Summary of the "Mysterious Island". Contents by chapter of Verne's novel "The Mysterious Island"

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Oh, that irrepressible Jules Verne… Fantasy sometimes led him to bold plots, as if snatched from the distant future. This man, who is the most faithful friend of Dumas son, was the first to write about space travel accomplished with the help of technology. By the way, the passenger module "Columbiada" invented by him, like the real American space shuttle "Columbia", is made of aluminum. The world's first nuclear submarine was named Nautilus, in honor of Captain Nemo's fantastic submarine. Both the underwater battles anticipated by the science fiction writer and the trip to the Pole have become a reality.

Perhaps he anticipated the coming world wars. In the novel "500 million Begums" the main negative character, a German by birth, dreamed of world domination. And in “Paris of the 20th century”, skyscrapers rise, citizens ride electric trains, and powerful computers work in banks.

You can talk about himendlessly … However, the topic of this article is a summary of "The Mysterious Island", the world-famous book by Jules Verne.

Third robinsonade of the writer

This novel, written by a well-known forty-six-year-old writer, was eagerly awaited by the world readership (Jules Verne was second only to Agatha Christie in the number of translated literature published). The previous books of the Jules Verne Robinsonade, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, as well as Captain Grant's Children, were very popular. The robinsonade genre, where people who have fallen into the world of wildlife, resist circumstances, return to the civilized world, was then especially popular.

Main characters. Acquaintance

Summary of the "Mysterious Island" let's start with the plot: prisoners of war, representatives of the army of the North, fleeing from the southerners by flight from Richmond in a balloon, due to a storm on March 23, 1865, find themselves on a desert island located 7,000 miles away. miles from the continent. Who are they, the new Robinsons?

Their leader is Cyrus Smith, a scientist and engineer. This is a thin and even bony man of 45 years of age with a short haircut and mustache. He is remarkably brave, having participated in many battles under the command of General Grant. He is accompanied by a deeply respectful and devoted servant - a dark-skinned strong man Nab.

With them on the same team is the fearless, dynamic and resourceful military journalist of the New York Herald Gideon Spilett, whose courage and fearlessness surprised evensoldier. Outwardly, he is a tall, physically strong man in his forties with light, slightly brown sideburns. He, along with Cyrus Smith, is the initiator of the escape. The summary of the "Mysterious Island" introduces them to us as like-minded people, businesslike and decisive, the backbone of the team.

With them, by the will of fate, also turned out to be a real sea wolf, a man familiar with the sea firsthand - the sailor Pencroft. Together with them is the captain's son, fifteen-year-old Herbert Brown, who came to Richmond with Pencroff. A kind sailor, who sailed under his father, takes care of the young man as if he were a son. He is determined and smart. It was Pencroff who came up with the risky idea of escaping captivity on a balloon.

Balloon crash and rescue

The very genre of the book suggests the creative logic of further events. The summary of the "Mysterious Island" suggests that the plot of the novel, like all Robinsonades, is typical. His heroes are people who have become victims of circumstances, by the strength of their spirit, thanks to their work, again gaining power over their fate. At the same time, they go through serious trials and challenges.

The hot air balloon with the fugitives started in a storm. People obviously took risks, but this was the only way to lull the vigilance of the southerners and escape unnoticed. In fact, there was no landing of the ball on the island, there was a crash. Cyrus Smith, along with his dog, were thrown out of the ball basket separately from the rest of the fugitives. Him, exhausted, found himself ona mile from the coast, the faithful servant Neb found. Thus, classically for Robinsonade: the novel begins with a catastrophe, and, accordingly, its summary.

The mysterious island turned out to be quite hospitable. It is inhabited by plants and animals. Here, fortunately, it was easy enough to find food and shelter.

First, travelers found edible bivalve mollusks, lithodome. Also readily available food was the eggs of rock pigeons. They were discovered by Herbert Brown, who was interested in zoology. The island had fresh water, trees grew here. Pencroft wove a makeshift rope of vines, built a raft fit to cross the river and float on it. Thus began the Robinsonade of five resourceful Northern Americans.

Creative activity of settlers

Invariably in this kind of novels, housing construction is present in the plot, and the summary will not bypass it. The mysterious island provides the five with a whole natural palace - a granite cave, and even with an excellent view that opens up to an observer located in such a fortress house. After all, the rock where this dwelling was located towered above the rest of the area.

The northerners-colonists are already engaged in crop production on a grand scale (from a single grain of wheat miraculously discovered in Herbert's pocket, they grew this crop in an amount sufficient for regular bread baking). The island now provides the settlers with plenty of meat, milk, and clothing. After all, they tamed mouflons, pigs. Animals theykept in a structure called a corral.

They also tame exotic animals, and our brief summary of the story mentions such a case. The "Mysterious Island" is also inhabited by monkeys. One of them, an orangutan that wandered into their granite dwelling, was tamed. The animal that became attached to them, becoming their true friend, was named Jupe.

However, it seems to the settlers from time to time that a certain well-wisher is present on the island. Indeed, a box with working tools, utensils, small arms and cartridges, found by them in the morning on the beach strip, became an invaluable gift for the five Americans. Now Cyrus Smith's engineering knowledge has enabled the Robinsons to manufacture the bare necessities.

However, not only information about the improvement of life by the settlers contains a summary. Verne turns his "Mysterious Island" into a dynamic work by enriching the plot of the novel with new characters.

