Fuel for the adventurous spirit: the 50 greatest adventure novels everyone should read.
Hello again, dear
reader. Since it is summer time we of course have been pontificating on
adventure. Everything from the type of people that most commonly come to mind,
when we think of the word adventure or adventurers, we also discussed how to
turn your next family vacation from the same old experience of sitting by the
beach or by the pool and converting your precious days away from the office
into an adventure discussing things like where to stay what to eat and what to
see. I thought, for today's discussion that we would stay in the same vein of
adventure (I'm working on a second conversation concerning how to turn your
vacation into an adventure.) I thought we would discuss inspirational material
that will inspire the adventurous spirit deep within you, dear reader. The
conversation that follows is a list of the 50 best adventure novels that
everyone should read (or at least attempt to read) at least once in their
lifetime. As stated below, this list is in no way a comprehensive or complete
master list of all the great adventure novels in the world. So if you think of
any that are missing dear reader, please feel free to add that in the comments
section.
Nothing speaks to the
heart of humanity like a good tale of adventure. Whether in the form of a
bedtime story read to young children's or a nail biting page turner that keeps
you up at night, the adventure story is one genre of literature that stays with
you for a lifetime. The very mention of such novels brings to mind images of
buried treasure, hidden deep in the jungle of a deserted island, protected by
dastardly pirates and the local cannibal population. Or perhaps the mind jumps
instead to the image of a forgotten world, complete with lost civilization and
monstrous creatures of a bygone era.
Whatever your personal
adventure fantasy, there are some stories we all can relate to. Listed here, in
no particular order, are fifty adventure novels that no man should go a
lifetime without reading. This is not considered a complete list of all the
great adventure novels, and now, to jump into the world of high adventure….
A tale of survival,
Hatchet traces the story of young Brian, who is left stranded in the Canadian
wilderness when his plane crashes. Forced to survive with little food or gear,
Brian’s will to live is put to the test.
Easily the best known
adventure novel, this is Stevenson’s masterpiece. The son of an innkeeper,
young Jim Hawkins finds himself thrust into the world of piracy as he joins
Long John Silver in the search for buried treasure.
Stranded on a desert
island as a result of a catastrophic shipwreck, a family is forced to survive
with nothing but the natural resources available. Eventually, they are able to
create an impressive compound within which they are able to live at ease in
their jungle surroundings.
Follow the adventures
of Harvey Cheyne, son of a railroad tycoon, as he is thrown overboard on a
steamship journey, only to be rescued by fishermen who eventually mold him into
a true seafarer.
A college professor and
his young apprentice follow instructions on a broken pottery shard that lead
them to a fabled lost city in the jungles of Africa, where they encounter She
Who Must Be Obeyed, the seemingly immortal ruler of the land.
Set sixteen years after
the events of She, this novels follows the same characters as they travel to
the far reaches of the earth seeking out a reincarnation of She Who Must Be
Obeyed.
Adventurer Allan
Quatermain is drafted into a search and rescue party that leads into the great
unknown of unexplored Africa, where entire civilizations are discovered and
rumors of the location of the mines of King Solomon lead the team on one of the
greatest adventures in all of literature.
Out of the dark we
came, into the dark we go. Like a storm-driven bird at night we fly out of the
Nowhere; for a moment our wings are seen in the light of the fire, and, lo! we
are gone again into the Nowhere.
A two for one deal,
this book chronicles the dangerous lives of the early mail pilots as told by
Saint-Exupery, author of Wind, Sand and Stars and himself an accomplished
pilot.
This timeless classic
by Arthur Conan Doyle inspired the imagination of countless young boys and
spawned what is now known as the Lost World genre. Inside its pages the
protagonist, Professor Challenger, plays tour guide on an undiscovered plateau
in South America, filled with dinosaurs and other mystical creatures that time
seemingly forgot.
Rudyard Kipling’s
famous short story about two wandering British adventurers who somehow manage
to become kings of Kafiristan, only to suffer a drastic fall from power.
