Customer Reviews

Robur the Conqueror: Master of the World

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Verne's Robur the Conqueror and Master of the World begins with almost Swift-ian satire as the reader is introduced to the members of the Philadelphia Institute, a scientific society in the process of launching a motorized balloon. It devolves into a meandering, and poor travelogue as the two principle members of the institute, Uncle Prudent and Phil Evans, are abducted by the mysterious Robur. Robur has crafted a heavier than air machine and despite seeing it operate while onboard the two prisoners stubbornly cling to their idea that only lighter than air ships are the wave of the future.

In trying to create another enigmatic character similar to Captain Nemo Verne leaves out ANY characterization or background on Robur. The man is completely one dimensional and therefore uninteresting and unsympathetic. The rest of the story is an around the world tour on Robur's ship the Albatross, part helicopter with multiple ascender propellers. Verne describes places from the prairies of America to the cities of China and India, but all literally from a distance as the ship never touches down at any point so no characters can interact or form any semblance of a story.

Continued in the Master of the World Vern introduces Strock the American Police officer who is sent to investigate mysteries in Georgia and later to chase equally mysterious road, water and submersible technological terrors across the United States. It is not hard to guess the operator of these machines is Robur again. Just as cardboard and just as devoid of motive for doing the things he does. The character of Strock is once again along for the ride in Robur's craft; always as narrator, never as participant. Dry and plodding with only the fact of Verne's uncanny forecast of technology to supply any interesting points.

When bright lights and strange aerial phenomenon begin to be seen around the world, everyone is perplexed as to what such a thing could be. But, when the president and secretary of the Weldon Institute (a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA balloon enthusiast society) are kidnapped by a seemingly mad engineer, Robur, they quickly find that he and his fantastic airship are responsible for the strange phenomenon. Robur has mastered heavier-than-air travel, with his giant electric-powered helicopter, and he is out to rebuild the world in his image. Can his poor prisoners escape from the clutches of Robur, and how will they stop his plans?

This book was first published in 1886 by that early master of science fiction, Jules Verne (1828-1904). In many ways it is reminiscent of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but set in the air. For it's time, it was quite forward thinking in its science, and it has a very interesting story. However, it does drag at times, and overall the author does not succeed in generating any real drama therein.

Also, there is another reason why this book will never be considered one of Monsieur Verne's great works, and this is the character Frycollin, the only African-American character in the story. He is presented as an unvarnished Stepin Fetchit-type character, complete with calling his employer "Master", even though he had never known slavery. Indeed, at one point, Mr. Verne mentions Frycollin crying, "Like a child, like the Negro he was..." Yes, I do know that you cannot demand modern thinking out of people of the past, but Verne does go far too far with this character, Frycollin is definitely the poison pill of this story.

So, let me just say that I found this to be an OK book, decidedly inferior to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and with the poison pill of racism included. Overall, I do not recommend this book.

ROBUR THE CONQUEROR/MASTER OF THE WORLD FREDONIA 2002.
THIS IS VERNE'S ATTEMPT TO DO WITH AIR TRAVEL WHAT HE HAD ALREADY DONE WITH SEA TRAVEL IN 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. NOT VERNE'S BEST BUT STILL INTERESTING.

MY ONLY WARNING IS THAT THE TITLE OF THIS VERSION IS MISLEADING. VERNE DID INDEED WRITE 2 STORIES ABOUT ROBUR BUT BOTH ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS ISSUE OF THE BOOK . MASTER OF THE WORLD IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS BOOK DESPITE ITS INCLUSION IN THE TITLE. THE BOOK INDICATES THAT IT IS A FACSIMILE OF THE 1887 EDITION OF ROBUR THE CONQUEROR.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL TO READERS IF THE TRANSLATOR HAD BEEN INDICATED. APPARENTLY ACCORDING TO THE JULES VERNE SOCIETY MANY OF VERNE'S BOOKS HAVE BEEN ISSUED IN POORLY TRANSLATED OR INCOMPLETE EDITIONS SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHO IS GIVING YOU VERNE'S WORK. NEW EDITIONS OF BOOKS BY VERNE ARE APPEARING THAT HAVE MORE COMPLETE AND ACCURATE TRANSLATIONS OF THE TEXT. THIS WAS NOT ALWAYS TRUE IN THE EARLIER EDITIONS OF VERNE'S WORKS. PARTS OF THOSE BOOKS WERE CUT OR REWRITTEN BY THE TRANSLATOR. EVEN THE NAMES OF VERNE
CHARACTERS WERE CHANGED.

FOR MORE INFO ON TRANSLATING VERNE AND WHAT THAT MEANS TO THE READER VISIT THE WEB SITE OF THE JULES VERNE SOCIETY OF NORTH AMERICA. THEY SHOW EXAMPLES OF OLD POOR TRANSLATION AND POINT OUT NEW MORE ACCURATE AND COMPLETE EDITIONS OF VERNE.