Propeller Island

by Jules Verne

Propeller Island (1895), a science fiction novel about a massive ship in the Pacific Ocean inhabited entirely by millionaires, was first published as part of the "Voyages Extraordinaires."




Includes a new introduction by literary scholar Darrell Schweitzer.

Genres: Science Fiction, Adventure, Fiction, Classics, French Literature, Science Fiction Fantasy, France

192 pages, Hardcover

First published November 21, 1895

About the author

Novels 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...

Reviews

[Henry Avila · Rating 4 out of 5]

About 125 years ago, give or take a few , French musicians visiting the Golden State, heading down from San Francisco, to the mythical city of San Diego ( never heard of it either), Hollywood apparently, never arises, are kidnapped by promises of comfort and help, when they are marooned, in a small village in southern California, only two miles from the coast, to a city that nobody seems to know. The Concerting Quartet, all close friends, desperately need shelter and food, Sebastien Zorn, the grouchy cellist and leader, also the oldest member, Yvernes, the first violinist, Frascolin, the second violinist, and the curious Pinchinat, who plays the viola. Chamber music has become a craze in the United States ( this is a fantasy of course), but Mr. Calistus Munbar, seems like a trustworthy fellow ( far from it), a music lover though, can help the Frenchmen , he says, get to this unknown town ... And with plenty of time left, for their next... engagement.They cross a "river", and arrive at Standard Island, really a massive ship miles long and wide, made of steel, with a population of 10,000, American millionaires and billionaires. Hundreds of propellers power this strange island, they're enthusiastically welcomed to modern , Milliard City, electrified, tall buildings, extended , clean streets, great mansions, upscale stores, green parks, an impressive observatory, too, even animals and birds , and crops grown, also, go anywhere in the vast Pacific Ocean, where the rich want, visit numerous islands, archipelagos inhabited by half - civilized natives, beautiful, sandy beaches, exotic wildflowers, mountains thousands of feet high, waterfalls, cascading down into the mists, thick forests, blue skies, gorgeous, coral atolls, rising from the bottom of the sea, extinct volcanoes, and some very active, and the ever present, quite annoying mosquitoes... An independent nation, with no borders, but the salt water, freedom, climate always fine, they choose the best areas. The giant structure immune from storms , they believe . Paradise, not, two quarreling groups fight for supremacy, the Starboard section (west), led Mr. Jem Tankerdon , Protestant , northerner, and Larboard ( Port, east), led Mr. Nat Coverley, Catholic, from the south, the two riches men on the self-propelled island, hate each other. Both are jealous, stubborn, and silly, will not cooperate, and run the floating island, in a manner not for the good, they would rather destroy it, still these gentlemen have a young son and daughter, Walter Tankedon, and Miss Dy Coverley, lovebirds, not of the same sentiments...The French musicians start to enjoy this unexpected voyage, bringing good music, to the wealthy, seeing exotic lands, primitive cultures, and even some cannibals, who have not given up their favorite meat. And the musicians are getting a million francs each, not a bad deal...if they can survive the waves from Standard Island, both the pirates, and the typhoon.

[Luís · Rating 3 out of 5]

A reasonably average Jules Verne. In an extravagant new venture, wealthy Americans have financed a vast artificial island driven by propellers and equipped with the latest equipment. They will cross the Pacific to pursue the ideal climate and visit several archipelagos. The characters are stereotyped in the usual J. Verne way. We mainly follow a quartet of musicians invited to the island: a serious one, a stubborn curmudgeon, a pleasant joker and a dreamy poet. Among the notables of the island, there is the lively Calistus Munbar, inspired by a certain Barnum. The cruise is not very hectic at first, but a lot will happen, the adventures spreading in an exponential crescendo. Not so bad, but in my opinion, Jules Verne has already been more in verve.

