Mathias Sandorf

Lore & Background

The novel begins in Trieste in 1867, where two petty criminals, Sarcany and Zirone, intercept a ciphered message carried by a pigeon. They conspire with corrupt banker Silas Toronthal to decode the message and betray the Hungarian conspirators—Count Mathias Sandorf, Stephen Bathory, and Ladislas Zathmar—to the Austrian police. The three are sentenced to death; Zathmar and Bathory are executed, but Sandorf escapes by jumping into the Adriatic and is presumed drowned. Fifteen years later, Sandorf, now using the identity of Dr. Antekirtt, a wealthy physician, seeks vengeance. He enlists two French carnival performers, Pescade and Matifou, and rules an island fortress with advanced weaponry.

Reader's Guide

Mathias Sandorf is significant as one of Verne's 'Wanderer adventures,' set in the Austrian Empire and exploring political unrest, pursuit, and revenge. The novel reflects historical events: the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which granted Hungary autonomy but not independence. Verne modeled Sandorf on his publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel, a former exile, and possibly on Hungarian freedom fighter Lajos Kossuth. The story critiques imperial administration and gambling, and its use of ciphers has inspired discussion. The novel was adapted for stage and film multiple times, including a 1921 silent film and a 1979 television miniseries. Verne's own steam yacht served as the model for Dr. Antekirtt's vessel, the Savarena.

Did You Know?

• Verne dedicated Mathias Sandorf to the memory of Alexandre Dumas.
• The novel's action moves from Trieste down the Adriatic coast to Sicily and North Africa.
• Verne based some locations on his own travels, including a rescue during a storm off Malta.
• The first English translation was by George Hanna in 1889.