Jules Verne Forum

<jvf@Gilead.org.il>

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010

Re: Nautilus: A new novel by Cornish author Craig Weatherhill

From: Craig Weatherhill <craig~at~agantavas.org>
Date: Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:16:33 +0100
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

Many thanks for the review, Ray - although this tussle-haired sea dog
is more at home on the back of a horse these days. I still have big
connections with the sea - where I live on the Land's End peninsula of
Cornwall, with sea on three and a half sides, it's impossible not to.
The scene at Botallack Mine will be accurately described - the
location is just ten minutes drive away for me.

When writing and researching the book, I was determined that the
Nautilus of the story MUST be Verne's down to the last rivet - no
spears, fish-tails or serrated edges - I decided that the bow of Jean
Gagneaux's model, just tapering to a sharp point, was perfect. Sorry
about the 007 style one-liner: "Do mind the stairs" - I simply
couldn't resist it!

Thanks again, Ray
Craig

ha Pask Lowen dhis ynwedh (Happy Easter to you, too. In Cornish)



On 30 Mer 2010, at 02:19, Ray Mudway wrote:

> Hi gents,
> purchased this book a few weeks ago & read it over 2 days.
> Quite interesting, one engraving of Nautilus & one photo of the
> author -- a suitably tussle-haired, Sea-dog type -- after the
> contents & a list of characters, there's 342 full pages of actual
> story.
>
> This sequel's basic plot is as expected -- couldn't be anything else
> really, given its true-to-type following of JV's / Nemo's story &
> the setting in the current early 21st Century. Despite that
> restriction, the characters are well written & believable. The
> story starts with a re-cap of the final events on Mysterious Island
> as per JV's book & then moves to events in today's world & the re-
> appearance of Nautilus. The unusual circumstances of Nautilus's re-
> discovery comes later. How these circumstances came about is
> explained in a very clever & lucid way and, while I haven't checked
> the charts & currents myself, is quite believable.
>
> To me the story doesn't have any really surprising twists but does
> have suspense & excitement. It works well & flows nicely, though
> just a touch "James Bond" in one or two places and with one
> obligatory? sex scene -- probably written deliberately for a
> possible 007 movie which would make a neat linking of the two
> genres, increasing its box-office audience. Raw luck as well as
> nerve helps the new Nautilus crew win through on occasion and
> Captain Nemo's original good design & workmanship doesn't let them
> down despite some unusual & difficult tight spots.
>
> Technical details are accurate -- depth of seabed & Deeps, modern
> sub speeds etc. The Nautilus seems to be the classic JV beast in
> every way, is very believable & works well in the story -- some
> items are well described, make boating sense & actually work much
> better than the "Disney" design does (never understood that
> Archimedean screw underneath !!).
>
> One intriguing facet of this book is how the deaths of the Prince's
> family, Nautilus's construction & operational history and date
> anomalies of JV's stories are also very well described & all is
> linked together with a rational theory that makes sense.
>
> Two thumbs up,
> Happy Easter, Ray
> (\_/)
> (O.o)
> O(>o)> o o o o o o o Bunny throwing Easter eggs
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Everson" <everson~at~evertype.com
> >
> To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
> Sent: Sunday, March 28, 2010 8:14 PM
> Subject: Re: Nautilus: A new novel by Cornish author Craig Weatherhill
>
>> Craig and I were wondering -- have any of you read the sequel?
>> Michael Everson * http://www.evertype.com/
>
>

--
Craig Weatherhill

Received on Tue 30 Mar 2010 - 10:16:42 IDT

JV.Gilead.org.il
Copyright © Zvi Har’El
$Date: 2010/03/30 08:00:05 $$