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Путешествия и приключения капитана Гаттераса
Научно-фантастический роман.
Увлекательные исследования и приключениях!
Никто из команды не знал цели отправившегося в плавание брига «Вперед». Только в открытом море стало ясно, что их ждет опасное путешествие к Северному полюсу.
Увлекательные исследования и приключениях!
Никто из команды не знал цели отправившегося в плавание брига «Вперед». Только в открытом море стало ясно, что их ждет опасное путешествие к Северному полюсу.
498 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 26, 1866
148 people are currently reading
4230 people want to read
About the author
Jules Verne
6,677 books12.2k followersNovels of French writer Jules Gabriel Verne, considered the founder of modern science fiction, include
Journey to the Center of the Earth
(1864) and
Around the World in Eighty Days
(1873).
This author who pioneered the genre. People best know him for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870).
Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before people invented navigable aircraft and practical submarines and devised any means of spacecraft. He ranks behind Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie as the second most translated author of all time. People made his prominent films. People often refer to Verne alongside Herbert George Wells as the "father of science fiction."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_V...
This author who pioneered the genre. People best know him for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870).
Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before people invented navigable aircraft and practical submarines and devised any means of spacecraft. He ranks behind Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie as the second most translated author of all time. People made his prominent films. People often refer to Verne alongside Herbert George Wells as the "father of science fiction."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_V...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews
April 13, 2022
Another rousing tale by Jules Verne which is a part of his amazing Voyages Extraordinaires series. We know his most popular story, but there are over 50 books in the series and this one takes us on a trip to find the North Pole with Captain Hatteras. Just a marvelous adventure book and one that is amazing in its scope and detail with all the research done by Verne without even leaving France. Captain Hatteras is driven to be the first man to "discover" the North Pole and so we follow the boat Forward on its journey, its eventual grounding on ice, near starvation conditions, mutiny and yet a fierce determination by 5 men to complete this exploration. Filled with so many facts about polar exploration, this is a combination of geography, geology, botany and so much more. A fast read for me and my 2nd of the series that I have finished. Hoping to read more of the series. For a more complete review, feel free to join me at www.viewsonbooks.com
October 11, 2024
This was one of the most exciting adventure stories I've ever read. The stakes were maintained at a high level throughout, the characters were interesting, the plot moved along at a fair old clip and the action scenes were very well written. The mystery of the captain's identity that lasted throughout the first quarter of the book was fascinating; I was a little disappointed when it was resolved, to be honest.
The only reason I haven't given this 5 stars is that it is riddled with silly continuity errors and other mistakes, some of which may be the fault of the translator and some of which definitely aren't.
The only reason I haven't given this 5 stars is that it is riddled with silly continuity errors and other mistakes, some of which may be the fault of the translator and some of which definitely aren't.
March 4, 2026
This is my favorite book. Period.
I say that not because it is perfect, but because it is monumental. The Adventures of Captain Hatteras is a book with jagged, icy edges and a core of pure, burning fire. To call it merely an adventure story is to miss the point entirely; it is a profoundly tragic character study disguised as a polar expedition, and it has lived in my heart since the moment I finished its devastating final pages.
Let me be honest: this book requires patience. Jules Verne, writing in the 19th century, is unapologetic about his desire to educate. There are lengthy passages—some might call them "info-dumps"—detailing the history of Arctic exploration and the intricacies of natural sciences. If you are a reader who needs the plot to move at a relentless clip, the first half of this novel may feel like trudging through snow. I have spoken to many who skim these sections, and I understand why. They can feel dense and slow.
But here is the secret: that patience is rewarded a hundredfold. Once the expedition leaves behind the last outposts of civilization, the novel transforms into something gripping, claustrophobic, and utterly terrifying. The trials the men face—the cold, the mutiny, the starvation, the looming threat of madness—are rendered with such visceral intensity that you feel the frost in your own bones.
And then there is Captain John Hatteras.
He is not a simple hero. He is an obsessive, a man so consumed by the dream of reaching the North Pole that he becomes blind to everything else. He is obstinate, difficult, and at times, a genuine jerk who endangers his own men. But he is also magnificent in his unwavering dedication. His friendship with the warm, good-natured Dr. Clawbonny provides the beating heart of the story; it is the light relief in an otherwise dark and frozen world, and it makes the captain's fate all the more poignant.
The final act of this book is the reason it is my favorite. Without spoiling the journey, I will say that the ending is not a triumphant one. It is heartbreaking in the truest sense. Watching a man of such immense will be broken by the very force of his ambition left me deeply moved. There is a profound tragedy in witnessing someone achieve their goal only to be hollowed out by it, and the grief of his loyal friends is palpable on the page. I have rarely, if ever, been so affected by a conclusion.
Yes, the book is a product of its time. It is thick with the kind of nationalism that can feel alien to a modern reader, and it serves as a perfect illustration of an era where unexplored places were seen as prizes to be claimed.
But for me, these are not marks against it; they are layers that add to its complexity. It is a novel about the limits of human endurance, the beauty and terror of ambition, and the warmth of friendship in the coldest place on Earth.
The Adventures of Captain Hatteras is not an easy read, but it is an unforgettable one. It is a flawed, magnificent, and deeply moving masterpiece. I will never stop loving it.
I say that not because it is perfect, but because it is monumental. The Adventures of Captain Hatteras is a book with jagged, icy edges and a core of pure, burning fire. To call it merely an adventure story is to miss the point entirely; it is a profoundly tragic character study disguised as a polar expedition, and it has lived in my heart since the moment I finished its devastating final pages.
Let me be honest: this book requires patience. Jules Verne, writing in the 19th century, is unapologetic about his desire to educate. There are lengthy passages—some might call them "info-dumps"—detailing the history of Arctic exploration and the intricacies of natural sciences. If you are a reader who needs the plot to move at a relentless clip, the first half of this novel may feel like trudging through snow. I have spoken to many who skim these sections, and I understand why. They can feel dense and slow.
But here is the secret: that patience is rewarded a hundredfold. Once the expedition leaves behind the last outposts of civilization, the novel transforms into something gripping, claustrophobic, and utterly terrifying. The trials the men face—the cold, the mutiny, the starvation, the looming threat of madness—are rendered with such visceral intensity that you feel the frost in your own bones.
And then there is Captain John Hatteras.
He is not a simple hero. He is an obsessive, a man so consumed by the dream of reaching the North Pole that he becomes blind to everything else. He is obstinate, difficult, and at times, a genuine jerk who endangers his own men. But he is also magnificent in his unwavering dedication. His friendship with the warm, good-natured Dr. Clawbonny provides the beating heart of the story; it is the light relief in an otherwise dark and frozen world, and it makes the captain's fate all the more poignant.
The final act of this book is the reason it is my favorite. Without spoiling the journey, I will say that the ending is not a triumphant one. It is heartbreaking in the truest sense. Watching a man of such immense will be broken by the very force of his ambition left me deeply moved. There is a profound tragedy in witnessing someone achieve their goal only to be hollowed out by it, and the grief of his loyal friends is palpable on the page. I have rarely, if ever, been so affected by a conclusion.
Yes, the book is a product of its time. It is thick with the kind of nationalism that can feel alien to a modern reader, and it serves as a perfect illustration of an era where unexplored places were seen as prizes to be claimed.
But for me, these are not marks against it; they are layers that add to its complexity. It is a novel about the limits of human endurance, the beauty and terror of ambition, and the warmth of friendship in the coldest place on Earth.
The Adventures of Captain Hatteras is not an easy read, but it is an unforgettable one. It is a flawed, magnificent, and deeply moving masterpiece. I will never stop loving it.
July 9, 2020
Coincidências da vida.
Termino a leitura do livro “Toda a luz que não podemos ver”.
Fim de semana. Biblioteca fechada.
A minha reserva de livros por ler diminuta e nada especialmente cativante.
Drama!
Abro parêntesis: o livro acabado de ler faz inúmeras referências a Júlio Verne e Capitão Hatteras.
A minha filha que não tinha a mais pálida ideia do conteúdo do livro que li deposita-me nas mãos uma história que leu na adolescência por duas vezes e que adorou: “JÚLIO VERNE – AS HISTÓRIAS DO CAPITÃO HATTERAS”.
Apesar de não ser exactamente este o livro mencionado, estava predestinado.
A história começa algo tímida, diria até um pouco monótona, mas a aventura começa a adensar-se e a trama ganha outro fulgor. Fiz vários updates de frases deveras bonitas e está recheada de ensinamentos.
Conhecemos o enigmático Capitão Hatteras, um extraordinário navegador, sisudo, de parcas palavras, mas verdadeiro, de paixões frias e com um carácter obstinado.
O Dr. Clawbonny, no entanto, é “a” personagem! Um homem por todos estimado e respeitado. Era ele a alma daquela pequena sociedade, sempre com sentimentos de franqueza e justiça, a voz da concórdia e da serenidade. Um sábio com uma imensa sede de saber. Com a sua memória inesgotável fazia das suas palavras autênticas lições salutares que todos adoravam.
Hatteras concebeu um arrojado plano para resgatar para a sua pátria, Inglaterra, a glória de descobrir o Pólo Norte. Para conseguir realizá-lo muniu-se de um extraordinário navio e de uma equipa de marinheiros em tudo audazes e competentes.
Lutaram contra correntes e tempestades, abriram e quebraram montanhas e montes de gelo. Seguiram por terra para se reabastecerem por rigores de Inverno sem precedentes. Invernaram, fizeram-se ao mar, e os ciclos faziam-se segundo a vontade daquele clima inóspito. Foram criativos perante tantas hostilidades, e demonstraram ter uma vontade de ferro para fazer de tudo quanto cabe em forças humanas.
Um livro intemporal.
August 11, 2020
Adventures of Captain Hatteras is a breathtaking novel set in the frigid regions of the Arctic Circle and the North Pole itself, though we know now that finding an active volcano there strains credulity. It was widely believed at the time that there was an opening at the top of the world which led to the very depths of the earth. A concept that inspired Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth. And Captain Hatteras is Jules Verne at his prime, at his most imaginative stage, at his thrilling best.
