It is a great misfortune to be alone, my friends; and it must be believed that solitude can quickly destroy reason.? The Mysterious Island, a classic of world literature by French writer Jules Verne, is based on the true story of Alexander Selkirk. Selkirk was trapped for about five years on a remote island off the coast of Chile and found innovative ways to survive the ordeal and stay alive. The Mysterious Island is an absorbing saga of adventure as well as a tribute to the tenacity of the human spirit. Verne, a master storyteller, tells the tale in a breezy and easily readable style. The island has a secret that is not easy to pry open. Drama and suspense abound in the novel as the five men and a dog, who land in a balloon on the island, encounter a number of mysterious happenings as they struggle to survive and come to terms with the fantastical place they are stuck in.