The Golden Volcano - (Bison Frontiers of Imagination) Annotated by Jules Verne (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The Golden Volcano thrusts two Canadian cousins--unexpectedly bequeathed a mining claim in the Klondike--into the middle of the gold rush, where they encounter disease, disaster, extremes of weather, and human nature twisted by a passion for gold. A deathbed confidence sends the two searching for a fabulous gold-filled volcano on the shore of the Arctic Ocean. But nature, both human and physical, hasn't finished with them, and their story plays out with the nail-biting adventure of an action thriller and the moral and emotional force of high drama. Like many of the works left unpublished when Jules Verne died, The Golden Volcano was altered and edited by his son, Michel. This first translation from the original manuscript allows readers of English to rediscover the pleasures of Verne's storytelling in its original form--and to enjoy a virtually unknown gem of action, adventure, and style from a master of French literature.

Review Quotes

"The rousing conclusion of The Golden Volcano offers Verne at his best, integrating social satire, imaginative but plausible science, and rousing adventure."--Brian Taves, Science Fiction Research Association (SFRA) Review-- (9/1/2008 12:00:00 AM)

"The Golden Volcano is a beautifully written and elegantly translated adventure tale with a biting social commentary. It is a page-turner as well as a piece of literary history--a truly stirring and unusual work."--Peter Schulman, translator of Verne's The Secret of Wilhelm Storitz

"Baxter's new annotated text of The Golden Volcano has a twofold value: it's the first to be based on Jules Verne's original manuscript, plus it provides a clear, modern rendering of a first-rate action thriller. It echoes Bret Harte's westerns while anticipating Jack London's arctic sagas, and some of the scene painting here is horrifyingly naturalistic--see, for instance, the scenes of desolation and death along Chilkoot Pass. The Golden Volcano is a work of exceptional power and interest."--Frederick Paul Walter, Verne translator and trustee of the North American Jules Verne Society

"It's spiked with 'gold fever' and an insatiable lust for difficult travel that should make today's Lonely Planeteers take notice."--Publishers Weekly-- (3/24/2008 12:00:00 AM)

"Proof that the Frenchman's fiction never disappoints, this version is the first authentic English translation of Verne's original manuscript and restores the story as he originally wrote it. . . . Full of adventure and action, the novel also succeeds in providing social commentary on the evils of greed and debauchery. The differences between Verne's manuscript and his son's are highlighted in the preface and demonstrate how his son's unfortunate rewrites completely altered a wonderful story that includes fascinating depictions of the arctic wilderness and the hardships of living there."--Erica Swenson, Library Journal-- (5/1/2008 12:00:00 AM)

About the Author

Jules Verne (1828-1905), the most translated author in the world, wrote The Meteor Hunt and Lighthouse at the End of the World, both available in Bison Books editions. Edward Baxter is one of the foremost English translators of Jules Verne. Among his translations are Verne's Invasion of the Sea and Journey Through the Impossible. Olivier Dumas, who wrote the preface to the French edition, is president of the Jules Verne Society in France and one of the world's leading experts on Verne.