[Manny · Rating 3 out of 5]

The other day, I thought of this little-known novel, which I read when I was about 10. The heroes, a string quartet, lose their way one evening near the waterfront. They can't figure out what odd part of town they've somehow wandered into! It turns out that a huge ship, in effect a mobile island, has made a brief stop and picked them up.

Please refrain from pointing out the logical problems: this is a Jules Verne story, and, as is often the case, a social satire. The inhabitants of the island are all multi-zillionaires and living lives of the most unbelievable luxury, but don't imagine that makes them happy. No, far from it; the two rival factions of the Starboardites and the Larboardites each spend their time frantically trying to take full control of the island, simultaneously denigrating their political opponents in the bitterest terms and claiming that they are going to destroy their society.

Unable to agree on anything, relations between the parties deteriorate further as the story progresses; in the end, each group picks an independent course, turning their propellers in opposite directions. The island breaks up under the strain and sinks. A few survivors, including the heroes, are picked up by passing boats.

Now what could have reminded me of that?

[Sarah Dorothea · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 out of 5 stars! ⭐️ A book that I really enjoyed reading while at university. It made me fall in love with adventure- and science fiction novels - so yeah this reminds me of that! Jules Verne really is the master of the adventure novel and his books are far more than only a literature of distraction. ❤️👌🏻✨

[Vesa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jules Verne is one of my all time favorite authors. His books are easy to pick up and his stories always sent me back to my childhood when time were so simple. Although Verne's novels are not only for children, many libraries categorize them as children's books. Even when some of his books have very serious tone.

Propeller island is not one of Verne's most famous books. And for a good reason: it is not a very good book. There are some great parts but mostly it's very generic and even boring Vernian story. The most interesting part was that the four main characters were musicians and not your typical adventurers or scientists.

If you are a die-hard Jules Verne fan you should read Propeller Island. Otherwise there is no reason to pick it up.

[Beatriz Rosales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otro increíble y fantasioso viaje con las descripciones detalladas de la narrativa de Julio Verne, este viaje en el que la imaginación se desborda para construir un país que flota sobre una plataforma y viaja alrededor del mundo, y que a pesar de su increíble construcción, los pasajeros llevan una vida de vacaciones interminables, y en esa sociedad surgen los conflictos de todas las ciudades.

[John Peel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally speaking, I love Jules Verne's novels. This one, however, tends to be rather dull in places, and lacks his usual imagination. The idea is nice - American multi-millionaires build a floating island and use it to steam across the Pacific. (Very much in the manner that "The World" cruise ship is currently doing!) A French chamber quartet is kidnapped in order to provide live entertainment for the island's inhabitants, and get involved in a series of mostly minor adventures. It's fun in places, but not one of his great novels.

[Camille · Rating 2 out of 5]

Une longue succession de visites d'îles du Pacifique et de querelles intestines entre gros riches, très répétitif et sans grand intérêt, et semble avoir assez mal vieilli. Le quatuor des personnages "principaux" (malgré l'absence d'intrigue et d'action) est attachant mais ça ne suffit pas pendant autant de pages.

[Mysling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Klassisk Verne. Kanske lite väl i följetongsformat, men trevlig läsning oavsett.

[Marijan Šiško · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dobio sam ovu knjigu negdje s 10 godina. obožavao sam ju. ploveći otok, po pacifiku, četvorica francuza među amerikancima. totalna zabava. Da ne spomnjem da sam tu zauvijek naučio od čega se sastoji gudački kvartet.

[ফরহাদ নিলয় · Rating 5 out of 5]

এটা যতটা ভালো সাই-ফাই, তার চেয়ে বেশি রোমান্টিক একটা গল্প। ভাল্লাগছে। :)
সত্যি বলতে কি, বইটা পড়ার সময় আমার মনে হয়েছিল, আমি যদি এইরকম একটা দ্বীপের মালিক হতাম, মন্দ হতো না! :p

[Alfredo Sirica · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,75 stelle

Stile brillante, una premessa visionaria e personaggi iconici contribuiscono sicuramente a rendere questo romanzo divertente, ma non bastano a renderlo memorabile. Ottimo incipit e conclusione dignitosa, separati da centinaia di pagine che arenano e diluiscono la narrazione con le invasive descrizioni geografiche che soggiogano tante opere del buon Verne.