In this, one of Verne’s
lesser known works, Captain Hatteras enlists a team with the goal of reaching
the North Pole. Along the way wills are tested as they face sub-zero
temperatures and possible starvation, and eventually the men begin to whisper
of mutiny. Typical of Verne’s works, the book is packed with classic adventure
start to finish.
Full of high seas
adventure, this is the first in Italian author Emilio Salgari’s celebrated
Sandokan series, which follows the pirate Sandokan, known as the Tiger of
Malaysia, on his swashbuckling escapades.
Sequel to The Tigers of
Mompracem, this one is every bit as action packed as the first. Follow the
notorious pirate Sandokan as he faces his greatest challenge yet.
In this, the last of
the Sandokan series to be translated to English, watch as Sandokan faces off
against none other than the Thuggee cult, an actual sect later made famous in
the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
Follow an expedition
into the Congo that is part rescue operation, part treasure hunt as the team
searches for lost comrades and seek out a diamond mine that may hold the
diamond needed to complete their ambitious research. The fate of the previous
team is discovered when the group is attacked by man eating gorillas that
inhabit the region. The book is much better than the movie which was later
based on it.
Join a team of
scientists at the ultimate island amusement park, John Hammond’s “biological
preserve” known as Jurassic Park, where dinosaurs, genetically engineered by
Hammond’s scientists, roam the earth once again. Disaster strikes when
corporate sabotage leads to a power outage, significantly reducing the
effectiveness of the electrical fences keeping the dinosaurs separated from the
park visitors.
Join Ian Malcolm,
believed dead after the event of Jurassic Park, as he is forced once again into
the company of monsters, this time on a rescue mission of his own. Instead of
Isla Nublar, Malcolm must travel to Isla Sorna, aka Site B, where dinosaurs run
wild throughout the island.
Homer’s epic poem,
which serves as a continuation of the events of The Iliad, is one of
the first great adventure stories. Following the fall of Troy, Odysseus begins
his journey home to Ithaca but is thwarted in his efforts when an angry
Poseidon throws him off course, beginning a timeless adventure that is as good
now as it was when written nearly 3000 years ago.
Venture out of the
shire with a young Bilbo Baggins as he discovers a world that few hobbits will
ever see, pursued at length by the mysterious Gollum, from whom Bilbo had taken
the enigmatic Ring of Power. Bilbo’s courage and cunning are put to the test as
he attempts to relieve a very powerful dragon of his treasure horde.
I come from under
the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led. And through the
air. I am he that walks unseen. I am the clue-finder, the web-cutter, the
stinging fly. I was chosen for the lucky number. I am he that buries his
friends alive and drowns them and draws them alive again from the water. I came
from the end of bag, but no bag went over me. I am the friend of bears and the
guest of eagles. I am Ring-winner and Luckwearer; and I am Barrel-rider.
Little introduction is
needed for this, J. R. R. Tolkien’s tour de force. Tolkien’s masterful
attention to detail comes to light with the peoples, places, and languages of
Middle Earth, which are painted with such fine strokes that they could easily
be taken to have really existed. Journey with Frodo and the Fellowship of the
Ring as they endeavor to stamp out the darkness brought to Middle Earth with
the return of Sauron and his minions.
One Ring to rule
them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
Published posthumously,
this collection of tales by Tolkien works as a literary precursor to the events
of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, chronicling the formation of Middle Earth and
the history of its early peoples, and concluding as the events in the more
famous trilogy begin to unfold.
Robert Louis
Stevenson’s classic coming of age tale of the young Scotsman David, who, upon
the death of his parents, seeks out his uncle to claim his inheritance. His
uncle, wishing to claim the inheritance as his own, sells David into slavery in
the American colonies. Adventure is found as David fights his way back to
Scotland to confront his uncle and claim his birthright.
This literary classic
follows the exploits of the strange and mysterious Captain Nemo and his ship
the Nautilus.
The sea is
everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure
and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels
life stirring on all sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural
and wonderful existence. It is nothing but love and emotion.
