[. . .]
The second Verne title is The Mysterious Island, first published in
1874 but until now unavailable in a complete translation. This novel was
originally entitled Uncle Robinson in manuscript, thus indicating the
tradition Verne was using. As the appendices by William Butcher demonstrate,
Verne was strongly
influenced by Defoe, Fenirnore Cooper, and particularly by Johann Wyss’s The
Swiss Family Robinson (1812). Butcher further shows that the deserted island
theme extended into other works by Verne. The introduction to this edition, also
by Butcher, shows the extraordinary state of Verne’s translations in English.
Although one by the novelist W.H.G. Kingston appeared as early as 1875, English
versions had substantial passages cut from the original text. A full discussion
of the manuscripts of this novel gives us an indication of its composition, and
Butcher’s excellent
introduction points out the many inconsistencies both in Verne’s attitude
to progress and imperialism and within the text. Many factual discrepancies are
noted, and Butcher points out that the reappearance of Captain Nemo from
Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas (1870) as a secret helper to the
castaways on this island is actually inconsistent with his original appearance
in the earlier novel. The textual apparatus for
this novel is truly outstanding. The notes, for
example, not only gloss obscure terms but also give a commentary on how Verne
diverged from the robinsonade pattern.
[. . .]