Its plot is simple yet intriguing: In Liverpool, a seaman named Richard Shandon, First Mate, receives an anonymous letter asking him to construct a reinforced ship and assemble a reliable crew for a rough voyage to the Northern regions of North America, and everyone, Hatteras promises, will be richly rewarded. Once up in the Arctic labyrinth one of the crewman reveals himself as Captain John Hatteras, and his mission is to be the first man to reach the North Pole. So off they go into one of the most horrendous adventures imaginable, even by today's standards.
Its plot is simple yet intriguing: In Liverpool, a seaman named Richard Shandon, First Mate, receives an anonymous letter asking him to construct a reinforced ship and assemble a reliable crew for a rough voyage to the Northern regions of North America, and everyone, Hatteras promises, will be richly rewarded. Once up in the Arctic labyrinth one of the crewman reveals himself as Captain John Hatteras, and his mission is to be the first man to reach the North Pole. So off they go into one of the most horrendous adventures imaginable, even by today's standards.
October 31, 2012
Fiction. Written during a time when there were still blank spaces on the map, when Verne could slap a volcano down on the North Pole and no one could call him on it, The Adventures of Captain Hatteras might seem fantastic to us today with its temperate polar waters teaming with wildlife (and flying penguins!), but back then, an open polar sea was widely accepted science. In 1864, the Franklin Expedition had just recently been declared lost with all hands. Attention was beginning to shift from the Passage to the Pole, and men were, once again, heading North with no real idea of what to expect once they got there. Verne, seemingly having read every primary source on the subject available to him in a French translation (he didn't read English and the majority of explorers were English), decided to pour it all into a book, the first of what would become his Voyages Extraordinaires series.
I was kind of amazed by how easy this is to read. The last novel I read that involved the North Pole was Frankenstein and that was a torturous nightmare. And not because of the monster. Verne, in contrast, seems to have a pretty light hand when it comes to prose and I found myself smiling several times at his whimsical descriptions. For the most part the writing doesn't get in the way of the story, except for when the reader runs face first into a dense block of infodump, usually brought to us by the venerable Dr. Clawbonny. Clawbonny was my favorite. He's friendly and enthusiastic, if also the appointed know-it-all, so he does spend a great deal of his time lecturing the others about Arctic history and science, getting many of the dates wrong thanks to Verne, and a lot of the science wrong thanks to the nineteenth century, but if you can look past that, he's a warm, likeable character and I enjoyed his energy and humor. The narrator seems fond of him, too, which makes him even more adorable.
Hatteras himself is one of those obsessive sea captain types, and not likeable at all. I didn't even find him admirable. He's a cold, internal sort and Verne doesn't develop him beyond that. The rest of the crew fits into two barrels: Good Apples and Bad Apples, and there's never any confusion which is which. Besides Clawbonny, the only other character that displays any personality is the dog, and while in the beginning I enjoyed his assumed authority with its touch of the supernatural, later he turns into the Platonic ideal of Dog, so strong, so brave, so loyal. Like those fictional children who never make a mess and always behave reasonably, a dog like that arouses extreme skepticism in the reader.
Truthfully, the characters are mostly there to give the plot a reason to happen. What really drives the book is its mix of adventure and science. The descriptions of the Arctic are detailed and realistic, and if they seem familiar it's because, as the translator William Butcher points out, most are plagiarized from the published diaries of Arctic explorers. Verne has taken entire paragraphs from other writers, often traceable because he duplicates unique phrases or mistakes in spelling. In his explanatory end notes, Butcher also indicates inaccuracies in dates, names, and coordinates (of which there are many), (homo)sexual innuendo (the only kind you can have when there isn't a woman anywhere in the entire book), and things Verne seems to have made up wholesale. Verne was not a meticulous writer. He would frequently give the date within the narrative, only to give a wildly different date several lines later even though only a few days had passed. If I hadn't had the translator on my side, I would have thought I was losing my mind.
A version of this is available for free at Gutenberg, but the English translation is based on a flawed text, so I'm glad I went out of my way for the new translation. The Oxford edition comes with valuable translator's notes, a timeline of Arctic expeditions, some introductory essays about Verne and his writing, and the original ending from Verne's manuscript, which I greatly preferred.
The plot is kind of a mess, riddled with failures in logic (why didn't Duke recognize the captain earlier? if the polar bears weren't interested in eating the dogs, why would they be so quick to pursue the fox?), and the end is visibly disjointed, elements of the original climax still haunting the revised conclusion. And much of the science will make you roll your eyes. But it's a product of its time, which is why I read it as part of my Polar reading project, to give me an idea of what it would be like to live on a planet that wasn't entirely known, and the stories people made up to fill those gaps.
Three stars. Relevant to my interests, easy enough to read, and exciting in parts. Contains animal harm and unmitigated nationalism.
I was kind of amazed by how easy this is to read. The last novel I read that involved the North Pole was Frankenstein and that was a torturous nightmare. And not because of the monster. Verne, in contrast, seems to have a pretty light hand when it comes to prose and I found myself smiling several times at his whimsical descriptions. For the most part the writing doesn't get in the way of the story, except for when the reader runs face first into a dense block of infodump, usually brought to us by the venerable Dr. Clawbonny. Clawbonny was my favorite. He's friendly and enthusiastic, if also the appointed know-it-all, so he does spend a great deal of his time lecturing the others about Arctic history and science, getting many of the dates wrong thanks to Verne, and a lot of the science wrong thanks to the nineteenth century, but if you can look past that, he's a warm, likeable character and I enjoyed his energy and humor. The narrator seems fond of him, too, which makes him even more adorable.
Hatteras himself is one of those obsessive sea captain types, and not likeable at all. I didn't even find him admirable. He's a cold, internal sort and Verne doesn't develop him beyond that. The rest of the crew fits into two barrels: Good Apples and Bad Apples, and there's never any confusion which is which. Besides Clawbonny, the only other character that displays any personality is the dog, and while in the beginning I enjoyed his assumed authority with its touch of the supernatural, later he turns into the Platonic ideal of Dog, so strong, so brave, so loyal. Like those fictional children who never make a mess and always behave reasonably, a dog like that arouses extreme skepticism in the reader.
Truthfully, the characters are mostly there to give the plot a reason to happen. What really drives the book is its mix of adventure and science. The descriptions of the Arctic are detailed and realistic, and if they seem familiar it's because, as the translator William Butcher points out, most are plagiarized from the published diaries of Arctic explorers. Verne has taken entire paragraphs from other writers, often traceable because he duplicates unique phrases or mistakes in spelling. In his explanatory end notes, Butcher also indicates inaccuracies in dates, names, and coordinates (of which there are many), (homo)sexual innuendo (the only kind you can have when there isn't a woman anywhere in the entire book), and things Verne seems to have made up wholesale. Verne was not a meticulous writer. He would frequently give the date within the narrative, only to give a wildly different date several lines later even though only a few days had passed. If I hadn't had the translator on my side, I would have thought I was losing my mind.
A version of this is available for free at Gutenberg, but the English translation is based on a flawed text, so I'm glad I went out of my way for the new translation. The Oxford edition comes with valuable translator's notes, a timeline of Arctic expeditions, some introductory essays about Verne and his writing, and the original ending from Verne's manuscript, which I greatly preferred.
The plot is kind of a mess, riddled with failures in logic (why didn't Duke recognize the captain earlier? if the polar bears weren't interested in eating the dogs, why would they be so quick to pursue the fox?), and the end is visibly disjointed, elements of the original climax still haunting the revised conclusion. And much of the science will make you roll your eyes. But it's a product of its time, which is why I read it as part of my Polar reading project, to give me an idea of what it would be like to live on a planet that wasn't entirely known, and the stories people made up to fill those gaps.
Three stars. Relevant to my interests, easy enough to read, and exciting in parts. Contains animal harm and unmitigated nationalism.
December 11, 2017
Oj tas Hateras ir tas Žiulis Vernas. Nežinau, kas čia dabar nutiko - ar čia jau aš tapau senu perdyla niurgzliu, kurio nebeveža net jo jaunystės dievukų knygos, ar tiesiog pataikiau pasiimt prasčiausią to dievuko knygą, bet Kapitono Hatero Nuotykiai buvo tiesiog slegiančiai blanki ir neįtikėtinai nuobodi knyga. Primeskim krūvą nacionalizmo, šovinizmo, bukagalviškumo, rasizmo - nu ne, tikrai nekažką.
Įdomiausia mintis, kilusi skaitant šią knygą, tai ta, jog mūsų kartos žmonėms reiktų mažiau save kalt prie kryžiaus dėl nustekentos planetos ekosistemos, kasdien vis labiau besitraukiančios faunos ir floros ir apskritai kitų visų globalinių nelaimių. Mūsų protėviai buvo ne ką geresni. Tiesą sakant, mūsų protėviai apskritai paėmus tai buvo neeiliniai kraugėriški, smulkmeniški, neuotiški šikniai, kuriems reikėdavo viską aplinkui šaudyti, naikinti ir griauti vien dėl to, kad jie tą galėjo.
Žodžiu, aš neturiu iliuzijų, kad 19 amžiaus vidurio rašytojas trykšte trykštų humanizmo, tolerancijos, lygybės ir aplinkosaugos idėjomis, nu bet palyginus šią knygą kad ir su tuo pačiu "Kaptionu Grantu" ar "Matiju Šandoru" atrodo, kad šią rašė kažkokia niūri, depresuota, 27 metus iš žmonos negavusi Žiulio Verno versija.
Ši knyga oficialiai sucks.
Įdomiausia mintis, kilusi skaitant šią knygą, tai ta, jog mūsų kartos žmonėms reiktų mažiau save kalt prie kryžiaus dėl nustekentos planetos ekosistemos, kasdien vis labiau besitraukiančios faunos ir floros ir apskritai kitų visų globalinių nelaimių. Mūsų protėviai buvo ne ką geresni. Tiesą sakant, mūsų protėviai apskritai paėmus tai buvo neeiliniai kraugėriški, smulkmeniški, neuotiški šikniai, kuriems reikėdavo viską aplinkui šaudyti, naikinti ir griauti vien dėl to, kad jie tą galėjo.
