A review by mysteriousnorse
The Adventures of Captain Hatteras by Jules Verne

4.0

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