Chicca del romanzo: il delizioso personaggio del re di Malacarlia, ex sovrano che, tra i miliardari di Standard-Island, si ritrova costretto ad una vita limitata dall'eccessivo costo della vita sull'isola ad elica. È tuttavia felice di privarsi di queste comodità, in quanto il trasferimento sull'isola è necessario alla salute della sua cara moglie.

[Tonio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Como dice Verne al final: ¿será alguien capaz de crear una isla artificial? Producto de una mente maravillosa o de un caprichoso multimillonario, no es su mejor novela, pero es entretenida, especialmente si tienes interés por la geografía del Pacífico.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fluffy romp, full of facts and clever ideas that is frustrating as it's so close to being excellent.
All the elements are there, but Verne gets distracted shoveling facts at us, that some really interesting story elements come across bland, as he resorts to way too much 'tell, don't show', when if he'd done it the other way around, this book would have earned a forth star.

Half the cast is very flat, merely types and names.
Which is another shame, because when Verne bothers to give anybody a personality, I really like them.
The retired king and queen and the student-less dance teacher are nice and you grow to like them.
The couple, whose frustrated romance is a central plot point have maybe three lines of dialogue, no noticeable scenes with each other and are as flat as can be.

Towards the end, Verne toys with introducing actual plots: one he telegraphs so far in advance, and then ignores for half the book, that when you get reminded of it, it's more annoying than suspenseful.
Another is exciting, but makes no sense and is never explained, so that it almost feels like a dream sequence and the grand finale feels likewise rushed.

Glad he left it open ended, but a shame there was never a sequel, as buried under every bland moment is a great idea and some clever bits of satire.

[Wreade1872 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does it still count as Filler if theres nothing else to it?
It seems the central conceit of this is not enough to build a story around so you have various other elements strung together to pass the time. There's a bit of romance, social politics, international politics, some piracy, some comedy (MOST of which at least manages to survive the translator) and of course, since this is verne some facts. Which in this case is a tour of the pacific islands.
Have you ever wanted to know the import/exports, population, geology, flora/fauna and political history of Tahiti circa 1890? Well then this is the book for you!
OK, it isn't as bad as it sounds, its usually at least mildly interesting. I've had several worse Verne reading experiences.
I did like the ending and most of the incidents along the way held my interest, except for one which was too random and ridiculous.
Lions and tigers and alligators, Oh My!

[Emanuella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Два пъти опитах и ще си призная, че сега нямам нерви да я довърша. Около стотина страници останаха, но все не стигам до тях :/ Сигурно защото съм затрупана с пътешественически книги, които са ми се струват по-интересни.
Разлистих я случайно в библиотеката на х. Горски рай - смях се с глас на първите глави! :D После я търсих в twitter, Magareshko ми писа, донесе ми я и това стана причината да се запознаем, за което много се радвам :)
Четях с интерес, възхищавах се на старите илюстрации от Стоян Цанев. Обаче към средата историята стана суха и отегчителна. Като че ли диалозите и веселите случки намаляваха, а фактите и описанията се увеличаваха. Балансът и музата изчезнаха, сякаш четях учебник по география... И окончателно загубих интерес.
Може би е въпрос на настроение, ще пробвам за трети и последен път, преди да я върна :/

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was standard Jules Verne but unfortunately the copy I read was a Fitzroy Edition thus a lot of the color that Jules Verne added to provide history and local color was deleted, which is a shame. I guess I'll have to get an unabridged version.

The book was sort of a parable on the folly of great wealth and for me had two points of interest. The first is this book had a very anti-British tone I don't remember this so directly from other Verne books I read so I wonder what was happening in British/French relations at the time and secondly this is the second Verne book I've read recently in which wild predators are let loose (lions, tigers, crocodiles, etc.) are let loose to drive away the inhabitants. I wonder how many times he did this and I didn't notice.

