(37) Le Château des Carpathes (The Carpathian Castle, 1892) (1 volume) 52K words


For the 37th Extraordinary Voyage, Verne changes tack and gives us a Gothic novel. The story takes place in Transylvania, at a little town and its neighbouring abandoned castle in the Carpathian Mountains. Dracula was published five years after this novel, and some say that Verne's novel probably was one of Bram Stoker's influences. There are some coincidences in setting and premise, but they are otherwise different. Of course, Verne did not invent the genre nor the stories about Vlad Tepes that inspired Stoker.


First read or reread?: First read for me.


What is it about?: Mysterious things are occurring in an abandoned castle located near the village of Werst in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania, Romania. The villagers are convinced that the Chort (devil) occupies the castle, particularly after a pair of them venture near the fortification and return injured and terrified. Count Franz de Télek, a traveller visiting the region, decides to investigate the disturbances for himself when he is informed that the owner of the castle is Baron Rodolphe de Gortz. Years earlier the Baron was the Count's rival for the affections of the celebrated Italian prima donna La Stilla.


This is a rather atypical novel within the Extraordinary Voyages. I would call it a Gothic novel, rather than terror, but with a Vernian touch. When this author tried a romantic story ("The Green Ray") I felt that he was not playing to his strengths and, to a lesser extent, that's the case here too.

I thought the first part of the novel, concentrating on the villagers and their fears and investigations, was well-done. He depicts the characters with their foibles and small-mindedness, but sympathetically. The character of Patak, the self-styled "doctor" of the village, provides the comic relief, with his big mouth and his lack of bravery. Perhaps these villagers are a bit more rational than the story demanded, but I guess Verne can't help being rational.

The backstory involving Count Franz de Télek, Baron Rodolphe de Gortz, and their romantic rivalry is also intriguing, and suitably melodramatic.

The resolution, as I said, is very Vernian in style, although closer to the rational Gothic style of Ann Radcliffe than to the violently horrifying Matthew Lewis.

Where the novel is not so successful is when it comes to the action part, which is a bit underwhelming. Also, Verne is not as skilled as some of the writers specialized in the Gothic genre at creating a feeling of oppression with their language and descriptions. I felt that, despite the psychological suffering of one of the main characters, Verne did not depict that as vividly as he did in some of his novels.

Despite these flaws, the novel, which is quite short, is also quite readable, and Verne's style and flair for entertaining the reader is very much present.


Enjoyment factor: I enjoyed it, although I was a slightly disappointed because this is among the most popular novels in the second half of Verne's career (although not among his most popular overall), and I felt it's a pleasant but minor work. One thing going for it is its originality within Verne's body of work. I'm glad he tried this so that we could see a different side of his storytelling abilities.


Next up: Claudius Bombarnac, aka The Adventures of a Special Correspondent


See all my Verne reviews here: https://www.sffworld.com/forum/threads/reading-vernes-voyages-extraordinaires.58... ( )

Tajemný hrad v Karpatech – V karpatských lesích stojí ponurý polozřícený hrad, který vyvolává děs a hrůzu u obyvatel blízkých vesniček. Krouží o něm spousta tajuplných a často naprosto neuvěřitelných příběhů. Jeho tajemství se pokusí odhalit krajem projíždějící hrabě Franz Teleke, který hledá svou ztracenou milenku.

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El gran escritor Julio Verne toma la tradición de la novela gótica del siglo XIX para escribir un libro alejado, en principio, de lo que nos tiene acostumbrados. Pueblos atemorizados por la presencia de un castillo maldito habitado por el Diablo; rivalidades por amores pasados; psicofonías y apariciones; muertos resucitados. Todo ello en Transilvania, Rumania. Sin embargo, fiel a su tradición, usa todos esos elementos para adelantarse al desarrollo tecnológico de su época e imaginar máquinas que hoy estamos usando o que quizá en un futuro cercano podremos disfrutar.