Godfrey Morgan: a Californian Mystery

by Jules Verne

Action & Adventure Fiction Nautical & Marine Fiction

22 chapters6h 5mEnglish1882

About this book

This Verne adventure is indeed a mystery and also a satire on the Crusoe genre. Our characters are larger than life, as well they should be - Verne expects Americans to perform epics. Young Godfrey goes to sea for adventure before settling down with his bride to be. His incredibly wealthy uncle sets him aboard one of his steamers which founders some days out, leaving Godfrey and his companion, a dance and comportment instructor, near the shore of a uninhabited island. They set up residence, benefiting from livestock, some supplies and tools which apparently also wash ashore. Later, a canoe full of savages land in order to cook up a prisoner. Godfrey helps the latter escape, and the grateful native becomes a "Friday". While the island initially seems free from any predators, it is not long before Friday saves Godfrey from a bear, a tiger and a poisonous snake. But when swarms of lions, tigers, hyenas and crocodiles attack it is more than they can handle. Where do all the beasts come from? What is the cause of the occasional plume of smoke Godfrey notes on the island? Those are some of the mysteries about which the reader will be enlightened. (A. Banner )

Chapters (22)

1CHAPTER I. In which the reader has the opportunity of buying an Island in the Pacific Ocean

846

2CHAPTER II. How William W. Kolderup, of San Francisco, was at loggerheads with J. R. Taskinar, of Stockton

1106

3CHAPTER III. The conversation of Phina Hollaney and Godfrey Morgan, with a piano accompaniment

909

4CHAPTER IV. In which T. Artelett, otherwise Tartlet, is duly introduced to the reader

690

5CHAPTER V. In which they prepare to go, and at the end of which they go for good

836

6CHAPTER VI. In which the reader makes the acquaintance of a new personage

718

7CHAPTER VII. In which it will be seen that William W. Kolderup was probably right in insuring his ship

1110

8CHAPTER VIII. Which leads Godfrey to bitter reflections on the mania for travelling

1101

9CHAPTER IX. In which it is shown that Crusoes do not have everything as they wish

997

10CHAPTER X. In which Godfrey does what any other shipwrecked man would have done under the circumstances

1008

11CHAPTER XI. In which the question of lodging is solved as well as it could be

931

12CHAPTER XII. Which ends with a thunder-bolt

1098

13CHAPTER XIII. In which Godfrey again sees a slight smoke over another part of the Island

986

14CHAPTER XIV. Wherein Godfrey finds some wreckage, to which he and his companion give a hearty welcome

965

15CHAPTER XV. In which there happens what happens at least once in the life of every Crusoe, real or imaginary

993

16CHAPTER XVI. In which something happens which cannot fail to surprise the reader

837

17CHAPTER XVII. In which Professor Tartlet's gun really does marvels

1033

18CHAPTER XVIII. Which treats of the moral and physical education of a simple native of the Pacific

1047

19CHAPTER XIX. In which the situation already gravely compromised becomes more and more complicated

1041

20CHAPTER XX. In which Tartlet reiterates in every key that he would rather be off

1159

21CHAPTER XXI. Which ends with quite a surprising reflection by the negro Carefinotu

1402

22CHAPTER XXII. Which concludes by explaining what up to now had appeared inexplicable

1102

Godfrey Morgan: a Californian Mystery

About this book

Chapters (22)

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