Jules Verne's A Floating City is a book that feels like it could have been written yesterday. It's not about fantastical journeys to the center of the Earth, but about a very real (and at the time, very new) experience: crossing the Atlantic on a gigantic ocean liner.

The Story

The narrator, a stand-in for Verne himself, boards the Great Eastern in Liverpool. The ship is a technological marvel, a floating town complete with streets and shops. The plot is simple: the ship is heading for New York. But the real action is in the micro-society that springs up on deck. We meet a colorful cast of characters—from wealthy industrialists and bored aristocrats to gamblers and star-crossed lovers. The drama comes from their interactions, their gossip, their feuds, and a few genuine moments of danger on the open sea.

Why You Should Read It

What grabbed me was how observant and witty Verne is here. He’s not just describing machinery; he’s dissecting human behavior. The ship becomes a perfect stage. You see how quickly social hierarchies form, how rumors spread, and how people reveal their true selves when removed from dry land. It's less an adventure tale and more a brilliant piece of social commentary wrapped in a travelogue. The characters feel real and flawed, which makes their journey compelling.

Final Verdict

Perfect for anyone who loves character-driven stories or has ever been fascinated by the strange, temporary world of a cruise or a long voyage. If you enjoy authors who explore human nature within a confined setting—like Agatha Christie on a train or a spaceship—you'll feel right at home on the Great Eastern. It's a short, smart, and utterly charming slice of 19th-century life that still feels incredibly relevant.