From Publishers Weekly
The prolific Verne (1828–1905), renowned in his day and through to ours, left at least 11 unpublished works at his death, each of which, according to the introduction by Olivier Dumas, was significantly rewritten by Verne's nephew, Michel Verne. This is the first English translation from Verne's original manuscript. Dumas, president of the Jules Verne Society in France, says the novel, set in the 18th-century Klondike, can be summed up in a single phrase: 'Death and misery in the Far North.'Â It's spiked with gold fever and an insatiable lust for difficult travel that should make today's Lonely Planeteers take notice.
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Review
“It’s spiked with ‘gold fever’ and an insatiable lust for difficult travel that should make today’s Lonely Planeteers take notice.”—Publishers Weekly
(
Publishers Weekly 20080501)
“Proof that the Frenchman’s fiction never disappoints, this version is the first authentic English translation of Verne’s original manuscript and restores the story as he originally wrote it. . . . Full of adventure and action, the novel also succeeds in providing social commentary on the evils of greed and debauchery. The differences between Verne’s manuscript and his son’s are highlighted in the preface and demonstrate how his son’s unfortunate rewrites completely altered a wonderful story that includes fascinating depictions of the arctic wilderness and the hardships of living there.”—Erica Swenson, Library Journal
(Erica Swenson
Library Journal 20080901)
"The rousing conclusion of The Golden Volcano offers Verne at his best, integrating social satire, imaginative but plausible science, and rousing adventure."—Brian Taves, Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA) Review
(Brian Taves
SFRA Review )
“Baxter’s new annotated text of The Golden Volcano has a twofold value: it’s the first to be based on Jules Verne’s original manuscript, plus it provides a clear, modern rendering of a first-rate action thriller. It echoes Bret Harte’s westerns while anticipating Jack London’s arctic sagas, and some of the scene painting here is horrifyingly naturalistic—see, for instance, the scenes of desolation and death along Chilkoot Pass. The Golden Volcano is a work of exceptional power and interest.”—Frederick Paul Walter, Verne translator and trustee of the North American Jules Verne Society
(Frederick Paul Walter )
“The Golden Volcano is a beautifully written and elegantly translated adventure tale with a biting social commentary. It is a page-turner as well as a piece of literary history—a truly stirring and unusual work.”—Peter Schulman, translator of Verne’s The Secret of Wilhelm Storitz
(Peter Schulman )
