I just finished reading Michael Strogoff by Jules Verne, which tells the adventures of the Courier of the Czar as he carries an important message from Moscow to Irkutsk in Siberia. The Tartars have invaded the country and the czar’s brother is in danger of assassination by an evil traitor. Michael’s mission is to get the message to the Grand Duke before the invaders reach him. He is a man who because of his love for God and country, refuses to be deterred from the duty he is called to accomplish.

Jules Verne was a writer with great, and at times almost prophetic, imagination. He had a great love for science, and in many of his books, like 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, he described the scenery in much-too-detailed scientific terms. This is the case sometimes in Michael Strogoff, but the story moves forward continually with one adventure after another until the final satisfying scenes.

You might wonder why I’m writing a review of a book written 140 years ago, and one that is somewhat obscure. The first reason is I just read it and greatly enjoyed it. Also, I generally like classics, and Jules Verne has been one of my favorite authors for many years. I think it’s good to draw attention to some of these works that many overlook.

As I try to figure out what I’m going to do with this blog, one thing I’ve considered is to write reviews of books as I finish reading them. We’ll see later if that actually happens. Whatever the case, reading is good, and especially finding books that build up the imagination and the desire to grow beyond ourselves, encouraging us to fulfill the purpose God has for us.