Žodžiu, aš neturiu iliuzijų, kad 19 amžiaus vidurio rašytojas trykšte trykštų humanizmo, tolerancijos, lygybės ir aplinkosaugos idėjomis, nu bet palyginus šią knygą kad ir su tuo pačiu "Kaptionu Grantu" ar "Matiju Šandoru" atrodo, kad šią rašė kažkokia niūri, depresuota, 27 metus iš žmonos negavusi Žiulio Verno versija.
Ši knyga oficialiai sucks.
October 26, 2023
জুল ভার্নের সাথে পাঠক কোথায় না ভ্রমণ করেছে! উত্তর মেরু, দক্ষিণ মেরু, পৃথিবীর কেন্দ্রে এমনকি পানির নিচে পর্যন্ত। লেখকের বর্ননাগুলো এতটাই বাস্তবিক যে পাঠকের মস্তিষ্ক অ্যাডভেঞ্চারগুলোকে সত্যিই ঘটছে বলে ধরে নেয়। ক্যাপ্টেন হ্যাটেরাসের সাথেও পাঠকেরা এমন এক রোমাঞ্চের অভিজ্ঞতা লাভ করবে।
১৮৫৯ সালে রিচার্ড শ্যানডনের কাছে একটি চিঠি আসে। চিঠির প্রেরক ফরোয়ার্ড জাহাজের ক্যাপ্টেন কে. জেড। চিঠি থেকে জানা যায়, শ্যানডনের নামে ব্যাংকে ষোলো হাজার পাউন্ড জমা করা হয়েছে। সেই টাকা দিয়ে একটি জাহাজ নির্মাণ করতে হবে এবং জাহাজের নকশাও চিঠির সাথে পাঠিয়েছেন। চিঠিতে আরো জানিয়েছেনে, শ্যানডন ক্যাপ্টেনকে না চিনলেও ক্যাপ্টেন শ্যানডনকে চেনেন এবং শ্যানডনকে ৫০০ পাউন্ড বেতনের বিনিময়ে জাহাজের একজন অফিসারের পদে নিযুক্ত করা হয়েছে। লোভনীয় প্রস্তাব বটে! কিন্তু জানা পরিচয় নেই এমন একজন লোক কেন তাকে বিশ্বাস করছে! জাহাজের অন্যান্য সদস্য সংগ্রহের কাজও শ্যানডনকেই করতে হয় এবং সবাইই ইংরেজ। সময়মত জাহাজের ডাক্তার হিসেবে ডা. ক্লবোনিও যোগ দেবেন বলে চিঠি হতে জানা যায়। পরে আরেকটি চিঠিতে ক্যাপ্টেন জানান একটি ড্যানিশ কুকুরকেও জাহাজে নিতে হবে এবং তার দেখভালের দায়িত্ব শ্যানডের উপরেই বর্তেছে। কথামতো ব্যাংকে গিয়ে সকল টাকা উত্তোলন করে শ্যানডন। জাহাজ নির্মাণ কারখানায় গিয়ে নকশা অনুযায়ী জাহাজ নির্মাণ শুরু করে দেন এবং প্রয়োজনীয় জনবল সংগ্রহে মনোযোগী হন।
১৮৬০ সালের ৫ এপ্রিল জাহাজটি যাত্রা শুরু করার কথা। ক্যাপ্টেন পূর্বেই চিঠিতে জানিয়েছিলেন যে সময়মত হাজির হবেন। কিন্তু তাঁর কোনো খবরই নেই। সেই ড্যানিশ কুকুরটি তখন একটি চিঠি এনে শ্যানডনের কাছে দেয়। চিঠির ভাষ্য অনুযায়ী, জাহাজ ছাড়ার অনুমতি দিয়েছেন ক্যাপ্টেন। ফেরাওয়েল অন্তরীপ অভিমুখে জাহাজ চালিয়ে ২০ এপ্রিল বন্দরে জাহাজ ভেড়ানোর নির্দেশ দিয়েছেন। যদি সেখানেও ক্যাপ্টেন উপস্থিত না হন, তাহলে ডেভিস প্রণালী পেরিয়ে কফিন উপসাগরে যেতে বলা হয়েছে। নির্দেশনামতো কাজ শুরু করে দেন শ্যানডন। ৩০ এপ্রিলের মধ্যেও ক্যাপ্টেনের দেখা না পাওয়ায় নাবিকদের মধ্যে কানাঘুঁষা শুরু হয়ে যায়। কুসংস্কারাচ্ছন্ন নাবিকেরা মনে করতে থাকে কুকুরটিই আসলে ক্যাপ্টেন এবং সেইই সময়মত মানুষের রূপ গ্রহণ করবে। একদিকে নাবিকদের লোভনীয় বেতন অন্যদিকে নিরুদ্দেশ যাত্রা, দুইয়ে মিলে অসন্তোষ সৃষ্টি হয়। অনেক বেশি বেতন হওয়া সত্ত্বেও যেখানে অভিযানের ব্যাপারে কোনো বিস্তারিত তথ্য নেই, তখন নাবিকেরা বেঁকে বসে। রিচার্ড শ্যানডন নিজেও চিন্তিত হয়ে পড়েন। কোথায় যাচ্ছেন তারা? ক্যাপ্টেনই বা কোথায়? তাদের এই নিরুদ্দেশ যাত্রার শেষ পরিণতি কী?
জুল ভার্নের এডভেঞ্চার বইগুলো পড়লে পৃথিবীর নানা প্রান্তে ভ্রমণের স্বাদ পাওয়া যায়। বইয়ের পাতার জীবন্ত বর্ননা পাঠককে বাস্তব অভিজ্ঞতার অনুভূতি দেবে। জুল ভার্ন সময়ের চাইতে অনেক আগানো ছিলেন বলেই এত সুন্দর সব বইগুলো পাঠককে উপহার দিয়েছেন। ক্যাপ্টেন হ্যাটেরাসের সাথে এডভেঞ্চারের অভিজ্ঞতা অর্জন করতে চাইলে বইটি পড়তে পারেন। হ্যাপি রিডিং।
১৮৫৯ সালে রিচার্ড শ্যানডনের কাছে একটি চিঠি আসে। চিঠির প্রেরক ফরোয়ার্ড জাহাজের ক্যাপ্টেন কে. জেড। চিঠি থেকে জানা যায়, শ্যানডনের নামে ব্যাংকে ষোলো হাজার পাউন্ড জমা করা হয়েছে। সেই টাকা দিয়ে একটি জাহাজ নির্মাণ করতে হবে এবং জাহাজের নকশাও চিঠির সাথে পাঠিয়েছেন। চিঠিতে আরো জানিয়েছেনে, শ্যানডন ক্যাপ্টেনকে না চিনলেও ক্যাপ্টেন শ্যানডনকে চেনেন এবং শ্যানডনকে ৫০০ পাউন্ড বেতনের বিনিময়ে জাহাজের একজন অফিসারের পদে নিযুক্ত করা হয়েছে। লোভনীয় প্রস্তাব বটে! কিন্তু জানা পরিচয় নেই এমন একজন লোক কেন তাকে বিশ্বাস করছে! জাহাজের অন্যান্য সদস্য সংগ্রহের কাজও শ্যানডনকেই করতে হয় এবং সবাইই ইংরেজ। সময়মত জাহাজের ডাক্তার হিসেবে ডা. ক্লবোনিও যোগ দেবেন বলে চিঠি হতে জানা যায়। পরে আরেকটি চিঠিতে ক্যাপ্টেন জানান একটি ড্যানিশ কুকুরকেও জাহাজে নিতে হবে এবং তার দেখভালের দায়িত্ব শ্যানডের উপরেই বর্তেছে। কথামতো ব্যাংকে গিয়ে সকল টাকা উত্তোলন করে শ্যানডন। জাহাজ নির্মাণ কারখানায় গিয়ে নকশা অনুযায়ী জাহাজ নির্মাণ শুরু করে দেন এবং প্রয়োজনীয় জনবল সংগ্রহে মনোযোগী হন।
১৮৬০ সালের ৫ এপ্রিল জাহাজটি যাত্রা শুরু করার কথা। ক্যাপ্টেন পূর্বেই চিঠিতে জানিয়েছিলেন যে সময়মত হাজির হবেন। কিন্তু তাঁর কোনো খবরই নেই। সেই ড্যানিশ কুকুরটি তখন একটি চিঠি এনে শ্যানডনের কাছে দেয়। চিঠির ভাষ্য অনুযায়ী, জাহাজ ছাড়ার অনুমতি দিয়েছেন ক্যাপ্টেন। ফেরাওয়েল অন্তরীপ অভিমুখে জাহাজ চালিয়ে ২০ এপ্রিল বন্দরে জাহাজ ভেড়ানোর নির্দেশ দিয়েছেন। যদি সেখানেও ক্যাপ্টেন উপস্থিত না হন, তাহলে ডেভিস প্রণালী পেরিয়ে কফিন উপসাগরে যেতে বলা হয়েছে। নির্দেশনামতো কাজ শুরু করে দেন শ্যানডন। ৩০ এপ্রিলের মধ্যেও ক্যাপ্টেনের দেখা না পাওয়ায় নাবিকদের মধ্যে কানাঘুঁষা শুরু হয়ে যায়। কুসংস্কারাচ্ছন্ন নাবিকেরা মনে করতে থাকে কুকুরটিই আসলে ক্যাপ্টেন এবং সেইই সময়মত মানুষের রূপ গ্রহণ করবে। একদিকে নাবিকদের লোভনীয় বেতন অন্যদিকে নিরুদ্দেশ যাত্রা, দুইয়ে মিলে অসন্তোষ সৃষ্টি হয়। অনেক বেশি বেতন হওয়া সত্ত্বেও যেখানে অভিযানের ব্যাপারে কোনো বিস্তারিত তথ্য নেই, তখন নাবিকেরা বেঁকে বসে। রিচার্ড শ্যানডন নিজেও চিন্তিত হয়ে পড়েন। কোথায় যাচ্ছেন তারা? ক্যাপ্টেনই বা কোথায়? তাদের এই নিরুদ্দেশ যাত্রার শেষ পরিণতি কী?
