The Giant Raft
Adventure novel of a raft journey down the Amazon.
Jules Verne’s 1881 novel *The Giant Raft* (original French title: *La Jangada - Huit Cents lieues sur l'Amazone*) is an adventure story. It has sometimes been mislabeled with the name of its first part, *Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon*. The plot centers on Joam Garral, a ranch owner whose home lies near the Amazon River along the Peruvian-Brazilian border. When his past deeds force him to flee, he must travel downstream. The bulk of the tale takes place on a large jangada—a Brazilian timber raft—that carries Garral and his family to Belém, at the river’s mouth. Verne provides thorough descriptions of the raft, the scenery, and the voyage.
In the story, Garral grants his daughter’s wish to go to Belém so she can marry Manuel Valdez in the presence of Manuel’s ailing mother. The family floats down the Amazon on the giant raft. Once in Belém, Garral hopes to clear his name, as he remains wanted in Brazil for a crime he did not commit. A villain named Torres offers Garral absolute proof of his innocence, but demands Garral’s daughter’s hand in marriage—a price Garral cannot accept. The proof is locked inside an encrypted letter that would exonerate him. After Torres is killed, the Garral family must race to decode the letter before Joam is executed.
Quick Facts
- Title Orig
- La Jangada - Huit Cents lieues sur l'Amazone
- Author
- Jules Verne
- Illustrator
- Léon Benett
- Country
- France
- Language
- French
- Series
- The Extraordinary Voyages #21
- Genre
- Adventure novel
- Publisher
- Pierre-Jules Hetzel
- Release Date
- 1881
- Media Type
- Print (Hardback)
- Preceded By
- The Steam House
- Followed By
- Godfrey Morgan
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The plot centers on Joam Garral, who grants his daughter's wish to travel to Belém, where she wants to marry Manuel Valdez in the presence of Manuel's invalid mother. The Garrals travel down the Amazon River using a giant timber raft. At Belém, Joam plans to restore his good name, as he is still wanted in Brazil for a crime he did not perpetrate. A scoundrel named Torres offers Joam absolute proof of Joam's innocence, but the price that Torres wants for this information is to marry Joam's daughter, which is inconceivable to Joam. The proof is locked in an encrypted letter that would exonerate Garral. When Torres is killed, the Garral family must race to decode the letter before Joam is executed.
Reader's Guide
The Giant Raft is significant as a Jules Verne adventure novel that combines detailed descriptions of Amazonian geography and the construction of a jangada (a Brazilian timber raft) with a suspenseful plot of wrongful accusation and a race against execution. The novel's legacy includes its adaptation into the 1993 film Eight Hundred Leagues Down the Amazon. It remains a notable example of Verne's travel-themed fiction, though its alternate title is often incorrectly used. The work is available in public domain editions and audiobooks.
Did You Know?
- The novel was published in 1881.
- It has been incorrectly published with the title Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon.
- Most of the novel is situated on a large jangada (a Brazilian timber raft).
- Despite rumors, there is no widely-known 1993 film adaptation of this novel.
More in Novels by Jules Verne 1-24
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