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Re: Hatteras and Les Foreceurs de blocus

From: thomas mccormick <tom_amity~at~hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, 02 Aug 2005 03:45:48 +0000
To: jvf~at~Gilead.org.il

Fascinating indeed is the interplay of motifs in the whole "mystery ship"
theme (plus the related, and as here overlapping, "mystery
passenger"/"mystery captain" theme): one finds it in Verne, Cooper,
Melville, Marryat, and [lest we forget] Poe. A really thorough study of the
theme and its antecedents remains to be done, no? Surely Pym, Nemo, Ahab,
the Flying Dutchman, et al. have an ancient literary ancestry.

Tom

>From: Brian Taves <btav~at~loc.gov>
>Reply-To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
>To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
>Subject: Re: Hatteras and Les Foreceurs de blocus
>Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2005 18:48:49 -0400 (EDT)
>
>Ian, I see Luath is putting out a new edition of Blockade Runners in
>addition to Green Ray and the published Underground City--are you involved
>with their BR (with all you would have to contribute)?
>
>
>Brian Taves
>Motion Picture/Broadcasting/Recorded Sound Division
>Library of Congress
>101 Independence Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20540-4692
>Telephone: 202-707-9930; 202-707-2371 (fax)
>Email: btav~at~loc.gov
>
>
>Disclaimer--All opinions expressed are my own.
>
>
>On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 ithompson~at~geog.gla.ac.uk wrote:
>
> >
> >
> > <color><param>0100,0100,0100</param><bigger>I have just started reading
>William Butcher's excellent new
> > annotated translation "The Adventures of Captain Hatteras" in
> > the Oxford World's Classics series and was impressed by the
> > similarities between the opening chapters of this book and Les
> > Forceurs de blocus. Some of the similarities are;
> >
> > 1. The description of the ship building process is detailed as is
> > the place of construction (Birkenhead in the case of the
> > Forward and Glasgow for the Delphin...both on estuaries
> > leading to the North Atlantic). In both cases the names of the
> > shipbuilders are given (Scott and Co. for the Forward and
> > Tod and McGregor for the Delphin)
> >
> > 2. Technical detail of the engines, speed, tonnage are given as
> > are certain unusual features which give rise to speculation by
> > the watching crowds ( the cutting edge on the bow of the
> > Forward, the two independent propellers on the Delphin). The
> > manufacturers of these special features are named and were
> > real, not imaginary companies.
> >
> > 3. In both instances, the vessels are orderd by wealthy
> > individuals (Vincent Playfair and Hatteras) and each has a
> > specific, secret project in mind.
> >
> > 4. The launch of the Delphin and the sailing of the Forward
> > are accompanied by large crowds with much guesswork as to
> > their function and destination.
> >
> > 5. Both vessels leave the estuaries accompanied by a pilot
> > who leaves the ships at the approach to the open Atlantic and
> > the start of the adventure proper.
> >
> > There are some differences between the vessels reflecting their
> > intended purpose. The Delphin is much larger, swifter and
> > more manoeuvrable than the Forward...reflecting the need to
> > hold a large cargo and to outrun the blocus. The Forward is a
> > smaller but very strong vessel to resist the force of ice. But it
> > could be argued that from the point of view of establishing the
> > structure of the plot, there are remarkable similarities between
> > the two novels.
> >
> > Christian Robin has noted the similarities between Les
> > Forceurs du blocus and Les Enfants du Capitaine Grant,
> > especially the descriptions of the Clyde estuary (both
> > published at approximately the same time). But equally it
> > could be argued that there are close similarities with Captain
> > Hatteras, published only two years later. Specifically the
> > notion of launching a "mysterious" ship for a "mysterious" and
> > secret destination was an almost identical literary device for
> > "launching" the narrative, in effect recycled in three successive
> > novels over a couple of years. Perhaps this observation has
> > already been made?
> >
> > Ian Thompson<smaller>
>
>
Received on Tue 02 Aug 2005 - 06:46:01 IDT

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