জুল ভার্নের এডভেঞ্চার বইগুলো পড়লে পৃথিবীর নানা প্রান্তে ভ্রমণের স্বাদ পাওয়া যায়। বইয়ের পাতার জীবন্ত বর্ননা পাঠককে বাস্তব অভিজ্ঞতার অনুভূতি দেবে। জুল ভার্ন সময়ের চাইতে অনেক আগানো ছিলেন বলেই এত সুন্দর সব বইগুলো পাঠককে উপহার দিয়েছেন। ক্যাপ্টেন হ্যাটেরাসের সাথে এডভেঞ্চারের অভিজ্ঞতা অর্জন করতে চাইলে বইটি পড়তে পারেন। হ্যাপি রিডিং।
July 8, 2021
One of those books that prove that Jules Verne is a writer we should take seriously. In this book, there is one of his usual stories of exploration and discovery but there is also much more depth as the difficulties are highlighted, both those that have to do with the strength of nature and those that have to do with human weaknesses. This is done by the introduction of two different character categories. On the one hand, we meet for the first time the character of the mysterious, despotic and dynamic leader, who is full of intelligence and skills but seems to have a dark side and ambition that has no limits, on the other the characteristic minor characters, the crew members who they do not have the intelligence and education to understand certain things, they are victims of their superstitions, cowards and indecisive, who are easily led into bad deeds. Of course, there are wiser people among them but their influence is not so great. They are all embarking on a quest for the North Pole, a journey full of difficulties and exciting adventures against the backdrop of the natural wonders of the Arctic. It reveals everything as genuine scientific interest and human power stand against relentless nature, excessive ambition, fear, superstition, and even nationalist rivalries. So the author in his seemingly simple way describes not just a journey to the unexplored Arctic but also a journey to the human soul. And that is what makes this book something special.
Ένα από αυτά τα βιβλία που αποδεικνύουν ότι ο Ιούλιος Βερν είναι ένας συγγραφέας που πρέπει να τον παίρνουμε στα σοβαρά. Σε αυτό το βιβλίο υπάρχει μία από τις συνηθισμένες του ιστορίες εξερεύνησης και ανακάλυψης αλλά υπάρχει και πολύ περισσότερο βάθος καθώς αναδεικνύονται οι δυσκολίες, τόσο αυτές που έχουν να κάνουν με τη δύναμη της φύσης, όσο και για αυτές που έχουν να κάνουν με τις ανθρώπινες αδυναμίες. Αυτό γίνεται με την εισαγωγή δύο διαφορετικών κατηγοριών χαρακτήρων. Από τη μία συναντάμε για πρώτη φορά τον χαρακτήρα του μυστηριώδους, δεσποτικού και δυναμικού ηγέτη, που είναι γεμάτος εξυπνάδα και ικανότητες αλλά φαίνεται να έχει μία σκοτεινή πλευρά και φιλοδοξία που δεν έχει όρια, από τη άλλη τους χαρακτηριστικούς δευτερεύοντες χαρακτήρες, τα μέλη του πληρώματος που δεν έχουν την εξυπνάδα και τη μόρφωση να καταλάβουν κάποια πράγματα, είναι έρμαια των δεισιδαιμονιών τους, δειλοί και αναποφάσιστοι, που εύκολα παρασύρονται σε κακές πράξεις. Φυσικά ανάμεσά τους βρίσκονται σοφότεροι άνθρωποι αλλά η επιρροή τους δεν είναι τόσο μεγάλη. Όλοι αυτοί εμπλέκονται σε ένα ταξίδι αναζήτησης του Βόρειου Πόλου, σε μία διαδρομή γεμάτη δυσκολίες και συναρπαστικές περιπέτειες με φόντο τα φυσικά θαύματα της αρκτικής. Σε αυτό αποκαλύπτονται τα πάντα καθώς το γνήσιο επιστημονικό ενδιαφέρον και η ανθρώπινη δύναμη στέκεται απέναντι στην αδυσώπητη φύση, την υπέρμετρη φιλοδοξία, τον φόβο, την δεισιδαιμονία, ακόμα και τους εθνικιστικούς ανταγωνισμούς. Έτσι ο συγγραφέας με τον φαινομενικά απλό του τρόπο δεν μας περιγράφει απλά ένα ταξίδι στην ανεξερεύνητη αρκτική αλλά και ένα ταξίδι στην ανθρώπινη ψυχή Και αυτό είναι που κάνει αυτό το βιβλίο κάτι ιδιαίτερο.
Ένα από αυτά τα βιβλία που αποδεικνύουν ότι ο Ιούλιος Βερν είναι ένας συγγραφέας που πρέπει να τον παίρνουμε στα σοβαρά. Σε αυτό το βιβλίο υπάρχει μία από τις συνηθισμένες του ιστορίες εξερεύνησης και ανακάλυψης αλλά υπάρχει και πολύ περισσότερο βάθος καθώς αναδεικνύονται οι δυσκολίες, τόσο αυτές που έχουν να κάνουν με τη δύναμη της φύσης, όσο και για αυτές που έχουν να κάνουν με τις ανθρώπινες αδυναμίες. Αυτό γίνεται με την εισαγωγή δύο διαφορετικών κατηγοριών χαρακτήρων. Από τη μία συναντάμε για πρώτη φορά τον χαρακτήρα του μυστηριώδους, δεσποτικού και δυναμικού ηγέτη, που είναι γεμάτος εξυπνάδα και ικανότητες αλλά φαίνεται να έχει μία σκοτεινή πλευρά και φιλοδοξία που δεν έχει όρια, από τη άλλη τους χαρακτηριστικούς δευτερεύοντες χαρακτήρες, τα μέλη του πληρώματος που δεν έχουν την εξυπνάδα και τη μόρφωση να καταλάβουν κάποια πράγματα, είναι έρμαια των δεισιδαιμονιών τους, δειλοί και αναποφάσιστοι, που εύκολα παρασύρονται σε κακές πράξεις. Φυσικά ανάμεσά τους βρίσκονται σοφότεροι άνθρωποι αλλά η επιρροή τους δεν είναι τόσο μεγάλη. Όλοι αυτοί εμπλέκονται σε ένα ταξίδι αναζήτησης του Βόρειου Πόλου, σε μία διαδρομή γεμάτη δυσκολίες και συναρπαστικές περιπέτειες με φόντο τα φυσικά θαύματα της αρκτικής. Σε αυτό αποκαλύπτονται τα πάντα καθώς το γνήσιο επιστημονικό ενδιαφέρον και η ανθρώπινη δύναμη στέκεται απέναντι στην αδυσώπητη φύση, την υπέρμετρη φιλοδοξία, τον φόβο, την δεισιδαιμονία, ακόμα και τους εθνικιστικούς ανταγωνισμούς. Έτσι ο συγγραφέας με τον φαινομενικά απλό του τρόπο δεν μας περιγράφει απλά ένα ταξίδι στην ανεξερεύνητη αρκτική αλλά και ένα ταξίδι στην ανθρώπινη ψυχή Και αυτό είναι που κάνει αυτό το βιβλίο κάτι ιδιαίτερο.
October 17, 2020
Jules Verne would likely take you to a very unexpected expedition with his every book and this book is no different. In this thrilling novel, the readers are going on a polar expedition.
In this breathtaking novel, First Mate Shandon receives a mysterious letter asking him to build a steamship named Forward and he was also asked to recruit his crew members in Liverpool. A mysterious dog and a doctor were also joined with Shandon to an expedition to an unknown place.
Captain John Hatteras disguised as a crewman later revealed himself and expressed his unbelievable obsession to go to the North Pole. Hatteras was challenged by cold, hunger, and betrayal of his crew members but nothing stopped him from his expedition.
I would have given it five stars but the beginning was slow and boring but once the expedition begins the book is unputdownable.
In this breathtaking novel, First Mate Shandon receives a mysterious letter asking him to build a steamship named Forward and he was also asked to recruit his crew members in Liverpool. A mysterious dog and a doctor were also joined with Shandon to an expedition to an unknown place.
Captain John Hatteras disguised as a crewman later revealed himself and expressed his unbelievable obsession to go to the North Pole. Hatteras was challenged by cold, hunger, and betrayal of his crew members but nothing stopped him from his expedition.
I would have given it five stars but the beginning was slow and boring but once the expedition begins the book is unputdownable.
January 20, 2026
Jules Verne seven herkesin kesinlikle okuması gereken bir kitap olduğunu düşünüyorum.. Kutup buzulları arasında bir maceraya tanıklık etmek hiç bu kadar zevkli olamaz arkadaşlar.. Verne okumaya kaldığımız yerden devam derim..
October 11, 2018
চিন্তা করুন হঠাত একটা চিঠি পেলেন। চিঠি অনুসারে আপনার একাউন্টে কেউ মোটা অংকের টাকা জমা দিয়েছে। আর আপনাকে বলছে যে ওই টাকা দিয়ে একটা জাহাজ বানিয়ে নিতে। এক্কেবারে আপনার ইচ্ছে মতন। এখানেই শেষ নয় আপনাকে চিঠির সাথে কিছু ব্লাংক চে���ও পাঠিয়েছে যদি টাকার কোন সমস্যা হয় সেই জন্য। অবাক হয়ে যাবেন নিশ্চয়। একই অবস্থা হয়েছিল আমাদের রিচার্ড শ্যানডনের যার কাছে কিনা চিঠি এসেছিল। অবাক হলেও রহস্যের গন্ধ পেয়ে ঠিকই চিঠির কথা মতন কাজ করে গিয়েছেন তিনি। যোগাড় করেছেন নাবিকে।চিঠির রহস্যময় ব্যাক্তি জানিয়েছে যে সে সময় মতন জাহাজে উঠে যাবে। যদিও ক্যাপ্টেনের গন্তব্য অজানা।
জাহাজ ছাড়ার অনেক পড় জানা গেল জাহাজে আছেন ক্যাপ্টেন হ্যাটেরাস। বিখ্যাত বলব না কুখ্যাত তা পাঠকেরা সামনে পড়তে গেলেই বুঝবেন। কথা হল হ্যাটেরাস প্রচন্ড একরোখা। যা চাই তা তার অদায় করে ছাড়বে এমন একটা ভাব। তাই কেউ হ্যাটেরাসের জাহাজে উঠতে চায় না। তাই তার এত লুকাছাপা। জাহাজ ছাড়ার অনেক পরে জানা গেল হ্যাটেরাস উত্তর মেরু জয় করতে চলছেন। যেখানে কিনা কারো পায়ের ছাপ কখনো পড়েনি। এমন সময় জানা গেল যখন কিনা পিছু ফিরে যাওয়ার কোন উপায় আর নাই। কি ঘটল শেষ পর্যন্ত হ্যাটেরাসের ভাগ্যে?
