The Secret of the Island, by W.H.G. Kingston (translation from Jules
Verne).
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This book is a translation from the French original by Jules Verne. In
fact several of Kingston's significant contributions to English
literature have been translations, "The Swiss Family Robinson" being one
such.
This book is a sequel to "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea". A
party of British adventurers, who had been ballooning, but whose trip
had ended by being cast away on a Pacific island, have various setbacks
due to both pirates and convicts who had escaped from jails in mainland
Australasia. They realise that at times there appears to be some kind
of entity that is looking after them.
This entity proves to be none other than Captain Nemo whom the reader is
expected to have met before with his submarine "Nautilus" in "20,000
Leagues". Captain Nemo has been living in a huge cave inside the very
volcanic island, where he is surrounded with immense wealth. But he is
nearing the end of his life. We are present at his end. But what
happens after that is of great interest.
The book is not very long and is profusely illustrated. It makes a very
good audiobook of seven hours duration.
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THE SECRET OF THE ISLAND, BY W.H.G. KINGSTON (TRANSLATION FROM JULES
VERNE).
Introduction.
_The Secret of the Island_ was another of the series of _Voyages
Extraordinaires_ which ran through a famous Paris magazine for younger
readers, the _Magasin Illustre_. It formed the third and completing
part of the Mysterious Island set of tales of adventure. We may count
it, taken separately, as next to _Robinson Crusoe_ and possibly
_Treasure Island_, the best read and the best appreciated book in all
that large group of island-tales and sea-stories to which it belongs.
It gained its vogue immediately in France, Great Britain, and overseas
besides being translated, with more or less despatch, into other
European tongues. M. Jules Verne must indeed have gained enough by it
and its two connective tales to have acquired an island of his own. The
present book was translated into English by the late W.H.G. Kingston;
and is printed in Everyman's Library by special exclusive arrangement
with Messrs. Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd., 1909.