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(25) L'Étoile du sud (The Vanished Diamond, aka The Southern Star, 1884) (1 volume) 71K words
The 25th Extraordinary Voyage takes us back to Africa, a continent that was also the setting of previous novels like "Five Weeks in a Balloon", "The Adventures of Three Englishmen and Three Russians in South Africa" and "Dick Sand, A Captain at Fifteen".
First read or reread?: First read for me.
What is it about?: Victor Cyprien, a French engineer currently living in the "Diamond Fields" of Griqualand (South Africa) desires to marry the beautiful daughter of Mr. Watkins, a man who owns the land where the "Diamond Fields" are. Watkins has other plans for his daughter, which includes her staying in South Africa and marrying one of the wealthier diamond miners. To put himself in a better position to win the hand of Alice, Victor buys a share and begins working his own claim. However, Alice convinces him to return to chemistry and pursue his theory that he can synthesize a diamond. As a result of one of his experiments, an extraordinary 243 carat diamond is created. Victor names it "The Star of the South" and gives it to Alice. When the diamond is stolen, Cyprien and three other potential suitors for the hand of Alice, travel northwards beyond the limits of South Africa in an epic persecution of the suspected culprit.
Although set in South Africa, the plot of "The Star of the South" might serve as inspiration for a Hollywood western, with a frontier setting, a gold rush (diamond rush, in this case), boomtowns, exploration of human character, frontier justice, greed... Of course, this novel predates that genre and is, in fact, contemporary with the Old West. Like the classic P. C. Wren adventure novel "Beau Geste", which would be published 40 years later, it features the theft of a large jewel that derails the life of many of the characters. The tone of this Verne novel, however, is less tragic than Beau Geste's.
I also found it interesting as a contemporary historical depiction of 19th-century South African colonization that would later result in the Apartheid regime. The historical conflict and resentment between the Boers and the English and the exploitation and racism towards black natives play a part in the story.
In addition to all those themes, we have Vernian elements that we wouldn't find in a western or in a normal adventure novel. The extraordinary jewel that drives the plot has been obtained in a scientific experiment designed as an attempt to produce synthetic diamonds. Verne, of course, takes the opportunity to teach his readers about the chemistry of diamonds, at least the 19th century understanding of it. We also have twists involving cartographic mistakes.
Some of the recurrent weaknesses of Verne's adventures are also present, like some unlikely animal behaviors and extraordinary coincidences that drive the plot forward. The treatment of native characters is, at the same time, enlightened and, well, of its time, as in other Verne novels. Verne's heart is in the right place when he denounces their mistreatment at the hands of European colonists and shows how they are not lacking in intelligence, even if they are in education. However, even the heroes who treat the natives decently have a paternalistic relationship with them, and Verne never met an African tribe completely free of cannibalistic tendencies.
Enjoyment factor: I enjoyed it. The Southern Star is not without flaws, but it has a more intense focus on the character's personalities and motivations than other Verne novels, which helps give the story more depth. It has an interesting setting and a good pace, despite the chemistry lesson in one chapter.
Next up: The Archipelago on Fire
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