জাহাজ ছাড়ার অনেক পড় জানা গেল জাহাজে আছেন ক্যাপ্টেন হ্যাটেরাস। বিখ্যাত বলব না কুখ্যাত তা পাঠকেরা সামনে পড়তে গেলেই বুঝবেন। কথা হল হ্যাটেরাস প্রচন্ড একরোখা। যা চাই তা তার অদায় করে ছাড়বে এমন একটা ভাব। তাই কেউ হ্যাটেরাসের জাহাজে উঠতে চায় না। তাই তার এত লুকাছাপা। জাহাজ ছাড়ার অনেক পরে জানা গেল হ্যাটেরাস উত্তর মেরু জয় করতে চলছেন। যেখানে কিনা কারো পায়ের ছাপ কখনো পড়েনি। এমন সময় জানা গেল যখন কিনা পিছু ফিরে যাওয়ার কোন উপায় আর নাই। কি ঘটল শেষ পর্যন্ত হ্যাটেরাসের ভাগ্যে?
May 8, 2016
Kārtējā apstāšanās pie “Piedzīvojumi. Fantastika. Ceļojumi.” grāmatu plaukta mani nedaudz sabaidīja, ja es tā turpināšu, tad ar šo sēriju divu gadu laikā nekādi netikšu cauri. Tādēļ tika pieņemts lēmums sasparoties un motivācijas labad tika upurēta viena no labajām atlikušajām grāmatām. Padomjlaiku bērnam Žils Verns bija piedzīvojumu stāstu lielmeistars. Tas nekas, ka vēlāk dzīvei ritot un lasītājam pieaugot, tu viņa darbos sāc pamanīt enciklopēdiju izrakstus, futūrismu, kas nemaz nav futūrisms, tas viss nāk pēc tam. Laikā, kad esi grāmatas mērķauditorija, Žils Verns spēj dot tieši to ko no viņa sagaidi – episku piedzīvojumu.
Ko darīt cilvēkam, kas ir vīlies savas zemes pētniekos? Kā viņam rīkoties, kad atverot avīzi redz kārtējo amerikāņu vai franču pētnieku sasniegumu? Varētu jau doties pats, taču ja iepriekšējās divas reizes ir bijušas tik neveiksmīgas, ka neviens nav gatavs ar tevi braukt vienos ratos? Kapteinim Haterasam nākas ķerties pie viltības. Viņš organizē ekspedīciju, neatklājot tās finansētājus. Nauda ir liela, galamērķis netiek izpausts. Galvenais, lai matroži būtu atturībnieki.
Katrai Žila Verna grāmatai var atrast centrālo tēmu, par kuru autors ir vēlies izstāstīt. Šīs grāmatas centrālā ass ir Franklina bēdīgi slavenā ekspedīcija, no kuras neatgriezās nedz Erebuss nedz Terors. Īsto ekspedīcijas dalībnieku likteni izdevās noskaidrot tikai pavisam nesen. Verna laikā par to bija pieejamas tikai pāris informācijas drumstalas. Tādēļ esiet gatavi, ja kaut kur runās trīs matroži, vai ar runu uzstāsies doktors Kolbonijs, viss agri vai vēlu novedīs līdz Franklina ekspedīcijai.
Visus notikumus mums nākas uzzināt no Kolbonija stāstiem, viņš ir ekspedīcijas mediķis un zinātnieks. Strādā arī par komandas psihologu. Nav nekāds joks vest uz kuģa spirtu mucās tai pat laikā liekot ievērot sauso likumu. Matroži pieprasa šmigu gandrīz tūlīt pēc iziešanas no ostas. Kā jau vienmēr stāsta varoņi ir tikai ideju izkārtnes. Haterass ir ar savu mērķi apsēsts fanātiķis, kuru īpaši neuztrauc pārējo liktenis un ko darīt pēc mērķa sasniegšanas. Ziemeļpols ir viņa pasaules centrs, un visa viņa dzīve ir pakārtota tam. (Labi, mūsu visu pārējo arī, bet mēs to neuztveram tik sakāpināti). Viņš ir tipisks trakais ceļotājs ar degošu sirdi un kvēlojošām acīm. Lielākā vājība ir mesties peldēties, ietinoties britu karogā.
Dakteris Kolbonijs ir cilvēks - enciklopēdija, kuru satrauc Haterasa apsēstība un māc šaubas par ekspedīcijas labvēlīgu iznākumu. Taču viņš ir zinātnieks un mērīs temperatūru pat tad, ja būs jāmirst bada nāvē. Viņš pie jebkuras izdevības izplūdīs garos vēstures un dabzinātņu faktu uzskaitījumos un gūs no tā patiesu prieku. Šokēja, ka autors nav iekļāvis savu standarta tēlu - cilvēku, kuram patīk nogalināt dzīvniekus. Te viņi par tādiem strādā uz pusslodzi.
Matroži un kapteiņa pirmais palīgs ir dumpīga nīkuļu banda, kurus izrādās ir iedvesmojusi tikai lielā nauda! Viņi nudien negrib atstiept kājas ideālu dēļ. Jau no paša sākuma ir skaidrs, ka šie ir vajadzīgi tikai sižeta pavērsienam. Vēl ir Džonsons, cilvēks, kurš spēj pazaudēt visnozīmīgākās lietas visatbildīgākajos brīžos. Kad viņš pakāsa šķiltavas, es nodomāju: “Pad..sa kuģi un nu pad..sa šķiltavas.”. Bet viņš ir nepieciešamais vientiesis, kuram jāuzklausa Kolbonija atklāsmes grāmatas beigu daļā.
Zinātniskā sadaļa ir laikmeta garam atbilstoša un tur nebūtu lāga ko piesieties. Daļa zinātnieki nudien bija pārliecināti, ka Ziemeļpola tuvumā atrodas vaļēja jūra un, tehniski izlaužoties cauri ledājiem, tikšana uz polu būtu viegls pasākums. Tādēļ kuģim, kas pielādēts ar pulveri un petardēm, lai spridzinātu ledu, problēmām nevajadzētu būt. Dažas lietas gan izraisīja smieklus. Piemēram, leduslāču koordinētā darbība, varētu padomāt, ka viņiem tur ir kāda arktiskā civilizācija. Žēl ir arī ekspedīcijas dalībnieki, kuriem nākas ciest badu tikai tādēļ, ka viņi nemācās no savām kļūdām. Un dakterim Kolbonijam nav nekādas nojēgas par skorbuta patiesajiem cēloņiem.
Lieku 8 no 10 ballēm, grāmata piedāvā piedzīvojumu, un autors to realizē visnotaļ veiksmīgi. Var jau vīpsnāt, ka sižeta pamatā ir reālu ekspedīciju dalībnieku kauli, bet tas tajos laikos bija tieši tas, kas vajadzīgs. Galvenās atziņas šajā grāmatā arī nav peļamas. Laba komanda spēj atrast izeju arī kritiskās situācijās, un nav lāga, ja esi apsēsts ar vienu ideju. Šī ir viena no tām bērnības grāmatām, kuru droši var pārlasīt.
Ko darīt cilvēkam, kas ir vīlies savas zemes pētniekos? Kā viņam rīkoties, kad atverot avīzi redz kārtējo amerikāņu vai franču pētnieku sasniegumu? Varētu jau doties pats, taču ja iepriekšējās divas reizes ir bijušas tik neveiksmīgas, ka neviens nav gatavs ar tevi braukt vienos ratos? Kapteinim Haterasam nākas ķerties pie viltības. Viņš organizē ekspedīciju, neatklājot tās finansētājus. Nauda ir liela, galamērķis netiek izpausts. Galvenais, lai matroži būtu atturībnieki.
Katrai Žila Verna grāmatai var atrast centrālo tēmu, par kuru autors ir vēlies izstāstīt. Šīs grāmatas centrālā ass ir Franklina bēdīgi slavenā ekspedīcija, no kuras neatgriezās nedz Erebuss nedz Terors. Īsto ekspedīcijas dalībnieku likteni izdevās noskaidrot tikai pavisam nesen. Verna laikā par to bija pieejamas tikai pāris informācijas drumstalas. Tādēļ esiet gatavi, ja kaut kur runās trīs matroži, vai ar runu uzstāsies doktors Kolbonijs, viss agri vai vēlu novedīs līdz Franklina ekspedīcijai.
Visus notikumus mums nākas uzzināt no Kolbonija stāstiem, viņš ir ekspedīcijas mediķis un zinātnieks. Strādā arī par komandas psihologu. Nav nekāds joks vest uz kuģa spirtu mucās tai pat laikā liekot ievērot sauso likumu. Matroži pieprasa šmigu gandrīz tūlīt pēc iziešanas no ostas. Kā jau vienmēr stāsta varoņi ir tikai ideju izkārtnes. Haterass ir ar savu mērķi apsēsts fanātiķis, kuru īpaši neuztrauc pārējo liktenis un ko darīt pēc mērķa sasniegšanas. Ziemeļpols ir viņa pasaules centrs, un visa viņa dzīve ir pakārtota tam. (Labi, mūsu visu pārējo arī, bet mēs to neuztveram tik sakāpināti). Viņš ir tipisks trakais ceļotājs ar degošu sirdi un kvēlojošām acīm. Lielākā vājība ir mesties peldēties, ietinoties britu karogā.
Dakteris Kolbonijs ir cilvēks - enciklopēdija, kuru satrauc Haterasa apsēstība un māc šaubas par ekspedīcijas labvēlīgu iznākumu. Taču viņš ir zinātnieks un mērīs temperatūru pat tad, ja būs jāmirst bada nāvē. Viņš pie jebkuras izdevības izplūdīs garos vēstures un dabzinātņu faktu uzskaitījumos un gūs no tā patiesu prieku. Šokēja, ka autors nav iekļāvis savu standarta tēlu - cilvēku, kuram patīk nogalināt dzīvniekus. Te viņi par tādiem strādā uz pusslodzi.
