The Mysterious Island [Mass Market Paperback]

Jules Verne (Author), Bruce Sterling (Introduction), Isaac Asimov (Afterword)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2004

With little more than courage and ingenuity, five Union prisoners escaped the siege of Richmond-by hot-air balloon. They have no idea if they'll ever see civilization again-especially when they're swept off by a raging storm to the shores of an uncharted island.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jules Verne, born at Nantes, France, in 1828, of legal and seafaring stock, was the author of innumerable adventure stories that combined a vivid imagination with a gift for popularizing science. Although he studied law at Paris, he devoted his life entirely to writing. His most popular stories, besides 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870), include: Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863), Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), A Trip to the Moon (1865), Around the World in Eighty Days (1872), and Michael Strogoff (1876). In addition, he was the author of a number of successful plays, as well as a popular history of exploration from Phoenician times to the mid-nineteenth century, The Discovery of the Earth (1878-80). After a long and active career in literature, Jules Verne died at Amiens, France, in 1905.
Isaac Asimov authored over 400 books in a career that lasted nearly 50 years. As a leading scientific writer, historian, and futurist, he covered a variety of subjects ranging from mathematics to humor, and won numerous awards for his work.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 624 pages
• Publisher: Signet Classics (July 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451529413
• ISBN-13: 978-0451529411
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #674,799 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Very Poor Translation, November 26, 2006

By 

Dr. C. W. Butcher (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mysterious Island (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the 1875 translation, by WHG Kingston, which cuts sections of text, changes the names of the characters and is generally not faithful. Choose instead Sidney Kravitz's version for Wesleyan University Press to really understand what Verne intended to say.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Jules Verne Novel, August 26, 2006

By 

J. Prager "neoverexxa" (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Mysterious Island (Mass Market Paperback)

I love the work of Jules Verne, and this is by far his best work. The island is really a symbol for the world, and how we could make use with it and still live in harmony with it. This translation (Signet Classic version) was very readable, and I believe that it was not edited in any way, but I can't find that anywhere on the book itself. I only mention this, because some Jules Verne novels are shamelessly cut apart, and censor the reading before the reader even has a chance to judge. The introduction and afterword are negligible. The characters are great, and even though they may be a little unbelievable by today's standards, the whole point of the novel is about what GREAT men can do even with nothing to start with. A MUST read after 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (be especially careful which version of that book you get)

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining Castaway Classic, June 21, 2010

By 

ironman96 (Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Mysterious Island (Mass Market Paperback)

This book lands in the category of Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson. It's a great concept with an intriguiging start and finish. However, some of the inbetween gets a little slow. It is definitely worth the read and is educational as well. The resourcefulness of the castaways is remarkable and somewhat unbelieveable at the same time. (spoiler alert) The book has a great tie-in to 20,000 Leagues which made things even more mysterious. Also, Issac Asimov has an afterword which thankfully was an afterword rather than an introduction, making it easy to skip.