The Fur Country

What It's About

In 1859, Lieutenant Jasper Hobson leads a Hudson's Bay Company expedition into the Canadian Arctic to establish a new fur-trading post north of the Arctic Circle. The party, which includes the intrepid traveller Mrs. Paulina Barnett and the astronomer Thomas Black, builds Fort Hope on what they believe is solid ground at Cape Bathurst. As the harsh polar winter gives way to a series of strange natural disturbances, the settlers begin to suspect that the earth beneath their fort is not as stable as it seems.

Key Concepts

The novel is built around Verne's fascination with geographic surveying and precise scientific observation - measurements of latitude, magnetic variation, and astronomical events drive the plot's central mystery. It also captures the practical realities of the 19th-century fur trade and the physical and psychological strain of Arctic survival, including extreme cold, the polar night, and dependence on the surrounding land and its wildlife.

About the Author

Jules Verne was a French novelist and playwright, widely regarded as one of the founders of modern science fiction, known for combining adventure storytelling with a keen interest in geography, exploration, and scientific detail.

About This Edition

This is an 1873 translation by N. D'Anvers.