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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
I'm a sucker for a shipwrecked on a deserted island novel and this is a great one!
Meh. I only read this because I wanted to find out what happened to Captain Nemo. Not a bad shipwreck story, but I find it hard to believe a half dozen guys could do all that in the space of a few years. Overly descriptive, and not a lot of character development, but still a good yarn.
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A few givens when reading any Jules Verne book:
- The story will be male centric (It was the times).
- There will be a racist "loyal slave" trope character.
- Parts of the story will be looong and drawn out, with lots of extra descriptive detail.
With that being said, I can still say that Verne is one of my all time favorite authors. The combination of adventure and science (geology, zoology, botany, marine biology, vulcanology, etc.) always hooks me and the knowledge Verne displays is impressive, to say the least! (Even if he does place animals and plants in parts of the world that they do not exist. But that's part of the fun of suspending disbelief).
I will also admit that I may have as much of an affinity for hot air balloons as Verne had.
Next up: Around the World in Eighty Days.
- The story will be male centric (It was the times).
- There will be a racist "loyal slave" trope character.
- Parts of the story will be looong and drawn out, with lots of extra descriptive detail.
With that being said, I can still say that Verne is one of my all time favorite authors. The combination of adventure and science (geology, zoology, botany, marine biology, vulcanology, etc.) always hooks me and the knowledge Verne displays is impressive, to say the least! (Even if he does place animals and plants in parts of the world that they do not exist. But that's part of the fun of suspending disbelief).
I will also admit that I may have as much of an affinity for hot air balloons as Verne had.
Next up: Around the World in Eighty Days.
In a word, dull. I kept waiting for some fantastic creatures or beasts to show up, but it never happened. I ended up reading the first hundred pages or so and then just skipping to the end to see if anyone survived.
In a fit of whimsy, I hereby announce I will give everyone five stars, but the reviews may not reflect it.
I remember reading this years ago and enjoying it, so I decided to give it a listen to see how it stood the test of time. The book seemed just the same, but I've changed since then, and now the book reads like a textbook for colonialism. I know it's considered a classic by many, but I can't see it that way anymore.
I remember reading this years ago and enjoying it, so I decided to give it a listen to see how it stood the test of time. The book seemed just the same, but I've changed since then, and now the book reads like a textbook for colonialism. I know it's considered a classic by many, but I can't see it that way anymore.
DNF
This book is toooo boring for me to finish. Too many scientific explanations. Everything is drawn out. I don’t even know how this book has an average rating of 4*, hooooow?
Had to stop before I lost my will to read haha.
This book is toooo boring for me to finish. Too many scientific explanations. Everything is drawn out. I don’t even know how this book has an average rating of 4*, hooooow?
Had to stop before I lost my will to read haha.
Do NOT use this book as a survival manual!!
Right, now that we have that straightened out...what a book! I write this review with tongue in cheek, just as the author must have written this book. Why? well...
Five Union prisoners of war escape Richmond, VA in a Rebel spy balloon, and a mere five days later end up on a remote island in the Pacific. Being very resourceful (not to mention absolute geniuses) they do what anyone stranded on a deserted island would do: they forge their own iron and steel tools, make glass, an elevator, nitroglycerin, and even a telegraph using 100% natural materials (think the professor from Gilligan's Island). But in the course of their struggle against nature, strange incidents convince them that this island may not be as deserted as they thought...(insert ominous music)...
Be prepared for a kicker ending that will leave you choking on your lithodomus!
Right, now that we have that straightened out...what a book! I write this review with tongue in cheek, just as the author must have written this book. Why? well...
Five Union prisoners of war escape Richmond, VA in a Rebel spy balloon, and a mere five days later end up on a remote island in the Pacific. Being very resourceful (not to mention absolute geniuses) they do what anyone stranded on a deserted island would do: they forge their own iron and steel tools, make glass, an elevator, nitroglycerin, and even a telegraph using 100% natural materials (think the professor from Gilligan's Island). But in the course of their struggle against nature, strange incidents convince them that this island may not be as deserted as they thought...(insert ominous music)...
Be prepared for a kicker ending that will leave you choking on your lithodomus!
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
