Facing the Flag

The first place this book goes WRONG is the translation. Don't believe me? Check out these rotten specimens. "Count d'Artigas is Ker Karraje--just as Gaydon the keeper is Simon Hart the engineer, and Ker Karraje will never restore his freedom to Simon Hart, the engineer who knows his secrets." "If the inventor is to be believed, may not his Fulgurator be powerful enough to destroy the terrestrial spheroid in a single blow? Who knows whether some day he may not attempt this?" If this novel hadn't been written by Jules Verne, I doubt it would be read by anyone. It is an example of what not to do, when writing a book. For some reason, after a couple chapters the novel shifts from third person to first person, which, oddly enough, has the effect of distancing the reader from the action, rather than drawing him or her closer to it. This is mainly because nothing really interesting happens to the narrator. Since he is writing about things in a journal, after the fact, even his daring near-rescue is related once he is back in prison again, depriving the scene of any excitement it might have had (is he getting away or not?). The emphasis laid on Simon Hart's occupation--engineer--is hardly warranted. His skills don't seem to do much for him. Certainly, they don't get him out of any tight spots in this story. The French have a strange way of dealing with captives, at least in this particular tale. The villains take Simon Hart along, presumably to care for the crazy professor under his charge (long story). Later, the author reveals that they always knew he wasn't a mental hospital orderly. So presumably, they took him along to wring any secrets he may have learned from his crazy professor patient, while he was undercover. Yet, they never try too hard to get anything out of him, presumably because they have the crazy professor working for them (Simon Hart is a Plan B). One of the crew attempts to befriend Simon Hart, by urging him repeatedly to accept his fate, blah, blah. Simon Hart goes into hulk rages (no, more like hulk smolders), whenever this character flings a steaming pile of sarcasm his way. He'd like to strangle him, but, no, that would be--TOO violent. The premise of a mad scientist with the tools to destroy the world (or mess it up pretty bad) is certainly a clever idea that deserves a better treatment. For all Simon Hart managed to accomplish, we could have left him entirely out of the story. It would have come out the same.