Summary of the "Mysterious Island." Contents for the chapters of Verne’s novel “The Mysterious Island”

Oh, this restless 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 the son, was the first to write about space travel that was accomplished using technology. By the way, the Columbiada passenger module he invented, like the real American Columbia space shuttle, is made of aluminum. The world's first nuclear submarine was called the Nautilus, in honor of Captain Nemo's fantastic submarine. Underwater battles anticipated by the science fiction writer and a trip to the pole became a reality.

Perhaps he anticipated the coming world wars. In the novel 500 Million Begumas, the main negative character, a German by birth, dreamed of world domination. And in Paris of the 20th Century, skyscrapers rise, townspeople ride on electric trains, and powerful computers work in banks.

You can talk about it endlessly ... However, the topic of this article is a summary of the "Mysterious Island", the world famous book of 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 took the second place after the number of translated literature after Agatha Christie). The books of Jules Verne's Robinsonade, preceding it, enjoyed immense popularity: “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” as well as “Children of Captain Grant.” The robinsonade genre, where people who entered the world of wildlife, oppose circumstances, return to the civilized world, was then especially popular.

Main characters. Acquaintance

We’ll start the summary of the “Mysterious Island” with the plot: prisoners of war, representatives of the North’s army, fleeing the southerners from Richmond in a balloon, because of the storm, March 23, 1865 find themselves on a desert island, located 7 thousand miles from the continent. Who are they, new robinsons?

Their leader is Cyres Smith, a scientist and engineer. This is a thin and even bony person of 45 years of age with a short haircut and mustache. He is remarkably brave, for he participated in many battles under the command of General Grant. He is accompanied by a deeply respected and devoted servant - the dark-skinned strongman Nab.

Together with them on the same team is the fearless, dynamic and resourceful military journalist of the New York Herald newspaper, Gideon Spilet, whose courage and fearlessness surprised even the soldiers. Outwardly, he is a tall, physically strong man of about forty with light, slightly brown whiskers. He, along with Cyres Smith, is the initiator of the escape. The summary of “Mysterious Island” presents us as like-minded people, business and determined people, the backbone of the team.

With them, the will of fate also turned out to be a real sea wolf, a man familiar with the sea firsthand - the sailor Pencrof. Together with them, the son of the captain, fifteen-year-old Herbert Brown, arrived with Pencroff in Richmond. A good sailor, sailing under the guidance of his father, takes care of the young man as a son. He is decisive and quick-witted. It is Pencroff who owns the risky idea of ​​fleeing captivity on a ball.

Balloon Crash and Rescue

The genre of the book itself presupposes the creative logic of further events. A brief summary of "Mysterious Island" suggests that the plot of the novel, like all robinsonades, is typical. Its heroes are people who are victims of circumstances, the strength of their spirit, thanks to their work again gaining power over their destiny. However, they go through serious trials and challenges.

The fugitive balloon launched into the storm. People knowingly took risks, but this was the only way to lull the southerners' vigilance and escape unnoticed. In fact, there was no landing of the ball on the island, there was a crash. Cyres Smith and his dog were thrown out of the ball basket separately from the rest of the fugitives. He, exhausted, who was at a distance of a mile from the coast, was found by the faithful servant Nab. Thus, it is classical for a robinsonade: a romance begins with a catastrophe, respectively, and its brief content.

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

Initially, travelers found an edible bivalve mollusk, lithode. Also readily available were eggs of rocky pigeons. Herbert Brown, who was interested in zoology, discovered them. Fresh water appeared on the island; trees grew here. Pencrof weaved an improvised rope out of vines, built a raft suitable for crossing the river and swimming along it. Thus began the robinsonade of five resourceful American northerners.

The settlers' creative activity

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

Northerners-colonists are already engaged in large-scale crop production (they miraculously discovered from a single wheat grain in Herbert’s pocket a sufficient amount for regular baking of bread). The island now provides plenty of settlers with meat, milk, and clothing. After all, they tamed mouflons, pigs. They keep animals in a structure called coral.

They tame exotic animals as well, and our summary of the story mentions such an event. The Mysterious Island is also populated by monkeys. One of them, wandered into their granite dwelling orangutan, managed to tame. The animal that became attached to them and became their true friend was called Jupe.

Nevertheless, it periodically seems to the settlers that there is a well-wisher on the island. Indeed, an invaluable gift for the five Americans was a box with working tools, utensils, small arms and ammunition, which they found in the morning on the beach. Now Cyres Smith's engineering knowledge has allowed the robinsons to set up the production of the most necessary.