This lesser know book
by Jules Verne is actually a sequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, although
the storylines have little in common. A group of American Civil War prisoners
of war escape via a hijacked hot air balloon, which eventually crashes on a
mystical island where they have to fight for their survival.
Sure, eighty days may
seem like plenty of time to go around the world these days, but when Phileas
Fogg wagered 20,000 British pounds he could do it back in 1872, he was
certainly being optimistic. Trains, steam ships, and even the occasional
elephant ride are employed in the circumnavigation as he attempts to make good
on his claim.
This legendary account
of the adventures of d’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers follows these proud
swashbucklers as they defend the honor of queen and country.
All for one, one
for all, that is our motto.
The timeless character
of the boy who refused to grow up needs little introduction. Fly along with Pan
as he and the Lost Boys face off against the notorious Captain Hook and his
band of pirates. This masterpiece of literature by J. M. Barrie has been the
bedtime story of choice for growing boys for nearly one hundred years.
In this, his fictional
memoir, Ernest Hemingway details lion hunting with his wife in East Africa at
the time of the 1953 Mau Mau uprising. Fact meets fiction as he balances a robust
hunting schedule, duties as a game warden and local protector of the people,
and a secret tribal marriage to a local tribeswoman.
Follow Richard Hannay
as he runs from the law in the Scottish countryside, seeking both to prove his
innocence and to decipher the clues that could change the fate of Britain in World
War I. Part Sherlock Holmes, part Da Vinci Code.
This story, the best
known by author Jack London, tracks the story of Buck, a domestic dog who is
thrust into the sledding world in the Yukon at the height of the 19th century
gold rush.
Here was neither
peace, nor rest, nor a moment’s safety. All was confusion and action, and every
moment life and limb were in peril. There was imperative need to be constantly
alert, for these dogs and men were not town dogs and men. They were savages,
all of them, who knew no law but the law of club and fang.
The fascinating tale of
a wealthy man, Humphrey Van Wheydon, who is cast into the sea when his ship
collides with another in a heavy fog. The man is eventually rescued by a seal
hunting expedition, the captain of which is a brutal man called the Sea Wolf
who decides to keep Van Wheydon on board as a servant. An adventure story on the
surface, this story provides critical insight into man’s inhumanity to man upon
closer examination.
Mark Twain offers his
own perspective of the Old West as he journeys through it. Stagecoaches, gold,
prospecting, and an antagonist that seems to come right out of a Spaghetti
Western make for exciting reading cover to cover. Placed under fiction since
though Twain claimed these stories are true, it is generally accepted that some
are somewhat embellished.
The search for a fabled
beach, said to be perfect in every way, leads a small group of young
backpackers on the adventure of a lifetime. However, upon finding the beach,
they discover that something so perfect is hard to keep secret.
Melville’s masterpiece
concerning Captain Ahab’s insatiable quest to exact revenge on the great white
whale that crippled him, as told by Ishmael, a sailor on board Ahab’s ship.
All that most
maddens and torments; all that stirs up the lees of things; all truth with malice
in it; all that cracks the sinews and cakes the brain; all the subtle demonisms
of life and thought; all evil, to crazy Ahab, were visibly personified, and
made practically assailable in Moby-Dick. He piled upon the whale’s white hump
the sum of all the general rage and hate felt by his whole race from Adam down;
and then, as if his chest had been a mortar, he burst his hot heart’s shell
upon it.
The famous account of
the castaway Robinson Crusoe as he makes a life for himself on a remote island
off the coast of South America, structured as if it was written by Crusoe
himself.
And thus I have
given the first Part of a Life of Fortune and Adventure, a Life of Providence’s
Checquer-Work, and of a Variety which the World will seldom be able to show the
like of: Beginning foolishly, but closing much more happily than any Part of it
ever gave me Leave so much as to hope for.
An Irish physician is
wrongly convicted of treason, but escapes execution and flees. Making his way
to the Caribbean, he eventually becomes one of the most notorious pirates of
the high seas. While fiction, the exploits of Captain Blood are loosely based
on the life of the pirate Henry Morgan.
