Jules Verne / L. Benett - L'Île à hélice - 1895

Exciting illustrated edition in its full red hardcover of the so-called portrait glued edition with a spine featuring the lighthouse of this novel from the 'Voyages extraordinaires' series, which explores technological utopias and their social deviations.

The plot revolves around a gigantic artificial floating island, propelled by propellers and designed as a mobile city to host a cosmopolitan elite.

This island, a true metaphor for 19th-century industrial progress and engineering, houses a refined society equipped with all modern amenities but quickly undermined by internal rivalries, political conflicts, and social tensions.

Verne unfolds an implicit critique of the excesses of luxury and technological pride, showing that material perfection neither guarantees peace nor harmony.

The narrative alternates technical descriptions of the structure and functioning of the island with narrative episodes where the characters face intrigues, divisions, and catastrophes, culminating in the final ruin of this floating utopia.

Benett's illustrations enhance the visual and spectacular dimension, bringing to life the grand architectures and scenes of chaos.

Jules Verne / L. Benett - The Island with a Propeller - 1895 (catalog) - Hetzel & Cie -
423 pages

Good condition of the binding, the work is in its full red cardboard edition with a glued portrait and lighthouse on the spine, protected by plastic, showing signs of use, slightly faded cardboard, gilded edges, smoothly decorated spine, with gilded titling and author's name.

Good interior condition, stains and watermarks in the corners on the first few pages, work enriched with 80 illustrations by Léon Benett, including 12 large chromotypography engravings, 1 color map, and 2 black-and-white maps.

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