends that found themselves riding on a comet which has just avoided a collision with earth but left a little scratch and took a piece of land along.

Lesser-known, and with good reason. It starts with a comet no one noticed smacking a big old piece off the earth. This big old piece has a few competing military units on it, none of whom notice the contact. (Your "bad physics" meter should already have pegged, given only that much.)

The remainder, up until some more bad physics at the end, explores some fairly brutal stereotypes of Verne's era. Bizarrely motivated scientist, innately superior British, some French in denial about British superiority, lazy Mediterraneans, and powerful Russians with motives only dumly exposed to reason - they're all there. Plus some fairly vicious stereotypes about Jews.

On the whole missing this will be a great gift to yourself, unless you want to remind yourself just how far we've come.

-- wiredweird

The old masters are always a treat. The imagination and accuracy of the author, the juggling of the characters,etc are a treat to read.

I came accross this book not in its orginal format but thru a translation in 'MARATHI' (An Indian Language) by 'Bha. RA. BHAGWAT'. This too some 20 years back. Since then I am trying to find a copy.

Its a story of a group of people who hitch a ride on a comet and go accross the planetory system , and in due course return back to earth.

Although, it may sound quite out of date now , there is some sceintefic basis to many of the trick used by these people.

Verne also dwels upon behaviours of people trapped on a journey of no return, though it should be treated with a vintage flavour.

All in all, its a flight of imagination wich will take you hours of enjoyment.