Matroži un kapteiņa pirmais palīgs ir dumpīga nīkuļu banda, kurus izrādās ir iedvesmojusi tikai lielā nauda! Viņi nudien negrib atstiept kājas ideālu dēļ. Jau no paša sākuma ir skaidrs, ka šie ir vajadzīgi tikai sižeta pavērsienam. Vēl ir Džonsons, cilvēks, kurš spēj pazaudēt visnozīmīgākās lietas visatbildīgākajos brīžos. Kad viņš pakāsa šķiltavas, es nodomāju: “Pad..sa kuģi un nu pad..sa šķiltavas.”. Bet viņš ir nepieciešamais vientiesis, kuram jāuzklausa Kolbonija atklāsmes grāmatas beigu daļā.
Zinātniskā sadaļa ir laikmeta garam atbilstoša un tur nebūtu lāga ko piesieties. Daļa zinātnieki nudien bija pārliecināti, ka Ziemeļpola tuvumā atrodas vaļēja jūra un, tehniski izlaužoties cauri ledājiem, tikšana uz polu būtu viegls pasākums. Tādēļ kuģim, kas pielādēts ar pulveri un petardēm, lai spridzinātu ledu, problēmām nevajadzētu būt. Dažas lietas gan izraisīja smieklus. Piemēram, leduslāču koordinētā darbība, varētu padomāt, ka viņiem tur ir kāda arktiskā civilizācija. Žēl ir arī ekspedīcijas dalībnieki, kuriem nākas ciest badu tikai tādēļ, ka viņi nemācās no savām kļūdām. Un dakterim Kolbonijam nav nekādas nojēgas par skorbuta patiesajiem cēloņiem.
Lieku 8 no 10 ballēm, grāmata piedāvā piedzīvojumu, un autors to realizē visnotaļ veiksmīgi. Var jau vīpsnāt, ka sižeta pamatā ir reālu ekspedīciju dalībnieku kauli, bet tas tajos laikos bija tieši tas, kas vajadzīgs. Galvenās atziņas šajā grāmatā arī nav peļamas. Laba komanda spēj atrast izeju arī kritiskās situācijās, un nav lāga, ja esi apsēsts ar vienu ideju. Šī ir viena no tām bērnības grāmatām, kuru droši var pārlasīt.
November 6, 2022
সেবা প্রকাশনীর পড়া প্রথম বই ছিলো স্যার হেনরি রাইডার হ্যাগার্ড এর এলান কোয়াটারমেইন। পড়েছিলাম SSC পরীক্ষার পর পর। নীলক্ষেত থেকে দশ টাকা দিয়ে প্রথম কেনা সেবা প্রকাশনীর বই। সেই বই পড়ার সময় যে উত্তেজনা পেয়েছিলাম তা আজও মনে আছে।
তারপর পড়লাম শী, এখন জুল ভার্ন এর এডভেঞ্চার অফ ক্যাপ্টেন হেটেরাস। একটাও হতাস করতে পারেনি।
তারপর পড়লাম শী, এখন জুল ভার্ন এর এডভেঞ্চার অফ ক্যাপ্টেন হেটেরাস। একটাও হতাস করতে পারেনি।
August 11, 2015
An extraordinary novel, written at a time when Arctic exploration was still almost a thing of fantasy, and when patriotism ran thick in the veins of Englishmen determined to claim some crown, like Captain Hatteras in the novel. Isn't Captain Hatteras just the most fascinating of Verne's characters? Impassive and driven entirely by loyalty to his country, abandoning a fortune in favour of the discovery of the North Pole, he is a character not to be reckoned with, and one that captivated me all the way through.
I, as many readers, might have to quibble with the lengthy "info-dumps" with which Verne presents us at intervals. I read this book first in French, and more often than not skimmed entirely over them rather than stumble through something that was near-incomprehensible even when translated. But otherwise Verne shines in this book, employing magnificent description to raise the wild lands of the north from the very pages; and the plot glides along, sweeping us across the ocean and through the icy country that is nearly the downfall of the Forward and its crew.
Yes, this is a magnificent book, and one I read and re-read, one which I am glad to have discovered. Monsieur Verne, je vous remercie.
I, as many readers, might have to quibble with the lengthy "info-dumps" with which Verne presents us at intervals. I read this book first in French, and more often than not skimmed entirely over them rather than stumble through something that was near-incomprehensible even when translated. But otherwise Verne shines in this book, employing magnificent description to raise the wild lands of the north from the very pages; and the plot glides along, sweeping us across the ocean and through the icy country that is nearly the downfall of the Forward and its crew.
Yes, this is a magnificent book, and one I read and re-read, one which I am glad to have discovered. Monsieur Verne, je vous remercie.
October 27, 2021
Another one that tests limits and pushes all boundaries. This time, Verne tests the bitter cold on top of the earth.
The first few chapters of the part I was a little dodgy and a bit difficult to stick to. But if you can pass that bit, you’re in for a fantastic voyage. I think, going North where no one had gone at 1800s must’ve been a fascinating thought and a full blown adventure. This book is full of cold things. A journey to the unknown, mutiny, loss, suffering, rivalry, loyalty, victory and painful endings. The way it’s all laid out there on display is captivating. Loved it.
As usual, I’d say, it can be a little too shorter than it is. I mean, there are few bits and pieces it can really do without. Maybe a 50 to 100 pages, not much. But, I suppose if a person is used to Verne, then it’s not such a biggie.
I’d still say, Jules Verne wrote weird things. Even when he dragged me from England to Arctic, losing hope and starving in the cold white plains, he couldn’t change my mind about that fact. And I love the fact he wrote weird things. They’re enjoyable.
Book #40 of 2021..
Around the world in 52 Books - "A long book"
Book #5 of Jules Verne Bibliography Challenge
The first few chapters of the part I was a little dodgy and a bit difficult to stick to. But if you can pass that bit, you’re in for a fantastic voyage. I think, going North where no one had gone at 1800s must’ve been a fascinating thought and a full blown adventure. This book is full of cold things. A journey to the unknown, mutiny, loss, suffering, rivalry, loyalty, victory and painful endings. The way it’s all laid out there on display is captivating. Loved it.
As usual, I’d say, it can be a little too shorter than it is. I mean, there are few bits and pieces it can really do without. Maybe a 50 to 100 pages, not much. But, I suppose if a person is used to Verne, then it’s not such a biggie.
I’d still say, Jules Verne wrote weird things. Even when he dragged me from England to Arctic, losing hope and starving in the cold white plains, he couldn’t change my mind about that fact. And I love the fact he wrote weird things. They’re enjoyable.
Book #40 of 2021..
Around the world in 52 Books - "A long book"
Book #5 of Jules Verne Bibliography Challenge
July 23, 2022
5 JUN 2022 -
“To-morrow, at the turn of the tide, the brig Forward, K. Z., captain, Richard Shandon, mate, will clear from New Prince's Docks; destination unknown." This announcement appeared in the Liverpool Herald of April 5, 1860.
A very good advertising scheme is set around the Forward (equipped with both a large engine and large sails, an ice cutter, and provisions for 5-6 years); its destination (unknown at the moment); its method for hiring crew (and paying the crew very well); and, most importantly, its Captain - a lovely dog!
Imagine all of this. The City (Liverpool, not London) is filling up with those eager to see and to know everything. Ha!
22 JUL 2022 - a fantastic tale of adventure coupled with one man's lifelong desire to reach and stand on the North Pole. I hope you give this one a try - it is worth every minute!
“To-morrow, at the turn of the tide, the brig Forward, K. Z., captain, Richard Shandon, mate, will clear from New Prince's Docks; destination unknown." This announcement appeared in the Liverpool Herald of April 5, 1860.
A very good advertising scheme is set around the Forward (equipped with both a large engine and large sails, an ice cutter, and provisions for 5-6 years); its destination (unknown at the moment); its method for hiring crew (and paying the crew very well); and, most importantly, its Captain - a lovely dog!
Imagine all of this. The City (Liverpool, not London) is filling up with those eager to see and to know everything. Ha!
22 JUL 2022 - a fantastic tale of adventure coupled with one man's lifelong desire to reach and stand on the North Pole. I hope you give this one a try - it is worth every minute!
March 3, 2024
★4.25/5★
Writing--4.5
Plot--4.5
Logic--4
Characters--4
Ending--4.5
Enjoyment--4
Writing--4.5
Plot--4.5
Logic--4
Characters--4
Ending--4.5
Enjoyment--4
July 21, 2022
An enjoyable adventure tale about an expedition to find the North Pole. Not science fiction, but science plays a big role in getting these explorers out of dangerous situations.
July 27, 2011
This was probably the best Verne book I've read so far. I thought the descriptions were fantastic, so much that you really felt that you were there with them at the North Pole. I especially loved the fact that the braves and most audacious character was British. Fantastic, haunting ending, too.
June 14, 2020
উত্তর মেরু আবিস্কারের অদ্ভূত গল্প, বেশ উত্তেজনাময়।
December 22, 2021
This is one of Jules Verne's earlier works, and the first to be advertised under the series title Les Voyages Extraordinaires. Jules VerneThe Adventures of Captain Hatteras tells the tale of a voyage to the North Pole back in the 1860s through the Canadian Nunavut Archipelago, freely inventing geography once he gets past the stopping points of previous expeditions. For instance, he posits a giant island called New America, assumes there is no ice pack north of a certain latitude, and places an erupting volcano right at the location of the North Pole.
Captain Hatteras is the wealthy explorer who put together the expedition, though he seems to not have chosen his crew very well, as they mutiny and burn his ship down while in winter quarters. Fortunately, Hatteras saves the life of an American captain leading a competing expedition. This, unfortunately, leads to a lot of tedious arguing as to who is superior, the British or the Americans. There are also endless discussions of earlier voyages in which Verne frequently gets his facts wrong.
In fact, the book could have used a lot of fact-checking, as he frequently gets dates and directions wrong.
Still, it is an interesting book, but not one of his best works.
Captain Hatteras is the wealthy explorer who put together the expedition, though he seems to not have chosen his crew very well, as they mutiny and burn his ship down while in winter quarters. Fortunately, Hatteras saves the life of an American captain leading a competing expedition. This, unfortunately, leads to a lot of tedious arguing as to who is superior, the British or the Americans. There are also endless discussions of earlier voyages in which Verne frequently gets his facts wrong.
