Quicklet on Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island

by Natacha Pavlov

Your Reading Sidekick! Our Hyperink Quicklets include an overall summary, chapter commentary, key characters, literary themes, fun trivia, and recommended related readings. ABOUT THE BOOK If you are native to the US, you may not have heard much about Jules Vernes The Mysterious Island. Perhaps you may have heard of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea or Around the World in 80 Days? No? Not those either? Well you shouldnt feel too bad. Regardless of the reason for said limited knowledge, it maybe true that if you are not particularly science-fiction inclined nor a fan of substantial 600 pages+ scientific books, it could at least somewhat explain your status on the subject. Even for those who grew up in a French-speaking country (such as myself), Jules Verne, although well-known, was not exactly an author that was widely read in school. Even as a sci-fi fan of tender age, I already knew that Jules Verne was not for those who were playing around and I have good reason to believe that I wasnt the only one feeling that way either. MEET THE AUTHOR A current San Francisco Bay Area resident, Natacha Pavlov has been an avid reader and writer since her early years spent growing up in Brussels, Belgium. She earned her B.A. in Comparative World Literature from San Francisco State University and constantly flirts with the notion of earning her Masters/PhD someday. EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK For his voyage series, Verne had wanted to create a newer, modern version of Robinson Crusoe or deserted island-inspired piece. However, according to www.unmuseum.org, this major novel had a rough start, and his first attempt, Uncle Robinson, was flatly rejected by his publisher Hetzel, questioning the novels lack of science and suggesting a complete start-over. Sure enough, Vernes second draft proved favorable for publishing. True to the Robinsonade literary style, The Mysterious Island chronicles the adventures of 5 castaways stranded on a deserted island. The castaways basically start off with nothing but soon learn to master their environment, yet eventually notice that mysterious things are happening on the island. The castaways first write it off as divine guidance, but as the help given becomes increasingly more scientific in nature, the novels adventure starts to take form and the mystery is eventually resolved. By using this dual imagerymysticism vs. scienceJules Verne could have been highlighting the way both God and science help people in trouble, since he was both a man of faith and a science enthusiast. (www.penguinreaders.com) Buy a copy to keep reading! CHAPTER OUTLINE

24 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 24, 2012

About the author

Bruxelles born and raised, I'm a bilingual writer with a Comparative World Literature background who wrote my first poem at 7 years of age.

My latest historical fiction novel Jayida, set in sixth century pre-Islamic Arabia, is the work of years of research and the project that first made me want to write historical fiction. It's been called "a magnum opus of historical fiction" and was longlisted for the 2024 HFC Book of the Year Awards.

I'm also the author of The Well-Loved Demon, where the elusive 18th century French monarch, Louis XV, offers a Gothic-sentimental glimpse into his life and mind, and the short story collection, Our Lives Are Fairy Tales.
Other works include Nicola's Leg about our Russian family's relocation to Jerusalem in light of the Russian Revolution, and the short story collection Twisted Reflections.

As a follower of Jesus and influenced by my German, Russian and Christian Palestinian heritage, I enjoy creating historical, spiritually-driven narratives. I'm currently at work on more hist-fic of various lengths.

Visit my website at www.NatachaPavlov.com . † ن​

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