The Island with propeller

the Island with Propeller is a Romance of Jules Verne published in 1895. He tells the history of a quartet of French musicians in a floating island, propelled (as the title indicates it) by propellers. This floating island contains mainly a city, Billion City, inhabited only by rich people. Jules Verne describes the voyage in the Pacifique of this island.

One finds in this book the humor and the very alive tone of the other books of Jules Verne; on the other hand, contrary to these other books, that misses action.

Note:

not to confuse this book with a floating city of the same author, in this other delivers, it is about a boat having the size of a city, and not of a floating city as could make it believe the title.

Some elements of the intrigue

Four violonists: the quartet concerting

The quartet of musicians is famous and is called the quartet concerting in the newspapers. They are four Parisian, proud of their country; their honesty between them and with their friends is total.
They are

Sebastien Zorn, Violoncelliste

Frascolin, second violin; it is made rabrouer by his friends nicely when it gives many geographical details

Yvernès, first violin

Pinchinat, Alto; this one complains with each stage about the voyage not to find truths cannibals

The most outstanding adventures

the island invaded by wild animals deposited by perfidious England (deer, crocodiles and others) (chapter 20)
Of the fidgien S cannibals captures Pinchinat (chapter 23); after its rescue, it describes what horrified it the most: was not to be eaten on the inch by these natives! … Not! It was to be devoured by a savage out of dress… out of blue dress with gold buttons… with an umbrella under the arm… horrible a British pip
a troop armed gangsters with the New Hebrides, ordered by Sarol, tries to invade the island (chapter 25)

A beautiful story of love

The island is divided into 2 parts, which are opposed sometimes. The 2 richest families are with the head of these 2 parts. A man and a woman of these 2 families are in love.

As in the other novels of Jules Verne, it is of love but not about passion: the two in love ones await the agreement of their family, then once everyone is of agreement, they await the marriage patiently, although it is pushed back several times for administrative reasons.

End of the book

The end of the book shows a pessimistic Jules Verne: the population of the floating island is divided into two factions.

Their incapacity to get along causes its end. The floating island wanders without it being able to direct it, in a corner of the Pacific Ocean distant from any trade route. The island disaggregates in several pieces, one of them is enough large to accommodate all the inhabitants of the island. They succeed in joining civilization.

Jules Verne and music

Jules Verne shows his admiration for very large musicians: Mozart, Beethoven (1770-1827), Offenbach (1819-1880), Mendelssohn, Halévy, Meyerbeer, Haydn, Massenet, Audran and Lecoq….etc

On the other hand, Jules Verne did not like the music of Wagner (1813-1883), perhaps because it was one of its contemporaries and that it seemed to him too modern. Just like in Paris at the XXe century, Jules Verne makes several sour remarks on Wagner.

Royalist Jules Verne

The least rich inhabitants of this island are a royal couple, the king and the queen of Malécarlie; they left their country when the people did not want any more them. They live modestly in this island of millionaires; the king has a place of astronomer to earn his living. The four musicians have a deep respect for them.

External references

the text of the book on site '' Gileead ''
the text of the book on site '' Gallica ''

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