The Mysterious Island

One of Jules Verne’s Best

The Mysterious Island is the book that got me hooked on scientific adventures long ago. I read this as a kid and decided to reread it again as an adult. There are several aspects of this story that make it a must-read for children and adults alike.

The Mysterious Island is a fantastic sequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, following the story of four Confederate POW prisoners who escape and become castaways when they crash land on an island. It tells of their quest for survival on the mysterious island and how they make use of science to create something out of practically nothing.

In spite of its age, this book won’t fail to keep you on the edge of your seat and is one of Verne’s best works. The reader, David McCallion, did a wonderful job in reading this book. I truly enjoyed his accent and character differentiations. This is the perfect book for those who like adventure and intrigue, along with a good dose of science fiction.

12 of 12 people found this review helpful

My all time favorite book, perfectly read.

This was a fantastic listen, while on the night crew, cleaning messy wineries. I highly recommend it.

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

A legendary book becomes an epic audiobook!

Would you consider the audio edition of The Mysterious Island to be better than the print version?
Verne is my favorite author, but The Mysterious Island has eluded me for forty years. The fact that the author interweaves exhausting details of the flora and fauna of the island into nearly every page has made it impossible for me to not lose focus the many times I've attempted to tackle it. This audio book with it's 19 hours and 8 minutes of narration was listened to on and off over the span of two weeks, including a seven hour road trip and a ten hour working in my basement weekend. If it weren't for this excellent audio book, I might never have read this incredible book.

What did you like best about this story?
Anything Vernian excites me. The story introduced me to Verne's 1870s world view, his politics, his religious convictions, and his fluid writing style.

What does David McCallion bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The narrator brilliantly added unique characterizations to each of the castaways and never lost his ability to keep the story going. He was clearly well-prepared to narrate and it shows in his clear voice.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
In general, the book made me long for quality classic literature. Clearly, the most exciting moment for me was when Captain Nemo makes himself known to the castaways. The character of Captain Nemo is one I wish Verne could have devote more stories to.

Any additional comments?
Do not let the length of this audio book discourage you from jumping in. I consider the completing of it a conquest but now I want more conquests.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

Loved this book

I've always been a fan of the classics if you're like me you like a good adventure this is the book for you

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Love Jules Verne, but not my favorite.

This book is full of the fanciful and scientific details that Verne favored but is dense and plodding.

g ood intelligence speak goodnight

Good but ,not what I was seeking out at this time , maybe another time

meh

I love this book. I have read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. I did not enjoy this reading. There were parts of the original that were left out completely, which is frustrating when you get an "unabridged" book. But, mostly I did not care for the reading. Perhaps it's more my fault, for having lived the book and imagine the voices a certain way, but I felt the reader really failed to capture the correct voice for each character. I had a hard time distinguishing between Cyrus Harding and Pencroft! Also, Herbert sounded like he was always highly excitied. Everything he said was said with a huge exclamation point!! In fairness, I thought Top was rendered correctly.

Exhausting

The story itself is exhausting, it drones on and on with excessive detail. The book spends more time on lists and explanations than it does developing characters and the plot. Between the exhausting style and a bland narration it is too much. Out of the current 40 books in my audio library this is the only one that I’ve quit on.

Best book since 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

If you liked 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, you will love this book. by far one of my favorite audiables. This book keeps you on suspense until the very end.

Moves very sssllllllloooooowwwww

The story moves very slow making it difficult to keep interested. I could not bring myself to continue. Too bad I cannot return it.