The Danube Pilot

 The Danube Pilot - Jules Verne. (November 12, 2014). Enthusiastic about some titles from the well-known Robin Hood collection, some of which I have already read—such as The Trepang Fishermen (from a similar collection) or Eagles of the Steppes, both by Emilio Salgari—I acquired one of them at a used bookstore for only 30 pesos. It is in good condition and even still has its dust jacket protector. The book is titled The Danube Pilot, written by the French novelist Jules Verne.

Several motivations drew my interest to this novel. The main one was that it represented an approach by Jules Verne to the detective/police fiction genre, but also the fact that the story takes place along a very well-known European river, the idea that it was rewritten by his son Michel Verne, and even the artwork featured on the cover of the edition I acquired (which I had already seen before).

The book was published posthumously in 1908. As indicated on this webpage: http://jgverne.cmact.com/Bibliografia/OApocrifas.htm, the story was rewritten by Michel Verne based on the novel "Le beau Danube jaune" ("The Beautiful Yellow Danube"), written by Jules Verne.

The edition I have is a first edition from 1958, published by ACME, S.A.C.I., with a cover illustration by artist Pablo A. Pereyra (I must say that very rarely—or rather, I'd say this is the first time I've seen an illustrated cover that also includes the author's name right on the book cover). Translation and adaptation by Alfredo Julio Grassi, and illustrations by José Clemen. The original title is Le Pilote Du Danube.

I had doubts about whether this was an unabridged edition or an abridged one, especially since the translator is credited as doing an "adaptation." However, I believe it refers to a translation adaptation regarding the language rather than a cut of the original edition. Later, I was able to check the original version on the web, and it has roughly the same page count as this version, so I trust that it is an unabridged version even though the book itself doesn't explicitly state it.

The novel recounts the events that accompanied a Danube River pilot during his navigation career along the river to break a record for permanence and fishing. In the middle of all this is the plot involving a police investigator tasked with taking down a gang of pirates who prey on the villages along the shores.

The book's front flap states: "In the course of the journey, they experience the most extraordinary adventures that will satisfy the most demanding reader from the very beginning of the novel to its surprising and well-crafted resolution."

And it does not disappoint in this regard; the novel is brief but packed with many adventures. It is simple, straightforward, very easy to read, well-written, captivating, and never boring.

There is a short excerpt about this particular novel within a longer article titled "The Authenticity of Verne's Last Novels" by Ariel Perez, which I found interesting and wanted to transcribe. The webpage where this article is published is http://jgverne.cmact.com/Articulos/Autenticidad.htm:

The Danube Pilot "The date of 1880, attributed by some to the creation of the original novel which Jules titled The Beautiful Yellow Danube, stems from Hetzel’s justification for changing the title, arguing that the date serves as a reminiscence of the famous waltz 'The Blue Danube' by Strauss, which was all the rage at that time. But scholars of Verne's work maintain that the manuscript dates from many years later, judging by its handwriting, which is very similar to that of novels like The Golden Volcano and In Magallanes. Conversely, the handwriting of a novel from the 1880s is completely different, with smaller, closed, and rounder letters. Specialists place the writing of the work around 1895.

The sources for writing this novel are found in the magazine Le Tour du Monde. In it, the historian and statesman Victor Duruy recounts in issues 61 and 62 his 1860 journey from Paris to Bucharest. All the touristic descriptions in Jules's novel stem from Duruy’s travel account, which the writer adapts in his own way.

The original manuscript had only sixteen chapters in its initial version. Michel added three and introduced a secondary character, the bandit Jackel Semo, who did not exist in the original manuscript. The idea for creating this character came from real life; he was someone Michel had previously known in Belgrade. Feeling alluded to and disliking how he was portrayed in the novel, he sued Michel. Hetzel quickly corrected this and replaced Jackel Semo with Yacoub Ogul.