[Gulzira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Превышенные ожидания, т.к это Жюль Верн, но они не оправдались.
Струнный квартет из Франции гастролирует по Америке и попадает на плавучий рукотворный остров Стандарт Айленд, где живут богатые и состоятельные американцы. Ведя шикарную и беззаботную жизнь, жители острова сталкиваются с обстоятельствами, характерными любому обществу - жажда власти, признания.

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://bibliotheca.skynetblogs.be/arc...

[Dan Verkys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool little adventure, recommend.

[Masha Romanoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very entertaining read, filled with adventure and funny characters. My first book by Mr. Verne and I loved it.

[Kevin Hogg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't as widely read as many of Verne's other works, but I've been intrigued by the idea for years. Because it combines technological innovations with a journey of exploration, much of the first half of the book is dedicated to description. The description continues in the second half, but the plot picks up some steam as well. The floating island is described in enough detail to satisfy the reader's curiosity. The biggest drawback to this is that it's so full of wealth that it seems like more of a gated community than a city. And, of course, the wealth is held by a very heterogeneous population. At one point, it discusses how everyone walks around with thousands of dollars in their pockets as spending money, then half a page later, it discusses a woman of African ancestry and states her monthly salary as a small fraction of this.

And that's my biggest complaint with the book: its racism. When the voyage takes them to the islands of Oceania, there are frequent references to savagery, cannibalism, telling how "bad" (resistant to colonization) a person is by the "frizziness" of their hair. Each island is described not only according to its natural beauty, but also to what extent its inhabitants have been open to "civilization" and to what extent they have taken on "proper" European clothing and houses instead of sticking to their "unattractive" "primitive" ways. (I'm getting tired of typing these quotation marks, so I'll leave it at that...)

In terms of plot, the second half of the book contains a few adventures. One seems to come out of nowhere and, while interesting, doesn't advance the plot. Ultimately, it leaves the reader waiting for an answer than never comes. The other two come together well--both are built up for many chapters, and their eventual outcome is satisfying, particularly the impact of the rivalry. (Speaking of the rivalry, I think Verne might have overestimated the Catholic-Protestant rivalry in the United States and how confined each way to a specific geographical area and economic mindset, but it can be overlooked easily enough if they are just viewed as two rival factions.)

It was an enjoyable book for the most part. It was published in 1895, which helps explain where some of the racial ideas came from, but they were hard to read. It's interesting to see the technology and consider what has come to pass, what might still be in the future, and what seemed impressive at the time but now seems laughably outdated.

[Farseer · Rating 4 out of 5]

(41) L'Île à hélice (Propeller Island, aka The Floating Island, 1895) (2 volumes) 109K words


The 41st Extraordinary Voyage takes us to Oceania on board a huge artificial, self-propelled island designed to travel the waters of the Pacific Ocean. We had been in Oceania in the last two volumes of "In Search of the Castaways" and in "Mistress Branican", but here we explore a new region: the multiple archipelagos of Melanesia and Polynesia. The theme of a sea voyage on a great ship had been treated in "A Floating City", but here Verne takes the concept further by introducing one of his marvellous vehicles. We also saw a community sharing a floating surface, in that case on a river journey, in "Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon".


First read or reread?: First read for me.


What is it about?: A French string quartet (Sébastien Zorn, Frascolin, Yvernes and Pinchinat), traveling from San Francisco to their next engagement in San Diego, is diverted to Standard Island. Standard Island is an immense man-made island designed to travel the waters of the Pacific Ocean. On the island there is a luxurious, futuristic city inhabited by millionaires. The quartet is hired to play a number of concerts for the residents during their tour of the islands (Sandwich, Cook, Society, etc.) of the South Pacific. Standard Island seems an idyllic paradise; however, it is a society divided in two. The left half's population is led by Jem Tankerdon and is known as the Larboardites. The right half's population is led by Nat Coverley and is known as the Starboardites. Despite the several obstacles and shared dangers encountered on their journey, the two parties maintain a disagreement that threatens the future of the island itself.


