The Children of Captain Grant. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The Mysterious Island

The trilogy by Jules Verne from the series "Extraordinary Voyages" consists of a cycle of fantastic stories, interconnected by several characters. In the novels written by the author between 1865 and 1875, the adventures of the heroes are vividly described on land, at sea, and in the depths of the oceans. The bright plots, narrating about the surrounding world full of amazing phenomena, inspired generations of readers to strive for discoveries. All the illustrations in the book are created by masters of book graphics Édouard Riou, Alphonse de Neuville, Jules-Désert Fer – artists who excellently convey an exciting plot.

The French writer Jules Gabriel Verne (1828–1905) was born in Nantes – a major port city in western France. He was the eldest child in a large pious family of hereditary lawyers. Since childhood, Jules was fascinated by the works of Daniel Defoe, Fenimore Cooper, and other authors of adventure literature, dreaming of exploring the seas and seeing the most exotic corners of the world. His relatives even recounted a story when eleven-year-old Jules secretly boarded a ship to become a cabin boy and set sail for mysterious India, but was caught in time by his father. After finishing school, Jules went to Paris to study law: his father saw in his eldest son a successor. However, upon completing his studies, the young man, who obtained a lawyer's license, refused to practice law: the path of a notary was of no interest to him. Instead, he chose a creative path. Under the patronage of Alexandre Dumas, he staged his play "Broken Straws" at the Historical Theatre in 1850. This was followed by other productions, and later Verne secured a position as a secretary at the theatre. The writer was not limited to drama: he also wrote poetry and published his stories in magazines. In 1862, Verne met the publisher Jules Hetzel. A year later, this friendship laid the groundwork for a large cycle of adventure works by Verne – "Extraordinary Voyages". The first book in the cycle, "Five Weeks in a Balloon", was enthusiastically received by the public. Inspired by the success, the writer continued the series; by the end of his life, it included several dozen amazing stories. In accessible language, the author, who joyfully imagined human possibilities, described in as much detail as possible the hidden aspects of seafaring and ballooning, talked about various geographical discoveries, aiming to anticipate the scientific and technological development of humanity. In his works, the heroes demonstrate true nobility, the future is full of hope, and good invariably triumphs over evil.

This edition includes three major novels by the writer: "The Children of Captain Grant", "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", and "The Mysterious Island". In them, the reader will uncover the mystery of the mysterious disappearance of Captain Grant, dive into the uncharted depths of the ocean, and find themselves on a deserted island amidst endless waters. The adventures of the heroes, who never lose courage in the most difficult circumstances, have been captured in their illustrations by the excellent French artists Édouard Riou (1833–1900), Alphonse de Neuville (1836–1885), and Jules-Désert Fer (1819–1889).