8.2 /10 1 Votes8.2
Illustrator Georges Roux Originally published 1899 Genre Adventure fiction | 4.1/5 Country France Publication date 1900 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Original title Le Testament d'un excentrique Series The Extraordinary Voyages #46 Similar Jules Verne books, Voyages extraordinaires books, Adventure fiction books |
The Will of an Eccentric (French: Le Testament d'un excentrique, 1900) is an adventure novel written by Jules Verne based on the Game of the Goose.
Contents
Publication history
Plot summary
William J. Hypperbone, an eccentric millionaire, living in Chicago, has left the sum of his fortune, $60,000,000, to the first person to reach the end of "The Noble Game of the United States of America." The game he devised is based upon the board game "The Noble Game of Goose"; however, in his version, the players are the tokens and the game board is the United States. The contestants are Max Réal (with his companion Tommy); Tom Crabbe (with his trainer John Milner); Hermann Titbury (with his wife Kate); Harris T. Kymbale (on his own); Lizzie Wag (with her friend Jovita Foley); Hodge Urrican (with his companion Turk) and the mysterious player only known as "XKZ." And who is this mysterious "XKZ" who was added to the game by a codicil to the will? Time and completion of the game will tell. (Courtesy djk)
In 1897 the first Baedecker guide book for the U.S. was published, and Verne used this as the source for his descriptions of the modes of transport, timetables, and geographic descriptions of the numerous places the twelve participants were required to visit in order to claim the prize.