"The Children of Captain Grant" were initially released in three small format volumes under the general title "Journey Around the World": 1) South America. 2) Australia. 3) Pacific Ocean (1867-1868). This work, along with "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (Pub. "Asteros" no. 29) and "Mysterious Island" (Pub. "Asteros" no. 30), constitutes a "trilogy" in which the protagonists of the previous two books are reunited in a thrilling final adventure.
Throughout the pages of this trilogy, Jules Verne creates unprecedented adventures that present critical situations beyond the common human mind. The protagonists rightfully belong to a class of "superhumans," regardless of whether their inventive abilities are used to benefit or harm humanity. In "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," Verne's hero is undeniably a genius, an extraordinary pioneer of the twentieth-century technocracy. But is he an angel of good or a demon of evil? The alternating role of benefactor or destroyer represents an ongoing psychological struggle in the conscience of Captain Nemo, reminiscent of the relentless war waged by the Palestinians in the present era "for the recovery of altars and hearths."
In "The Children of Captain Grant," Jules Verne creates Lord Glenarvan, a character endowed with remarkable gifts - rare, unfortunately, in today's possessors - who has the generosity to undertake, at the cost of his entire fortune, a blind search for shipwrecked individuals in the vastness of the Earth's sphere! However, the author not only teaches us compassion and love between human beings. Within a masterfully crafted dramatic adventure, he recalls the sermons of the God-Man for the salvation of souls. And he teaches us that no one is born a criminal in this world. Even if circumstances lead one to commit a crime, even if one's soul becomes tainted with violence and murder, there is always a plank of salvation through repentance - as long as it is absolutely sincere and leads to dedication to Christian works.
The trilogy we are referring to is not only instructive. It is written in Jules Verne's well-known vivid style, which is a great pleasure for the reader.