Swimming on about. Tabor

The sailor Pencroff, having carefully studied the map, carefully inserted into the pencil case with tools by an unknown well-wisher, discovered that next to the island where he and his comrades now live, there is another island, Tabor. The experienced sea wolf realized that it made sense to examine him. Friends together build a small flat-bottomed boat and begin to explore the waters of this island archipelago. Together with the sailor, there are two more people on board who are interested in Pencroff's idea - creative journalist Gideon Spilett and young Garbert. They discover a "sea letter" - a floating sealed bottle containing a note pleading for help. A shipwrecked sailor is waiting for help, staying on about. Camp. This is its brief content (Vern builds "The Mysterious Island" on the principle of a quest). Indeed, having landed on about. Tabor, friends discover this man. He is in an inadequate state of consciousness. Ayrton (that was the name of the former pirate) - a creature half-wild, overgrown with hair and dressed in rags, is trying to attack the young man Garbert. Friends help out. Ayrton is tied up and sent to Lincoln Island in the Granite Castle (as friends call their cave - dwelling).

Ayrton's story

Care and nutrition did their job: a repentant Ayrton told about his ugly story. Twelve years ago, he, being a complete dregs of society, along with accomplices like himself, tried to seize the Duncan sailing ship. Captain Edward Glenarvan spared the offender, but left him on about. Tabor, telling Ayrton that he would take him, re-educated, someday. Thus, Ayrton was serving his sentence on the island. This is his history very briefly. The mysterious island has become a prison for him.

We were returning from Tabor Island in the dark… The colonists were then saved by a landmark - a bonfire on the shore. Then they decided that the negro Neb had kindled it. It turned out - no. It was kindled by a mysterious friend… (However, the "bottle mail" turned out to be the work of his hands. Ayrton didn't write the note.)

Settler farming

Three years of Cyres Smith's stay with his comrades onthe island was not wasted. Their economy includes a mill, a poultry farm, wheat fields, and a well-established production of woolen products. There is even a telegraph linking the place of residence of the colonists with the corral where they keep animals.

However, a terrible danger awaits friends: a fighting pirate ship anchors in the bay of the island. The forces are clearly unequal. Ayrton, who carried out night reconnaissance, established: there are 50 pirates on the ship.

War with Pirates

The battle scene further embellishes the plot and our summary of The Mysterious Island. Two pirate boats carry thugs from the sailboat to the shore. The northerners bravely accept the battle. One of the boats, having lost three corsairs, returns. The second with six fighters still moored to the jungle-covered shore, and the pirates hide in the thickets.

Americans seem to be in for a disaster. The gunship of the cutthroats turns in their direction, the guns begin to shoot through the area around them. However, suddenly an incident occurs again that inspires respect for the power of their secret friend. The pirate ship suddenly explodes and instantly sinks. A live mine went off.

Further on, the author tells us about the real war with pirates, called by some unidentified readers none other than Zhulver (“The Mysterious Island”). The summary mentions that it begins with the attacks of pirates disembarked from the boat. Relying on the common sense of the shiplessrobbers, the northerners did not pursue them. However, the thugs went about their usual business - robbery and arson of the property of the settlers. They captured Ayrton, who, tormented by his conscience, voluntarily lived not in a granite castle, but near a corral. Cyres Smith and his comrades came to his aid. However, the pirates manage to severely injure the young Garbert. The northerners return to their home. The wounded man has a fever. He is saved by a medicine planted by a mysterious friend.

Summary of Verne's novel "The Mysterious Island" is entering the stage of denouement. The settlers decide to finally destroy the uninvited guests. In their opinion, the thugs are in the corral. And indeed it is. However, all the bandits are dead, and next to them is the emaciated Ayrton, who has no idea how he ended up here (the pirates kept him in a cave). The presence of an unknown benefactor is again palpable.

Life is back to normal. However, a new danger threatens the settlers: the island volcano gradually begins to wake up and gain strength. The boat was previously broken on the reefs by pirates. Worried settlers set about building a large ship to leave the island if necessary.

Meet the secret benefactor

One day in their granite cave, a telegraph wired from the corral goes off. Finally, a previously unknown patron decided to meet them! They are summoned by him to the corral. The note lying there (again an element of the quest) further directs them along the laid cable - to the majesticgrotto. Here they are awaited by their patron, the sixty-year-old captain Nemo, who by his origin is the Indian prince of Dakar, and by conviction - a fighter for the independence of his homeland. He is old, he is alone. In the campaigns and in the struggle for the independence of India, his comrades died. He is also a creative scientist. The unprecedented submarine "Nautilus" was designed and assembled by him from components produced by various contractors. Feeling the approach of death, Captain Nemo called the settlers to help him do the last thing - to help him be buried in the abyss of the sea along with his Nautilus. This noble man gives our travelers a chest of jewels and something else that has no price. He left a note on Tabor Island addressed to the rescuers. When he dies, the northerners batten down the hatches and lower the submarine to the bottom. This is a very touching scene.

Final disaster and salvation

Soon, Lincoln Island explodes due to a volcano. The explosion turns out to be of such force that the settlers are thrown out of the tent, where they moved due to the impending catastrophe, into the water. Verne does not spare colors for the final scenes J. G. ("Mysterious Island"). The chapter-by-chapter summary ends with a touching rescue. The sailors of the Duncan sailing ship that sailed to rescue Ayrton, oriented by the found note, remove the settlers from the lifeless reef island, suffering from hunger and thirst for several days.

Having returned to their homeland, the Americans turnthe jewels donated by Captain Nemo into material values by buying land, livestock, tools and equipment. They are recreating the same productive economy on the American continent as on the island, and they are successfully running it together.

Conclusion

Jules Verne in his novel "The Mysterious Island" presented his readers with an exciting story about American Robinsons. The writer's innovation is striking. In the composition of the book, there are a number of artistic techniques that are characteristic of today's action films. The subsequent scenes are logically connected with the previous ones according to the laws of the quest. The final catastrophe and miraculous rescue are carefully outlined.

Innovation, as well as the artistry of the presentation of the novel, served as a source of its popularity among millions of readers.