(Drivebycuriosity) - Jules Verne is the father of science fiction ( driveby). But the French author also wrote adventure novels. I read his "Michael Strogoff; Or, The Courier of the Czar" decades ago when I was a young adult. Then I was fascinated by the plot, so I revisited it recently in a Kindle version ( amazon). New York Times critic Leonard S. Davidow considered the novel as one of Verne's best books and wrote, "Jules Verne has written no better book than this, in fact it is deservedly ranked as one of the most thrilling tales ever written" ( wikipedia).
Contrary to Verne`s other books, "Michael Strogoff" is a adventure & travel novel and not science fiction. The plot (published 1876 ) is set in 19th century Siberia. T The Russian Czar is scared by a revolution in Siberia and sends his courier there with the order to deliver a message behind the enemy´s frontier. "The Courier" is a mission impossible story, first serialized in a magazine I believe.
At first reading I found the plot extremely thrilling, but today I think the challenges are overdone and the plot becomes ridiculous. But so are many contemporary movies and TV-shows. The dramatic overkill might reflect the zeitgeist of the mid 19th century and has some nostaltgic charm. Apparently Verne did a lot research at the Bibliothèque nationale de France and filled the novel with tons of information about Siberia, her geography, ethnicities, cultures and political movements.
"The Courier" wakes appetite to visit Siberian metropolises like Momsk, Tomsk, Irkutsk and the Lake Baikal. I found it interesting that Verne wrote about Gypsies, described as rough people, whom he called "Bohemians". Originally the term related to citizens of Bohemia, then a part of Austrian Empire, today of the Czech Republic, then in the 19th century was used for artists.
"The Courier" might still entertain readers who are not biased by memories of their childhood reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment