Adventure novels are a distinct category which needs a special mention in my series of posts about the novel.
My first foray into the world of fiction as I have mentioned earlier was with the novel “Round the World in 80 days” by Jules Verne. A roller coaster ride about a meticulous person, Phileas Fogg, who challenges to go around the world in 80 days, this novel enchanted me for a very long time. If it had been only an adventure story, sans characterization, it would not have made an impact. In shaping the character of Phileas Fogg, Jules Verne elevates him with some heroic qualities. He is meticulous and punctual, but not so mechanical as to score some personal victories than help his companions. He is merciful and just and can even put his sense of mercy and justice above an impending colossal defeat with equanimity. Phileas Fogg for me was the introduction to a modernist hero; suave, cool, calculated, meticulous but with a set of human values.
The next novel that I chanced to read was “The Three Musketeers” by Alexandre Dumas. A continuing favorite, The Three Musketeers will easily find its place into any child’s favorite books list. A tale of chivalry, courage, loyalty, friendship, intrigue and court politics, Dumas’ masterly recreation of an era of chivalrous knights, masquerades and escapades never ceases to amaze. The Count of Monte Cristo from the pen of the master story teller, raconteur par excellence, is a story for all ages and all age groups. It has its share of love, romance, intrigue, villainy, adventure and that feeling of emptiness and vagueness which keeps haunting the reader. Edmond Dantes has accomplished his revenge but what of it? Is he a happy man? Dumas’ portrayal of the Chateau D’If and Father Faria is the stuff of legend and recreates a world of renaissance wonder for his modern readers. Yet the novel maintains a subtle poignancy hinting at the magnitude of human foible and the futility of revenge.
Dumas’ knowledge of mediaeval French history gives him a fascinating canvas to build his magnificent story of solitude, remorse, treasures and the dispassionate administration of justice as retribution to the perpetrators of the cruelty inflicted on Dantes. The Man in the Iron mask by the same author continues the legend of the Musketeers, but delves into the darker side of court life where all is not rosy and smooth and the kings too have several skeletons in their cupboard.
Speaking of adventure novels another author who has produced timeless gems to the delight of generations of readers is R.L. Stevenson. His novels ‘ The Kidnapped, The Black Arrow, Treasure Island and The Master of Ballantrae’ recreate the many legends of the Highlands and Scotland as well as the tales of sea-faring captains and pirates. Of those who have read The Master of Ballantrae, can anyone say they were not bewitched by the dark and gloomy atmosphere of The Master of Ballantrae, where the villain and the hero are both ambiguously heroic and inglorious at the same time. Similarly in the Treasure Island Long John silver is a pirate who has a few good qualities. Stevenson’s novels are the playground for a child’s fertile imagination. His grasp of thrill, awe, adventure, valor and chivalry as picturized in his novels is an enchanting story. The Scarlet Pimpernel, the story of a chivalrous Englishman who rescues Aristocrats before they are sent to the guillotine or Anthony Hope’s swashbuckling, romantic tale of adventure and counterfeit in the Prisoner of Zenda are excellent adventure stories. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain has to be the unanimous choice of every child for embarking on a trail of adventure. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has its share of adventures, but other profound issues make it a more serious novel than what the title suggests.
Reading an adventure novel is like going on an adventure. If there had been a D’Artagnan or a Tom Sawyer, being friends with them would be something to look forward to. ( To be continued)