In fact, the book could have used a lot of fact-checking, as he frequently gets dates and directions wrong.
Still, it is an interesting book, but not one of his best works.
August 11, 2021
When I picked up the second half of this two-part work last year, I didn't realize that I was starting in the middle of Verne's tale of Arctic exploration, although it soon became clear to me. Thus, I was eager to find out what I had missed, and was pleasantly reassured that each of these two halves stand quite nicely on their own, such that reading them in reverse order presented no obstacles.
Much of the commentary which I provided regarding the second half of this novel (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) also applies here. I would like to add, however, a couple other observations which have come to mind. The first of these is how surreal it is, in 2021, to read a book the premise of which centers around the dire difficulties encountered in reaching the North Pole. So many of the challenges which the characters in Verne's novel must overcome no longer exist, as a result of climate change. Reaching the Pole today is, by comparison, a trivial affair. Far from robbing Verne's work of its intensity, though, this state of affairs actually heightens it by underscoring our own alarming circumstances some 150+ years later.
Second, in the light of the entire plethora of social justice issues which have come to the forefront of our cultural dialogue -- especially during the age of Trump -- Verne's novel stands as a perfect illustration of the ubiquity of colonialism in shaping the world as we have come to know it. The idea that the North Pole (or any geographic point, for that matter), is "there for the taking" by whichever dominant (i.e., white, Euro-centric) culture is first to plant its flag upon it seems ludicrous given a more critical assessment of world history, especially as it pertains to the U.S. and the U.K. Verne, as the saying goes, meant well and merely illustrates the mores of his age. But they were, in fact, the despicable mores of petty minds with but the dimmest understanding of the fullness of our human potential. None of which necessarily detracts from this novel's readability or the reader's enjoyment of it, so long as its historical context is held in mind. (Note: It may be useful to keep a map handy when reading this.)
Much of the commentary which I provided regarding the second half of this novel (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) also applies here. I would like to add, however, a couple other observations which have come to mind. The first of these is how surreal it is, in 2021, to read a book the premise of which centers around the dire difficulties encountered in reaching the North Pole. So many of the challenges which the characters in Verne's novel must overcome no longer exist, as a result of climate change. Reaching the Pole today is, by comparison, a trivial affair. Far from robbing Verne's work of its intensity, though, this state of affairs actually heightens it by underscoring our own alarming circumstances some 150+ years later.
Second, in the light of the entire plethora of social justice issues which have come to the forefront of our cultural dialogue -- especially during the age of Trump -- Verne's novel stands as a perfect illustration of the ubiquity of colonialism in shaping the world as we have come to know it. The idea that the North Pole (or any geographic point, for that matter), is "there for the taking" by whichever dominant (i.e., white, Euro-centric) culture is first to plant its flag upon it seems ludicrous given a more critical assessment of world history, especially as it pertains to the U.S. and the U.K. Verne, as the saying goes, meant well and merely illustrates the mores of his age. But they were, in fact, the despicable mores of petty minds with but the dimmest understanding of the fullness of our human potential. None of which necessarily detracts from this novel's readability or the reader's enjoyment of it, so long as its historical context is held in mind. (Note: It may be useful to keep a map handy when reading this.)
May 12, 2023
"Die Abenteuer des Kapitäns Hatteras" von Jules Verne
4/5☆
Genre: Abenteuerroman, Scifi
Mit diesem Buch hat mich Jules Verne echt überrascht und ich fand es (wie auch schon mein last read von ihm) viel besser als erwartet.
Die "Vorwärts" soll in See stechen. Alles ist geplant, die Crew ist da und das Schiff ist beladen, nur der Kapitän fehlt. Stattdessen ist ein Hund an Bord, der auf den Namen "Kapitän" hört und plötzlich einen Brief im Maul hat - mit Anweisung des mysteriösen Kapitän Hatteras, der nach Auslaufen des Schiffs zur Crew stoßen will.
Als er sich nach einiger Zeit zu erkennen gibt, offenbart er seiner Mannschaft das Ziel ihrer Reise: den Nordpol, den noch nie ein Mensch zuvor betreten hat.
Doch als die Kälte einbricht, die Vorräte zur Neige gehen und das Schiff im Eis festfriert, kommt es zur Meuterei. Doch auch viele weitere Gefahren und Nahtoderfahrungen warten auf Kapitän Hatteras und seine verschmälerte Crew...
Ich fand das Buch wirklich spannend und nicht ganz so an den Haaren herbeigezogen, wie andere Bücher Vernes, wobei man natürlich trotzdem die Fiktion merkt.
Wie immer habe ich außerdem zu bemängeln, dass keine einzige weibliche Figur im Buch erwähnt wurde. Außerdem finde ich, dass Tiere oft nur als Aggressoren und Nahrungsquellen dargestellt werden.
Dennoch war ich positiv überrascht.
𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐟𝐞𝐡𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠: für alle, die phantasievolle Abenteuerromane mögen
🕊☕️🪐
Wie geht es euch?
4/5☆
Genre: Abenteuerroman, Scifi
Mit diesem Buch hat mich Jules Verne echt überrascht und ich fand es (wie auch schon mein last read von ihm) viel besser als erwartet.
Die "Vorwärts" soll in See stechen. Alles ist geplant, die Crew ist da und das Schiff ist beladen, nur der Kapitän fehlt. Stattdessen ist ein Hund an Bord, der auf den Namen "Kapitän" hört und plötzlich einen Brief im Maul hat - mit Anweisung des mysteriösen Kapitän Hatteras, der nach Auslaufen des Schiffs zur Crew stoßen will.
Als er sich nach einiger Zeit zu erkennen gibt, offenbart er seiner Mannschaft das Ziel ihrer Reise: den Nordpol, den noch nie ein Mensch zuvor betreten hat.
Doch als die Kälte einbricht, die Vorräte zur Neige gehen und das Schiff im Eis festfriert, kommt es zur Meuterei. Doch auch viele weitere Gefahren und Nahtoderfahrungen warten auf Kapitän Hatteras und seine verschmälerte Crew...
Ich fand das Buch wirklich spannend und nicht ganz so an den Haaren herbeigezogen, wie andere Bücher Vernes, wobei man natürlich trotzdem die Fiktion merkt.
Wie immer habe ich außerdem zu bemängeln, dass keine einzige weibliche Figur im Buch erwähnt wurde. Außerdem finde ich, dass Tiere oft nur als Aggressoren und Nahrungsquellen dargestellt werden.
Dennoch war ich positiv überrascht.
𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐟𝐞𝐡𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐠: für alle, die phantasievolle Abenteuerromane mögen
🕊☕️🪐
Wie geht es euch?
March 20, 2024
4,5*
Secretly a two parter. I'm surprised at the absolute disdain Jules has for the Inuk tribes, but that has to be written off as a generational defect (had he written in this day and age, he wouldn't have been so vicious, I'm sure)
I feel this work approaches the most what I'd qualify as literature (as opposed to novels): we see the determination of a man being pushed towards madness, losing almost his entire crew to it.
However, the return trip feels rushed and there are parts where Jules Verne actively avoids going to explore the psyche of his characters, that's a shame, and although this is a very long story in itself, I feel it would have benefited from it.
Worst/best of all is the last sentence: I have been fighting along the crew of cpt. Hatteras for 432 pages and you end it on a f*cking joke?!
I can respect that.
Secretly a two parter. I'm surprised at the absolute disdain Jules has for the Inuk tribes, but that has to be written off as a generational defect (had he written in this day and age, he wouldn't have been so vicious, I'm sure)
I feel this work approaches the most what I'd qualify as literature (as opposed to novels): we see the determination of a man being pushed towards madness, losing almost his entire crew to it.
However, the return trip feels rushed and there are parts where Jules Verne actively avoids going to explore the psyche of his characters, that's a shame, and although this is a very long story in itself, I feel it would have benefited from it.
Worst/best of all is the last sentence: I have been fighting along the crew of cpt. Hatteras for 432 pages and you end it on a f*cking joke?!
I can respect that.
November 24, 2018
In the early 1860s, English Captain Hatteras mounts an expedition to the North Pole onboard the Forward. The first man on the North Pole has to be an English man! Hatteras repeats over and over again.
Written at a time when Jules Verne was still anglophile (Jules Verne’s aversion for nationalism had him revised his judgement), this is one of his rare books where characters are flawed humans beings. This captain Hatteras is more a kind of Robert Falcon Scott than a Shackleton, and I would not have liked to serve under his command. Luckily, like in all Jules Verne’s books, there is the character of the doctor-slash-scientist to balance the irresponsible leader. And most importantly, there is a Duke, a devote Great Dane. I first thought that it was a Great Danish guy, but actually, it’s a Great Danish dog.
Even though the end is a bit absurd, especially when the North Pole has now been reached countless times, it remains a great book.
I am convinced the book inspired Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen for his 1893-96 expedition, his ship being called ‘Fram’, which is the Norwegian for ‘Forward’.
Written at a time when Jules Verne was still anglophile (Jules Verne’s aversion for nationalism had him revised his judgement), this is one of his rare books where characters are flawed humans beings. This captain Hatteras is more a kind of Robert Falcon Scott than a Shackleton, and I would not have liked to serve under his command. Luckily, like in all Jules Verne’s books, there is the character of the doctor-slash-scientist to balance the irresponsible leader. And most importantly, there is a Duke, a devote Great Dane. I first thought that it was a Great Danish guy, but actually, it’s a Great Danish dog.
Even though the end is a bit absurd, especially when the North Pole has now been reached countless times, it remains a great book.
I am convinced the book inspired Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen for his 1893-96 expedition, his ship being called ‘Fram’, which is the Norwegian for ‘Forward’.
August 22, 2022
This is the third novel I read in my personal journey through Verne's Voyages Extraordinaires. Among those three (the others are Five Weeks in a Balloon and Journey to the Center of the Earth), Captain Hatteras is the closest to a conventional adventure novel. And I say that in the best possible sense. This one doesn't have such a ground-breaking premise; it's just an old-fashioned naval exploration tale, but what a gripping one. It was published originally as two books: Les Anglais au pôle nord (The English at the North Pole) and Le Désert de glace (The Desert of Ice).
