1874
The Mysterious Island
Jules Verne · 1828–1905 · France
Originally L'Île mystérieuse (French)
Why it matters
Five Civil War prisoners escape by balloon and crash onto an empty Pacific island, building a civilization from nothing with Yankee ingenuity and the secret help of a hidden benefactor: Verne's robinsonade crossed with hard-science survivalism.
At a glance
speculative fiction
Difficulty 4/10fast pace600 pagesLong and detail-heavy, cataloguing survival technique at Verne's most exhaustive.
Where to go next
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Jules Verne · 1868In Search of the CastawaysLvl 3Fast paced
Jules Verne · 1870Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the SeaLvl 3Medium pace
Jules Verne · 1873Around the World in Eighty DaysLvl 2Fast paced
Raymond Queneau · 1959Zazie in the MetroLvl 5Fast paced