The Golden Volcano () is a novel by Jules Verne, edited by his son Michel Verne, and published posthumously in 1906.
The story takes place in the middle of the Gold Rush, and features two French-Canadian cousins, who inherit a mining claim on the shores of the Klondike.
Plot
Two Canadians, Summy Skim and Ben Raddle, are unexpectedly bequeathed a mining claim in the Klondike. They encounter many things such as disaster, disease, and extreme weather. On the way back to Montreal, where the two cousins reside, Ben Raddle and Summy Skim are trapped in a large flood that floods the entire Klondike. Ben has a disease and a broken leg, and needs to be taken to the hospital to be seen by the trustful Dr. Pilcox. Summy Skim and their guide, Bill Steel, bring the unfortunate man to the hospital, where he is healed a few months later.
On the way out to a hunt, Summy Skim, Bill Steel, and the trusted Indian, Neluto, discover a man, torn apart, and lying under a tree. They come to the man's rescue, and bring him back to the hospital, where he dies a few days later. Before he dies, the man tells Ben Raddle and Summy Skim of a volcano of pure gold named the "Golden Mount". The cousins and their guides then get a caravan together to return to the Golden Mount. While out on a hunt, Summy Skim and Neluto discover the two villains and their caravan, plotting to take over the volcano.
Summy Skim and Neluto return to camp, where they tell the others, and a plan is formulated. Ben Raddle plans to force the volcano to erupt by emptying the river into a hole he will dig into the volcano. The plan succeeds; the villains, having made their way to the top of the mountain, are immediately forced down by the eruption. Summy Skim shoots the Texans, Hunter and Malone, the leader of the villains. The volcano erupts into the sea, causing Summy Skim and Ben Raddle to leave with less money than they came with.
History
The novel was written by Jules Verne in 1899. A revised version, by his son, Michel, was published in 1906. Thanks to Piero Gondolo della Riva, an unaltered version, using the original manuscript, was published in 1989 by the Société Jules-Verne.
Circumstances of the book's creation
In 1886, after the death of Pierre-Jules Hetzel, Verne was partially freed from the constraints that had previously been imposed on the content of his novels (both scientific and geographical). He took advantage of this new freedom to create more original novels with a more satirical or philosophical tone. In 1896, the shores of the Klondike were inundated with gold seekers. Verne could not help but be attracted to this development, especially since his own son was involved in prospecting. However, Verne did not carry this same thirst for gold in his heart, believing instead that it was the cause of civilization's decline. This thesis is evoked by Verne in some of his other novels, including The Survivors of the "Jonathan", The Chase of the Golden Meteor, and The Castaways of the Flag; the novel is thus his critique of what he sees as the plague of greed.