Synopsys: Set in 1861, describes the adventures of a British naval expedition led by Captain John Hatteras to the Arctic Ocean. Struggling against mutiny and the harshness of the polar winter, Hatteras refuses to give up in his ambition to reach the North Pole.
The Adventures of Captain Hatteras is long, as long as the previous two novels put together, but for my taste it has better pace. None of it was dull. From the moment it starts, with a bunch of sailors discussing a state-of-the-art ship that has just been built, and the mysterious captain who doesn't skimp on expense and only communicates with his crew through letters, it gets our attention, and doesn't let it go throughout the whole epic tale.
There is a speculative element here, although in this case it's purely geographic. At the time it was written, no one had been able to reach the northernmost regions of the Earth, and it was unknown what they would find there. There was a very popular theory at the time, called the Open Polar Sea, suggesting that in the summer there was an open sea around the North Pole. Many naval expeditions had failed to reach it, becoming stranded in a frozen sea, sometimes for several years. However, there were measurements suggesting that the "cold pole", the coldest areas of the northern hemisphere, were at lower latitudes than the North Pole, and there were some testimonies of captains who thought they had glimpsed an open sea in the summer, north to the point where they were themselves trapped in the ice fields. (As modern readers, we know the Open Polar Sea theory is not true, but in Verne's world that was still unknown and waiting to be determined.)
Captain Hatteras firmly believes in that theory. He is convinced that he will be able to reach that open sea and get to the pole with his ship. However, the tragic outcomes of his previous expeditions make it difficult for him to hire a crew. What follows is a truly epic and gritty fight of human spirit against the force of nature.
The cast of key characters here is larger than in the other two novels I have read. We have of course Captain Hatteras, who is that kind of visionary, strong-willed character that we find in many Verne novels. Like Professor Lidenbrock from Journey to the Center of the Earth, Hatteras is relentless in his quest. No matter how overwhelming the danger is, to himself and to his companions, he won't give up. In this case, this relentless character is the adventurer, not the scientist.
The role of the scientist then is played by the ship physician, Doctor Clawbonny. He is competent in his job, good-natured but also filled with a thirst for knowledge and adventure, even if he has a lot of the former and little experience of the latter. His knowledge and ingenious ideas (like making a bullet with frozen mercury from a thermometer when they are far from the ship, without ammunitions and stalked by a hungry beast) save the lives of his companions more than once.
We also have Shandon, the first mate of the ship, whose falling-out with Hatteras poisons the expedition. We have Duke, the captain's dog, with as much character and dedication as any member of the crew (in fact, in the beginning of the novel, before Hatteras shows up, there was a rumour among the crew that the dog was actually the captain). We have Captain Altamont, the American explorer, who is a bitter rival of Hatteras but may have to find a way to cooperate with him if they are all to survive. And several other important characters...
The book is narrated in third person, and the Verne-style infodumps come in the form of conversations of Doctor Clawbonny with other characters, where he talks about the state of Arctic exploration. I find the subject fascinating, so I was on board with that. You know, the story of Franklin's lost expedition and that kind of thing.
As always, if you read it in English and can afford to pay a bit more, look for a modern translation if there is one, in this case William Butcher's translation published by Oxford University Press.
Enjoyment factor: I hadn't read this one in my youth and liked it a lot. Even though it's long, and as always with Verne there are educative infodumps, the pace of this novel is good. The dangers were not occasional, but ever-present, and the difficulties seemingly overwhelming. It doesn't have as much sense of wonder as the previous two novels, but the thrill of getting to unexplored regions is there. I really enjoyed it, and if your edition doesn't have a map, don't hesitate to look for the Captain Hatteras map online, to follow the course of the journey as you read.
See all my Verne reviews here: https://www.sffworld.com/forum/thread...
Synopsys: Set in 1861, describes the adventures of a British naval expedition led by Captain John Hatteras to the Arctic Ocean. Struggling against mutiny and the harshness of the polar winter, Hatteras refuses to give up in his ambition to reach the North Pole.
The Adventures of Captain Hatteras is long, as long as the previous two novels put together, but for my taste it has better pace. None of it was dull. From the moment it starts, with a bunch of sailors discussing a state-of-the-art ship that has just been built, and the mysterious captain who doesn't skimp on expense and only communicates with his crew through letters, it gets our attention, and doesn't let it go throughout the whole epic tale.
There is a speculative element here, although in this case it's purely geographic. At the time it was written, no one had been able to reach the northernmost regions of the Earth, and it was unknown what they would find there. There was a very popular theory at the time, called the Open Polar Sea, suggesting that in the summer there was an open sea around the North Pole. Many naval expeditions had failed to reach it, becoming stranded in a frozen sea, sometimes for several years. However, there were measurements suggesting that the "cold pole", the coldest areas of the northern hemisphere, were at lower latitudes than the North Pole, and there were some testimonies of captains who thought they had glimpsed an open sea in the summer, north to the point where they were themselves trapped in the ice fields. (As modern readers, we know the Open Polar Sea theory is not true, but in Verne's world that was still unknown and waiting to be determined.)
Captain Hatteras firmly believes in that theory. He is convinced that he will be able to reach that open sea and get to the pole with his ship. However, the tragic outcomes of his previous expeditions make it difficult for him to hire a crew. What follows is a truly epic and gritty fight of human spirit against the force of nature.
The cast of key characters here is larger than in the other two novels I have read. We have of course Captain Hatteras, who is that kind of visionary, strong-willed character that we find in many Verne novels. Like Professor Lidenbrock from Journey to the Center of the Earth, Hatteras is relentless in his quest. No matter how overwhelming the danger is, to himself and to his companions, he won't give up. In this case, this relentless character is the adventurer, not the scientist.
The role of the scientist then is played by the ship physician, Doctor Clawbonny. He is competent in his job, good-natured but also filled with a thirst for knowledge and adventure, even if he has a lot of the former and little experience of the latter. His knowledge and ingenious ideas (like making a bullet with frozen mercury from a thermometer when they are far from the ship, without ammunitions and stalked by a hungry beast) save the lives of his companions more than once.
We also have Shandon, the first mate of the ship, whose falling-out with Hatteras poisons the expedition. We have Duke, the captain's dog, with as much character and dedication as any member of the crew (in fact, in the beginning of the novel, before Hatteras shows up, there was a rumour among the crew that the dog was actually the captain). We have Captain Altamont, the American explorer, who is a bitter rival of Hatteras but may have to find a way to cooperate with him if they are all to survive. And several other important characters...
The book is narrated in third person, and the Verne-style infodumps come in the form of conversations of Doctor Clawbonny with other characters, where he talks about the state of Arctic exploration. I find the subject fascinating, so I was on board with that. You know, the story of Franklin's lost expedition and that kind of thing.
As always, if you read it in English and can afford to pay a bit more, look for a modern translation if there is one, in this case William Butcher's translation published by Oxford University Press.
Enjoyment factor: I hadn't read this one in my youth and liked it a lot. Even though it's long, and as always with Verne there are educative infodumps, the pace of this novel is good. The dangers were not occasional, but ever-present, and the difficulties seemingly overwhelming. It doesn't have as much sense of wonder as the previous two novels, but the thrill of getting to unexplored regions is there. I really enjoyed it, and if your edition doesn't have a map, don't hesitate to look for the Captain Hatteras map online, to follow the course of the journey as you read.
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August 10, 2021
Un peu trop instructif par égards, et ça m'a fait drôle de lire un livre sur la neige pendant cet été brûlant, mais je l'ai beaucoup aimé tout de même. Suspense, révolte, survie... Mon chapitre préféré, qui est aussi celui le plus invraisemblable (au point de me faire rire), est 'l'Approche du pôle'. Ça va d'une péripétie à une autre: ouragan, icebergs, ours polaires, maelström... Quel bonheur !
July 25, 2019
Que livro chato, 150 páginas é o meu limite.
May 3, 2023
The second of the Fantastic Voyages series and is, as the introduction to the academic edition I have, an underread gem. Hatteras is both mysterious at the start and fascinating at the end, much as Verne's stiff prose hiders it some. It also contains the joyous and brilliant Dr. Clawbonny who brings levity and someone to root for. He's the hero we need. It's interesting that both the published version, altered by Verne's editor, and the surviving pieces of Verne's original center on the problems of nationalism and how it hinders science: an excellent subject to lean into. I actually like the ideas of both versions. Also, one could use this as a great prompt to teach a child science. It's a solid, if stiffly written, tale that deserves wider reading.
Jules Verne Ranked
1. Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas (1869–70) [VE #6] 5 Stars
2. The Adventures of Captain Hatteras (1866) [VE #2] 4 Stars
3. Around the World in 80 Days (1872) [VE #11] 4 Stars
4. From the Earth to the Moon (1865) [VE #4] 3.5 Stars
5. The Mysterious Island (1873) [VE #10] 3.5 Stars
6. The Fur Country (1873) [VE #10] 3 Stars
7. Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864, revised 1867) [VE #3] 3 Stars
8. In Search of the Castaways (1867–68) [VE #5] 2.5 Stars
9. Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863) [VE #1] 2.5 Stars
10.A Floating City (1871) [VE #8] 2 Stars
11. Round the Moon (1870) [VE #7] 2 Stars
12. Three Englishmen and Three Russians in South Africa (1872) [VE #9] 1 Star
Jules Verne Ranked
1. Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas (1869–70) [VE #6] 5 Stars
2. The Adventures of Captain Hatteras (1866) [VE #2] 4 Stars
3. Around the World in 80 Days (1872) [VE #11] 4 Stars
4. From the Earth to the Moon (1865) [VE #4] 3.5 Stars
5. The Mysterious Island (1873) [VE #10] 3.5 Stars
6. The Fur Country (1873) [VE #10] 3 Stars
7. Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864, revised 1867) [VE #3] 3 Stars
8. In Search of the Castaways (1867–68) [VE #5] 2.5 Stars
9. Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863) [VE #1] 2.5 Stars
10.A Floating City (1871) [VE #8] 2 Stars
11. Round the Moon (1870) [VE #7] 2 Stars
12. Three Englishmen and Three Russians in South Africa (1872) [VE #9] 1 Star
Displaying 1 - 30 of 161 reviews