Godfrey Morgan: A California Mystery

Reading San Francisco: 1882

Godfrey Morgan: A California Mystery, published in 1882 by the French science fiction writer Jules Verne opens with the bang of a gavel:

“‘An island to sell, for cash, to the highest bidder!’ said Dean Felporg, the auctioneer, standing behind his rostrum in the room where the conditions of the singular sale were being noisily discussed. ‘Island for sale! island for sale!’ repeated in shrill tones again and again Gingrass, the crier, who was threading his way in and out of the excited crowd closely packed inside the largest saloon in the auction mart at No. 10, Sacramento Street.”

READ THE BOOK: GODFREY MORGAN: A CALIFORNIA MYSTERY

It’s no surprise, but Verne — the author of enduring adventure like Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas (1870), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1872) — knows how to grab the attention of a reader. And Godfrey Morgan, which has also been published under the titles Robinson’s School and A School for Carusoes, is no exception.