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

Swimming on about. Camp

The sailor Pencrof, having carefully studied the map carefully enclosed in a pencil case with tools by an unknown well-wisher, found that next to the island, where he and his comrades live now, there is another island, Tabor. The experienced seabass realized that it makes sense to examine it. Friends together build a small flat-bottomed boat-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 Spilet and young Garbert. They discover a "sea letter" - a floating sealed bottle containing a note with a plea for help. A shipwrecked sailor awaits help, staying on about. Camp. This is its summary (Verne "The Mysterious Island" builds on the principle of a quest). Indeed, having landed on about. Tabor, friends discover this person. He is in an inadequate state of consciousness. Ayrton (that was the name of the former pirate) - a half-wild, hairy and tattered creature, is trying to attack the young man of Garbert. Friends help out. Ayrton is tied up and sent to Lincoln Island in Granite Castle (as friends call their cave - home).

Ayrton's story

Care and nutrition did their job: the repentant Ayrton told his unsightly story. Twelve years ago, he, being the complete garbage of society, along with his accomplices like himself, tried to capture the Duncan sailboat. Captain Edward Glenarvan spared the criminal, but left him on Fr. Tabor, telling Ayrton that he would take him, re-educated, someday. Thus, Ayrton served his sentence on the island. Such is his story in a very short summary. The mysterious island became a prison for him.

They returned from the island of Tabor in the dark ... The colonists then saved a landmark - a bonfire on the shore. Then they decided that the Negro Nab had kindled him. It turned out - no. A mysterious friend kindled him ... (However, the “bottle mail” turned out to be the work of his hands. Ayrton did not write a note.)

Settlement farm

Three years of Cyres Smith's stay with friends on the island were not wasted. On their farm - a mill, a poultry farm, wheat fields, established production of woolen products. There is even a telegraph connecting the colonists' place of residence with the coral, where they keep animals.

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

Pirate war

The battle scene further adorns the plot and our summary of the book “The Mysterious Island”. Two pirate boats carry thugs from a sailboat to the shore. The northerners bravely accept the battle. One of the boats, having lost three corsairs, returns. The second, with six fighters, nevertheless approaches the shore overgrown with the jungle, and the pirates hide in the thicket.

Apparently, disaster awaits the Americans. In their direction, the guns of the thugs combat ship turn, 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. A pirate ship suddenly explodes and sinks instantly. The mine was fired.

Further, the author tells us about the real war with pirates, who are called by some unidentified readers only as Julver (“The Mysterious Island”). The summary mentions that it begins with the attacks of the pirates who landed from the boat. Relying on the common sense of the robbers deprived of the ship, the northerners did not pursue them. However, the thugs set about their usual business - robbing and setting fire to settlers' property. They captured Ayrton, who, tormented by conscience, voluntarily lived not in a granite castle, but near a coral. Cyres Smith and his companions came to his aid. However, the pirates manage to seriously injure young Garbert. Northerners return to their home. The wounded person begins a fever. He is saved by a medicine planted by a mysterious friend.

Summary of Verne's novel Mysterious Island enters the denouement stage. The settlers finally decide to destroy the uninvited guests. In their opinion, thugs are in the coral. And indeed it is. However, all the bandits are dead, and next to them is the exhausted 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 returning to normal. However, a new danger threatens the settlers: gradually begins to wake up and gain strength of the island volcano. The bot was previously smashed against reefs by pirates. Concerned settlers are embarking on the construction of a large ship to leave the island if necessary.

Meet the Secret Benefactor

Once in their granite cave, a telegraph detached from a coral is triggered. Finally, a previously unknown patron decided to meet them! They are summoned by him to the coral. The note lying there (again the quest element) then directs them along the laid cable - to the majestic grotto. Here they are awaited by their patron, the sixty-year-old captain Nemo, who by his origin is the Indian prince Dakar, and is convinced that he is a fighter for the independence of his homeland. He is old, he is lonely. In campaigns and in the struggle for the independence of India, his comrades died. This is also a creative scientist. The unprecedented Nautilus submarine was designed and assembled by him from components manufactured by various contractors. Sensing the approach of death, Captain Nemo called the settlers to help them do the last thing - to help him be buried in the depths of the sea along with his Nautilus. This noble man gives our travelers a jewelry casket and something else that has no price. He left a note on the island of Tabor, addressed to the rescuers. When he dies, the northerners pull up the hatches and lower the submarine to the bottom. This is a very moving scene.

Final disaster and salvation

Soon, Lincoln Island explodes due to a volcano. The explosion is so strong that it throws the settlers out of the tent, where they relocated into the water, due to the coming disaster. Vern J. G. (“The Mysterious Island”) spares no paints for the final scenes. The chapter summary ends with a touching salvation. The sailors of the Duncan sailboat that came to save Ayrton, oriented by the found note, are removing settlers who have been hungry and thirsty for several days from a lifeless reef island.

Upon returning to their homeland, the Americans convert the jewelry donated by Captain Nemo to material wealth by buying land, livestock, tools and equipment. They recreate on the American continent the same productive economy as on the island, and successfully conduct it together.

Conclusion

Jules Verne in his novel "The Mysterious Island" presented its 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 current fighters. Subsequent scenes are logically connected with the previous ones according to the laws of the quest. The final catastrophe and miraculous salvation 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.