Hippolyte's Island: An Illustrated Novel [Hardcover]

Barbara Hodgson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2001

In search of a new adventure, Hippolyte Webb, quixotic spirit, modern-day explorer, and natural historian, sets his sights on the Auroras, a group of tiny islands in the middle of the South Atlantic. His destination wouldn't be so unusual, except that these islands were last spotted almost two hundred years ago. Equipped with a centuries-old map, an inadequate sailboat, and an advance payment for a book about his quest, Hippolyte embarks on an unforgettable voyage, not just through unfamiliar seas but through the uncharted territory of his own mind and heart. This new novel by the author of The Sensualist and The Tattooed Map--lavishly illustrated with over forty illustrations and a fold-out map--is an enigmatic tale bridging the space that lies between what we believe and what we know.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Subtitled An Illustrated Novel, Barbara Hodgson's Hippolyte's Island is a literate adventure/love story brimming with beautiful reproductions of ancient maps and old brass instruments, photos of penguins, and illustrations of whales and kelp. The artifacts all relate to the sea journey of a modern-day traveler from Vancouver, Hippolyte Webb, who seeks to prove the existence of the Aurora Islands in the distant South Atlantic, which have inexplicably disappeared from modern maps. Once the eccentric and likable Webb returns from his rediscovery, he must then navigate the equally dangerous shoals of the New York publishing world and the disbelief of his editor, Marie Simplon at Rumor Press, who has promised to publish his book on the journey.

Hippolyte's Island is Hippolyte's book--for long stretches, he is alone on a rented sailboat scanning the horizon for the mysterious Auroras. As he notes in his journal: "Three specks sighted by observant, brave, intrepid, gullible, lying, hallucinating, vainglorious, reckless, spiteful eighteenth-century explorers. About to be rediscovered by an updated version endowed with pretty much the same characteristics." Though at times too factual (and burdened by a slow start), this book can also be a gripping read. Engagingly humorous and occasionally terrifying, it may cause you never to set foot on a boat again, let alone swim in the deeps of the sea. --Mark Frutkin

From Publishers Weekly

Hodgson's cleverly illustrated novel takes the reader on a fabulous journey, not only to the Aurora Islands, a mysterious trio of land formations that obsess the eccentric and delightful Hippolyte Webb, but also on a touching pilgrimage of faith. Webb, an oddball of a young man who collects ancient maps, is a born adventurer. In him, Hodgson (The Sensualist) has crafted the ultimate explorer, one who favors the tools and primitive science of the 18th and 19th centuries over the advances and conveniences of our modern-day world and craves to experience places unknown to mankind. For this particular journey, Webb comes up with the brilliant plan to turn the story of what he is sure will be an amazing discovery into a book. The Auroras, which appeared in the South Atlantic on ancient maps, have disappeared from the contemporary record. Hodgson not only takes us into Webb's mind as he plans and sets out on his fantastic voyage, but also lavishly illustrates her tale with drawings, calculations, photographs and research. The enchanting Webb is vividly realized, as are the wonders of his solo journey to the Southern Hemisphere. The real fun begins when Webb's footloose existence clashes with the precise, ordered world of Marie Simplon, his New York editor. Did the trip really take place, or was it all a sham? In her quest to discover the truth about Webb's journey, Marie is forced to examine the boundaries of her own life as well as her attraction to this wildly unconventional man. Hodgson, using her talents as both writer and artist, once again displays her gift for bringing charmingly idiosyncratic characters to life. (Sept.)Forecast: For the price, this is an elaborately designed book, and should attract browsers who favor the sepia tones of ancient maps and documents.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1ST edition (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811828921
• ISBN-13: 978-0811828925
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #449,283 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A breath of fresh air, January 23, 2002

By 

Candace "thepageturner" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hippolyte's Island: An Illustrated Novel (Hardcover)

Illustrating a novel with foldout maps, collages of flora and photos of penguins might seem like a gimmick, but in the case of "Hippolyte's Island" they add to the delight of the book. Hippolyte Webb is a travel writer, and a sometime explorer and naturalist, a man who seeks adventure and manages to do it without having a telephone. He's at home in his leaking Vancouver apartment (he labels all the water stains as if they were exotic lands) wondering what to do next. He reads about the Auroras, a trio of islands near the Falklands which some people say exist and others say do not. He'll go find out! And he does.

Little does Hippolyte know that journeying into the south Atlantic looking for elusive islands after too few sailing lessons will only be the beginning of the adventure. He has a buyer for the story of his travels, which means that he must work with his publisher. Not having a phone, fax, or computer, he arrives, disheveled, jolly, and accompanied by strangely shaped and smelling bags and crates, to take up residence in the conference room at Rumor Press.

Lighthearted, intelligent, and fun, "Hippolyte's Island" raises questions about what is real and what isn't, and why should we care? Barbara Hodgson's writing is bright and delectable, and this novel is a winner all around. The graphic element is informative as well as fun, and adds to the overall charm of the story. Lovers of literary fiction should treat themselves to this one.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you would like to escape this world for a few hours,, October 24, 2001

By 

Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Hippolyte's Island: An Illustrated Novel (Hardcover)

(and who among us would not, right now), this might be your ticket out. Ostensibly the illustrated story of Hippolyte Webb's search for an island which has disappeared from the maps, it is also a tribute to the spirit of adventure, the power of imagination, and the stick-to-it-iveness which sometimes makes dreams come true. Webb, the former owner of a travel magazine and voyager to remote and unlikely places, is also a collector of antique maps and atlases. Seeing the Aurora Islands halfway between the Falklands and South Georgia Island on old maps from the 18th century, but missing from later maps, he decides to try to find them, using equipment from the period.

Hodgson's writing is lighthearted and often very funny, making what must have been a tremendous amount of research seem perfectly natural to an iconoclast like Hippolyte, with his eclectic interests and resistance to convention. Her collages of drawings, maps, charts, and letters from Hippolyte, written on an old typewriter, are so much fun that I pored over them, looking at every detail, and I had to work hard to restrain myself from rushing ahead to see what new delights were waiting just a few pages ahead. And Hippolyte himself is an irresistible character--truly romantic and a little flaky, to be sure, but conscientious and concerned enough with the details of his journey that even the most pedantic among us will empathize.

Sailors, naturalists, archaeologists, geographers, engineers, historians accustomed to research using primary sources, and others grounded in the reality of the here and now should find the book a delightful escape. Those whose spirit of adventure sometimes propels them out of this world and into that of dreams, imagination, and new possibilities will find it positively magical. And those who dabble in writing and drawing and wish we had more talent will be positively green-eyed at Hodgson's ability to do both so well. Mary Whipple

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Now you see it; now you don't, November 24, 2001

By 

L. West "LoisLovesToRead" (Taos, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hippolyte's Island: An Illustrated Novel (Hardcover)

I'm a "slow" reader who likes to take her time savoring the use of language and ideas, so I figured this book would take me a while to finish. I was surprised when I finished it in two days!

This novel with intriguing graphics caught my attention. The graphics are outstanding, and the collage of handwritten notes on sailing and wildlife with photos, watercolors, and drawings gives more information than a verbal description and adds depth and interest to an already interesting book.

The fictional travel adventure is appealing and traveling to a mysterious place that may or may not exist sparked my curiousity. Once I started reading, I wanted to keep reading because the personality of the main character, Hippolyte Webb, was quirky and he was a man of many extreme talents as well as someone with ideosyncrasies and annoying habits.

The main thing that bothered me was his sailing solo for days across the ocean with no previous experience as a sailor other than a basic learn-to-sail course. This was pretty unbelievable, although I found humor in it. Of course, a disappearing island is also unbelievable, but that was a given when I decided to read the book and part of what appealed to me in the first place.