With these changes, the novel shifts from a light, ironic tale to a detective story in Michel’s version, who considerably amplifies the initial police plot of the work at the expense of the touristic descriptions, the fishing feats, and the gastronomic fantasies of the two companions, Krusch and Jaeger. In The Danube Pilot, the simple gang conceived by Verne becomes a much more aggressive band. The two works have only one point in common: the beginning and the setting where the action unfolds. Michel adds characters and fills the work with intrigue and suspicion."

This excerpt is enlightening because, at the end of the novel, there is an Epilogue where the author states that these were true events. I wondered if they really were; I didn't think so, as I couldn't imagine so many adventures—some of them not very believable. But reading this excerpt, I do believe it could have been based on real events. My impression is that he gathered several separate events, as the study indicates, and then put them all together with a novelistic touch to build the work.

The edition I read has illustrations. They are not the original ones, but it is true that the original version also contained illustrations. What it lacks is a map. It would have been interesting to include a map—or two, if you will: one referencing the historical period in which the work takes place, and another representing the present day when the book was published. The river hasn't changed, but the geography of the countries or nations has, and quite a bit. Still, an orientation map wouldn't have hurt, because for someone who doesn't know the area or isn't looking it up, locating oneself can be a bit confusing.

Regarding this book and story, a movie was made: a 1974 Hungarian film titled The Danube Pilot, whose original title is A Dunai hajós, directed by Markos Miklós. IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071447/

Unfortunately, I haven't had the opportunity to see it; I can't find it in Spanish or even with subtitles.

This novel is often categorized (mostly by booksellers) as juvenile literature. That's true—a young reader might find it interesting and easy to understand. But in my view, this novel goes beyond that. If one reads it carefully, beneath the police plot (so to speak) or the characters' adventures, one finds much more. There are issues that adults cannot miss, ranging from the geographical to the political.

As for geography, the author mentions, lists, and describes rivers, streams, tributaries, hills, and mountains. He doesn't skip brief descriptions—not that they are magnificent descriptions, mind you, but brief sketches of certain cities and ports. This allows us to transport ourselves back to that historical moment and understand what life was like in those times.

But the most important aspect is the historical situation: a Bulgaria under the Ottoman Empire, specifically in the final stages of that domination, and the moments leading up to a Russo-Ottoman War that would eventually lead to a Russian victory over the Turks. Let us consider the coexistence of the peoples in the Balkan nations; it even prompts us to reflect on what we know today and the conflicts that unfolded in contemporary times in that region.

Now, some other personal comments about things that caught my attention: for instance, he mentions an alcoholic beverage without explicitly explaining it, only referring to it by name—rakı. I wondered, "What is rakı?" The answer is that it is a famous anise-flavored liqueur in Turkey. It is similar to several alcoholic beverages found in the Mediterranean and Balkan regions, such as pastis, sambuca, arak, ouzo, tsikoudia, tsipouro, and mastika. Made from various fruits, grapes and raisins are generally used in its production. In Turkey, this drink is considered the national liqueur and is generally served mixed with an equal part of water. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rak%C4%B1

Another point is the inspector—an inspector chosen from among the representatives of various governments. Of course, this is novelistic, but when we think of Interpol today, putting things into perspective, the figure of the inspector could well be likened to what Interpol is today. In the novel, the institution is referred to as the "Danube Secret Police."

The so-called Danube League, another creation of the author, would be a kind of fishing club whose associated members spanned several countries—that is, all the countries through which the Danube flowed. It is hard to imagine, but when we think about it today, it resembles the creation of national blocs, or even more so, the various internet groups formed with members from all over the globe. The author envisioned it, but restricted it to a group of fishermen sharing a common river.

Something else that caught my attention is the portrayal of women. I had read about this in two other books—one a period book from the 19th century and the other a modern novel set in those years—and in both, a portrait of a woman (or of children, parents, or relatives) appears. Apparently, it was quite common. Today it might seem strange—or maybe not strange, but certainly something forgotten for obvious reasons—but back then, it was common to carry and/or travel with painted or drawn portraits of loved ones.

Whoever wants to spend some time with a brief, very good adventure story should read this novel.