This novel has several interesting things to offer the reader. The first is another of those Verne science-fictional vehicles, which is something we had not had for a while in the Extraordinary Voyages. The last one was the flying machine in "Robur the Conqueror". In this case, we get the largest of these vehicles: an artificial island thrust by giant propellers. On the island there is a city that functions as an utopia, with some futuristic technology (futuristic for the time it was written, anyway), and able to do some long-range communications to rendezvous with supply ships. The residents, apart from the necessary workers, are millionaires who pay a large rent to the company that owns the island in exchange for a luxurious place to live with their families.

Verne had already explored the concept of an utopian city in "The Begum's Millions", but here the utopia is threatened not just by external enemies, but also by internal dissension. We see the slightly more pessimistic outlook that Verne had in the second half of his career, because this community of wealthy citizens, ideal on paper, is somewhat bored and aimless, divided by petty rivalries.

There's material here for an interesting story, but unfortunately Verne does not make very good use of it, at least initially. There is just too much exposition and too little action for large parts of the novel.

Our main characters are four outsiders, a group of French musicians who are initially touring the US as a string quartet. The four of them are good friends but have different personalities: we have the curmudgeon leader, the practical one, the poetic one and the jokester. They are taken onto the island (initially one could almost say kidnapped, although they are compensated generously) and that way the readers discover this technological marvel along with the characters. This leads to a lengthy description that we can forgive because the island is interesting, but maybe it goes on for too long. Then the story turns into a travelogue describing the different Pacific islands were our moving island makes stops in its journey. Our four heroes are always among the most interested in doing some tourism, and that way we get descriptions of the different locations and natives.

I have never been a fanatical adherent of the "show, don't tell" golden rule. In general it's reasonable advice, but there is a place for "telling" in a narration. Verne is famous for using his stories not just to entertain, but also to inform the reader, and that means telling. However, for a good part of this novel, I feel he forgets the "entertain" part. Even in a novel with a lot of informative asides, like "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas", this is tempered by an interesting story. Here, not so much, at least during the first half of the novel, some parts of which I found dull.

This improves in the second half, where we have a lot of things going on, from an invasion of dangerous wild animals due to sabotage, to an attack by native pirates, from the kidnapping of one of the characters when exploring one of the islands to dangerous internal strife. Still, the first half may have been the dullest part of the Extraordinary Voyages so far.

Apparently, the public domain English translations are kind of infamous. The W. J. Gordon translation published as The Floating Island censored multiple passages that were critical of the Americans and, mainly, of the English. That's a pity, because some of that is integral to the novel, and some of Verne's zings are rather funny. He really did not like the English at this point of his career. Another translation published as Propeller Island is abridged, and we have to go to the modern 2015 translation by Marie-Thérèse Noiset to find one more faithful to the original text.


Enjoyment factor: This has some good things going on for it, a wondrous vehicle, social satire, paradisiacal locations... It also has nice little moments, like the private concert our heroes give for the king and queen of Malecarlia, where their passion for music really shines through. Unfortunately, despite having things to offer, I probably wouldn't recommend this one except to committed Verne readers. Verne has his occasional tics and his tendency to supply the reader with information, but I like his style and I always find him entertaining. However, some parts of this novel were dull. It does improves in the second part, but Verne has better stories to offer.


Next up: Facing the Flag


See all my Verne reviews here: https://www.sffworld.com/forum/thread...

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

O călătorie care începe rău se sfârşeşte rareori cu bine. Iată ce ar avea tot dreptul să susţină patru instrumentişti ale căror instrumente s-au împrăştiat care încotro.

Trăsura în care fuseseră nevoiţi să se urce la ultima staţie de cale ferată s-a răsturnat deodată în şanţ.