An English tourist to
fictional Ruritania is swept up into extraordinary circumstances when he is
chosen to impersonate the recently kidnapped king in an attempt to evade the
political upheaval that would likely occur if the king’s abduction was made
public.
A story of adventure
and survival on the surface, this classic also provides an in-depth evaluation
of human nature and society. A plane crash on a deserted island results in no
adult survivors, forcing the youngsters who did survive to fend for themselves
until rescue can arrive. Troubles ensue as the boys attempt to form a society
of their own, and the power of the leaders begins to corrupt their principles.
The story of the Kurtz,
an ivory trader in the Belgian Congo who has “gone native,” as told by Marlow,
the man sent to retrieve him. A complex critique of human nature wrapped in an
adventure story.
Hunters for gold or
pursuers of fame, they all had gone out on that stream, bearing the sword, and
often the torch, messengers of the might within the land, bearers of a spark
from the sacred fire. What greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river
into the mystery of an unknown earth! . . . The dreams of men, the seed of
commonwealths, the germs of empires.
A dashing adventurer in
the vein of Indiana Jones or James Bond, Dirk Pitt finds himself as the only
thing standing between smugglers and a centuries old Incan treasure horde
hidden high in the Peruvian Andes.
Another outing of
Cussler’s daring adventurer, this story follows Dirk Pitt as he searches for
the wreck of a civil war era iron-side ship and the treasure it contains in the
most unlikely of places.
Team up once again with
Dirk Pitt as he seeks out the legendary treasures of the Library of Alexandria
in this modern classic.
Another lesser known
Jules Verne novel, The Lighthouse at the End of the World is the story
of three men who man a lighthouse on an island off the southern tip of South
America. The men are forced to battle to survive when the lighthouse comes
under attack by pirates, who plan to use the light to crash unsuspecting ships
on the nearby reef.
Malory’s centuries old
interpretation of the legend of King Arthur is a masterpiece of the literary
world. Broken down into several separate tales of Arthur and the Knights of the
Round Table, it tackles love, betrayal, war, and a never ending quest for the
Holy Grail.
Descend through the
mouth of a volcano and into the depths of the unknown on an expedition to reach
the center of the earth in this adventure classic.
I soon felt that
strange and mysterious sensation which is awakened in the mind when looking
down from lofty hilltops, and now I was able to do so without any feeling of
nervousness, having fortunately hardened myself to that kind of sublime
contemplation. I wholly forgot who I was, and where I was. I became intoxicated
with a sense of lofty sublimity, without thought of the abysses into which my
daring was soon about to plunge me.
The timeless title
character, first introduced here, inspired over twenty sequels and several
feature films. Raised by gorillas, Tarzan seeks out the truth of his origins
and finds himself at odds with the gorilla king that murdered his father.
While primarily
considered a dramatic tale of revenge and vindication, The Count of Monte
Cristo also provides a healthy dose of adventure to its readers. Swordfights,
prison escapes, and hidden treasure contribute to the transformation of
ordinary man Edmond Dantes into the mysterious persona of the Count of Monte
Cristo.
A collection of yarns
suitable for the young adventurer, these timeless tales make the perfect
bedside stories for a young boy. Most notable are the accounts of the life of
Mowgli, the young boy raised by wolves, and of Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, the valiant
mongoose.
A bottle discovered on
a beach is found to contain a message from Captain Grant of the Brittania, long
believed to be lost at sea. The information in the message leads to the launch
of a rescue mission, but with only partial coordinates and clues in a foreign
tongue, the rescuers have little information to work with.
Fortune hunters travel
to Africa in search of the fabled People of the Mist, who are rumored to have
an unequalled cache of jewels hidden away. Masquerading as gods, the fortune
hunters find more than they bargained for when they are caught in a power
struggle between the king and the priests under control of the people’s
crocodile god.
As always, dear reader,
thanks for listening, and there will be more to come soon.
Reading this blog makes me want to pack up my camping gear, find a nice quiet spot in the woods, near a lake, and curl up and read a good adventure book. Sounds like heaven to me!
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