The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne (Week 1)

[Gem , Moderator]

The Mysterious Island
Week 1 (June 17 - 23) Part 1, Chapters 1 - 12

Welcome to our group read of The Mysterious Island which is #3 in the Captain Nemo series and #12 in the Extraordinary Voyages series.

FYI: Depending on the edition you are reading three of the main characters had different/variations of their names:

Cyrus Harding = Cyrus Smith
Pencroft = Pencroff
Herbert Brown = Harbert Brown

1) Have you previously read Captain Nemo #1 -
In Search of the Castaways; or the Children of Captain Grant and/or Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea #2? If so, what do you expect from Captian Nemo in this book?

2) From the beginning, this story had so much happening activity. Do you think this was an effective "hook" for you? Did you enjoy the immediate action or did you miss the (sometimes) extensive story setup used in some other books?

3) Do you think the group has set themselves up depending so much on Harding (Smith)? Would they have/learn the skills (between the four to live and thrive if Harding (Smith) had not been found? Did you see any glimpse that the group of four knew more than they thought they did?

4) Looking at all the characters and the skills they do have, what do each of them bring to the table? Is the presence of any of them superfluous? Is there any great gap in knowledge/skills the group does not have?

5) Based on what we have read so far and on Maslow's hierarchy of societal needs (physiological, safety, love & belonging, esteem, and self-actualization) do you foresee our group being able to obtain these needs? Do you foresee any problems the group will face, regarding these needs?

[Lori, Moderator]

The only Verne I have read is Around the World in 80 Days, so no Captain Nemo. I was a bit worried they're depending too much on Harding. What would they have done if he had died? I suppose they would have figured things out once they finished panicking.
To be honest I've never been into survivalist adventures and am more intrigued by the implication that they're not alone on the island. Looking forward to finding out what happens to them!

[Gem , Moderator]

Lori wrote: "more intrigued by the implication that they're not alone on the island"

Me too. I have my suspicions but don't for sure, just a guess.

[Nancy]

I agree that there is probably another human or humans on the island, but I'm afraid they may be hostile. In general, I find that the long descriptions of the geography, flora, and fauna in the story are overdone and boring. I understand that Verne was intrigued with the science (even though many of the ideas he espouses through Captain Harding are outdated), but I'm more interested in the human element of the story, at which he is not very good; however, I intend to stick with it to the bitter end.

[Brian E]

I'm joining in the read a bit late. While I will try to catch up I will likely be posting a bit later than most.

Gem wrote: "Did you enjoy the immediate action or did you miss the (sometimes) extensive story setup used in some other books?"

I found the character setup and activity to be fairly well done and was not too quick. I think it's better storytelling to have some activity and leave some of the character exposition to after or during the activity rather than doing it all prior to it. I think the story is long enough and didn't need any more set-up chapters.
As I remember, the movie started with the activity right away, in the balloon during the storm.

Gem wrote: "Is there any great gap in knowledge/skills the group does not have?"

Medical? They're also relying on a youth for zoological info, but they seem to, as a group, have a greater knowledge derived from life experiences than I would have expected.

Gem wrote: "Do you foresee any problems the group will face, regarding these needs?"

Having seen the movie, though it was many years ago and a thoroughly "Hollywood" version, I don't know if what I am foreseeing is based on memory or not so I will try to refrain from 'foreseeing' too much.
I realize the movie will end up having many elements and characters not in the book. So far, the characters are all the same in the movie, though slightly adjusted (Harbert is a young soldier).

[Gem , Moderator]

Brian E wrote: "I'm joining in the read a bit late. While I will try to catch up I will likely be posting a bit later than most.

I have no doubt you'll catch up.

I haven't watched a movie version as yet on purpose, I'll watch one after we finish reading the book.

[Ian]

I am posting this quite a bit late, because I only just discovered an omnibus edition of real “Extraordinary Voyages” contemporary with Verne: Delphi Classics’ Victorian Explorers and Travellers: Collected Works,” available on Kindle. https://www.amazon.com/Victorian-Expl...

This runs to almost 32,000 digital pages (which I assume matches the hardcopy page total), so browsing is necessary. It is heavily weighted with explorations in Africa, but other parts of the world are covered, including, for example, the Rocky Mountains.

The narratives are, of course, loaded with nineteenth century assumptions about race, class, and gender. One has to grit one’s teeth and get on with the story.

But some of these attitudes are quietly mocked in Mary Kingsley’s “Travels in West Africa,” which I last read about twenty years ago.

Despite her obvious intelligence, she had been denied a real education, as being just a daughter, and throughout her life she had to deal with similar attitudes and prejudices. She has a tendency to be ironic, rather than overtly angry, about it. At one point she reflects on white European claims to inherent superiority to black Africans, and concludes that the difference is of about the same degree as that between men and women….

[Gem , Moderator]

Ian wrote: "The narratives are, of course, loaded with nineteenth century assumptions about race, class, and gender. One has to grit one’s teeth and get on with the story."

No worries about being late.

I agree with you. It's not an easy thing to overlook.