Cesar Cascabel: "De Schoone Zwerfster"

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

26143

Title

Cesar Cascabel: "De Schoone Zwerfster"

Language

nl

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In Jules Verne's adventurous tale, a struggling street performer named Cesar Cascabel saves enough money to buy a safe and embark on a perilous journey across North America. After being forced to retreat from Alaska due to border restrictions, the family encounters a wounded Russian nobleman and a young Indigenous girl. Together, they traverse the frozen Bering Strait and venture deep into Siberia, facing extreme cold and isolation in this classic adventure of survival and human connection.

Summary up to 500 words

In Jules Verne's *Cesar Cascabel: De Schoone Zwerfster*, the narrative follows the adventurous journey of Cesar Cascabel, a talented street performer in Sacramento, California, in 1867. Having saved five thousand guilders through his art, Cascabel insists on purchasing a secure, fireproof safe with a secret four-letter combination to protect his fortune. Despite his wife Cornelia's frugality, the family prepares for a grand tour of the American West, intending to eventually return to Europe. Their progress is abruptly halted at the border between British Columbia and Alaska by Russian authorities, who forbid them from entering Russian territory. Forced to turn back, the family feels defeated until a gunshot interrupts their somber retreat. Following the sound, they discover two murdered men and a young Indigenous girl, Kayette, tending to a wounded Russian nobleman named Sergius. Cascabel and his family take the injured man and Kayette into their traveling wagon, the 'Schoone Zwerfster.' As they care for the dying Sergius, Kayette reveals she is an orphan from Alaska. The group decides to continue their journey to the coast of Siberia to find a place to winter, hoping to eventually return to Europe. They cross the frozen Bering Strait, traveling over the ice between Port-Clarence and Numana. The journey is fraught with danger as the ice thaws and the cold intensifies. They arrive at a settlement in Siberia, where they must endure the harsh winter. The narrative highlights themes of resilience, compassion, and the bond between different cultures as the family protects their new companions against the elements and potential threats. The story concludes with the family and their new friends settling in the frozen wilderness, awaiting the thaw that will allow them to continue their travels or return home.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Local file path

data/epubs/pg26143.epub

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Categories

• Adventure
• Classics
• Travel