Two Years' Vacation

The story opens in March 1860 with a group of schoolboys aged between eight and fourteen on board a 100-ton schooner called the Sleuth moored at Auckland, New Zealand, and preparing to set off on a six-week vacation. With the exception of the oldest boy Gordon, an American, and Briant and Jack, two French brothers, all the boys are British. While the schooner's crew are ashore, the moorings are cast-off under unknown circumstances and the ship drifts to sea, where it is caught by a storm. Twenty-two days later, the boys find themselves cast upon the shore of an uncharted island, which they name "Chairman Island". They go on many adventures and even catch wild animals while trying to survive. They remain there for the next two years until a passing ship sinks in the close vicinity of the island. The ship had been taken over by mutineers, intent on trafficking slaves. With the aid of two of the surviving members of the original crew, the boys are able to defeat the mutineers and make their escape from the island, which they find out is close to the Chilean coast (Hanover Island, located at 50°56’ S, 74°47’ W). == Publication ==

As with most of Verne's works, it was serialized (in twenty-four parts between January and December 1888) in the "Extraordinary Journeys" section of the French Magasin d’Éducation et de Récréation by the Parisian publisher Hetzel. It was also published in book form in two volumes in June and early November of that year. An illustrated double volume with a color map and a preface by Verne was released in late November. Translations and adaptations • An English translation of the book was serialized in 36 installments in the ''Boy's Own Paper'' between 1888 and 1889. • In 1889 a two-volume English-language book titled ''A Two Year's Vacation was published by Munro in the United States. Later the same year, a single-volume abridged edition in the United Kingdom was released by Sampson Low under the title of Adrift in the Pacific''. • In 1890, from February 22 through March 14, the Boston Daily Globe newspaper serialized Adrift in the Pacific; the Strange Adventures of a Schoolboy Crew. • In 1896, Morita Shiken translated it to the Japanese language as Jugo shonen (十五少年: it means 15 boys) from the English text. • In 1962 Emilio Gómez Muriel directed a Spanish-Mexican film Dos años de vacaciones, featuring Pablito Calvo in the main role. • In 1964 Turkish filmmaker Yilmaz Atadeniz adapted this as a film titled Iki Sene Mektep Tatili. • In 1965 the I. O. Evans version of the Sampson Low translation was published in England (ARCO) and the U.S. (Associated Publishers) in two volumes: Adrift in the Pacific and Second Year Ashore. • In 1967 a new modified and abridged translation by Olga Marx with illustrations by Victor Ambrus titled A Long Vacation was published by Oxford University Press in the United Kingdom and Holt, Rinehart & Winston in the United States. • In 1967 Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman made a live-action/animated film adaptation under the title Ukradená vzducholod ("The Stolen Airship", released worldwide as ''Two Years' Vacation''), loosely based on Jules Verne's novels ''Two Years' Vacation and The Mysterious Island''. • In 1969 an Australian film produced, directed and written by Mende Brown entitled Strange Holiday credited Jules Verne for the story. • The 1974 four-part T.V. series '''' was produced in a cooperation of French, Belgian, Swiss, West-German and Romanian television. • In 1982 a Japanese studio Toei Animation made an anime movie adaptation under the title of Adrift in the Pacific (). • In 1984, The novel was adapted as a Polish comic book titled Dwa lata wakacji (''Two Years' Vacation''). • In 1987 a made-for-TV animation was produced by the Japanese studio Nippon Animation under the title of The Story of Fifteen Boys (). • In 2001 the book was redistributed by CLE International to help learners be immersed in French • The book became the story for different anime series like Kyōryū Bōkenki Jura Tripper, Infinite Ryvius, Mujin Wakusei Survive and Astra Lost in Space. The novel served as the initial inspiration for the Japanese anime series Mobile Suit Gundam in 1979; later in 1983, it would serve again as inspiration for Sunrise's anime series Round Vernian Vifam, as well. == See also ==