— Niciun rănit? întreabă primul, ridicându-se iute în picioare.

— Eu am scăpat cu o zgârietură! răspunde al doilea, ştergându-şi obrazul atins de o fărâmă de sticlă.

— Eu cu o julitură! oftează al treilea, pe a cărui pulpă se văd câteva picături de sânge.

Nimic grav, în definitiv.

— Şi violoncelul meu? strigă al patrulea. De nu i s-ar fi întâmplat ceva!

Din fericire, cutiile sunt neatinse. Nici violoncelul, nici cele două viori, nici viola n-au suferit în urma izbiturii. Abia dacă va fi nevoie să fie reacordate. Straşnice instrumente, nu-i aşa?

— Blestemat fie trenul care ne-a lăsat la mijlocul drumului începe iar unul.

— Blestemată fie trăsura care ne-a răsturnat în plin câmp! continuă altul.

— Şi tocmai acum, când începe să se întunece! adaugă al treilea.

— Noroc că am anunţat concertul pentru poimâine, observă al patrulea.

Artiştii nu şi-au pierdut buna dispoziţie şi încep să se amuze pe seama păţaniei lor. Unul dintre ei, în virtutea unui obicei înrădăcinat, începe să toarne calambururi muzicale.

[maximilian · Rating 2 out of 5]

a french string quartet gets stranded on their travels and ends up on milliard island, a cruise-like metal island, inhabited by the richest of the rich americans. almost overwhelmed by the great luxuries on board, the four musicians indulge themselves in extravagance and choose to accompany the islanders for a year, giving monthly performances. during this cruise, they encounter a wide variety of dangers and adventures

i didn‘t really enjoy the writing and i found the story to be very dull at some points

given that the book was written in the 19th century, this is not a big surprise, but there are many expressions and words, that would definitely be termed racist and unacceptable by today‘s standards

[Андрій Гулкевич · Rating 5 out of 5]

Потужний роман, в якому Жуль Верн описав корабель-острів, який здатний рухатися по морю та океану. Жителі його – це багачі світу, які здатні оплатити проживання на цьому «дев’ятому чуду світу». «Плаваючий острів» містить чимало роздумів автора про технічні особливості цього острова, а також чимало описів островів Тихого океану, їх історії та стану справ на той час. Стандард-Айленд (якщо не помиляюся) є третім вигаданим майже утопічним містом на думку Жуль Верна. Однак, у той же час він протиставляє життя багачів, життю дикунам та аборигенам звичайних островів. І як будь-що велике створене людьми, на нього очікує не менш драматичний кінець.

[Eyliune · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je serai toujours incroyablement impressionnée par la vision de Jules Verne et par ses œuvres très futuristes. Déjà en 1895, il imaginait la signature électronique (électrique dans le livre), s'inquiétait déjà de la pollution atmosphérique causée par les usines, par la surpopulation future de la planète, et imaginait des tunnels sous-marins pour communiquer entre continent... Et prévenait des dangers du capitalisme. Une œuvre incroyable à découvrir, bourrée de descriptions impressionnantes de prévisions et de perspicacité.

[Daniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so incredibly slow. This was my first Jules Verne book and it didn’t necessarily leave a good impression. But not a bad enough impression for me not to read his other books.

I enjoyed the creativity of this one.

Side note: The version of this book that I had (Mccallister) had an insane amount of typos in it. Like a typo every couple of pages

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

En general, la historia está bien, pero es mejor la segunda parte. En la primera parte, dedican a viajar, a describir la isla, los animales, plantas y no pasa nada en realidad. El desenlace sucede demasiado rápido.

[Jean-Pascal · Rating 1 out of 5]

Roman (en est-ce un ?) de la fin de carrière de Verne. Il manque d'idée, pratique le copier/coller, se complaît dans sa fascination pour l'argent et le racisme. Ça se veut sans doute une critique drôle des USA, mais c'est illisible à présent. L'était-ce à l'époque ?