Penguin Island
A short-sighted old monk sails to a cold northern island and, mistaking a colony of great auks for people, baptizes them. Heaven is thrown into confusion, and the only solution is to turn the birds into human beings. From that absurd beginning Anatole France spins a mock history of Penguinia, a nation that follows the same course as France and Western Europe through the Dark Ages, the age of kings, revolution, and modern politics. The satire cuts at the church, nationalism, war, and the scandal of the Dreyfus Affair, all delivered in his cool, ironic voice. First published in 1908, it ranks among his sharpest books. This free PDF and EPUB edition uses the translation by A. W. Evans.
About the Author
Anatole France (1844-1924) was a French novelist and Nobel laureate celebrated for his irony, elegance, and skeptical wit. He was one of the most admired French writers of his era.
See all books by Anatole France →
Listen to Penguin Island Audiobook Free
Listen to Penguin Island by Anatole France free online. The full audiobook (9 hr 5 min, 62 chapters, read by Michael Sirois) streams free on this page.
Penguin Island (1908) is a public domain work.
| # | Chapter | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1-1 Life of Saint Mael | 3:30 | |
| 2 | 1-2 The Apostolical Vocation of Saint Mael | 9:43 | |
| 3 | 1-3 The Temptation of Saint Mael | 6:53 | |
| 4 | 1-4 Saint Mael's Navigation on the Ocean of Ice | 6:00 | |
| 5 | 1-5 The Baptism of the Penguins | 6:24 | |
| 6 | 1-6 An Assembly in Paradise | 18:36 | |
| 7 | 1-7 An Assembly in Paradise (Continuation and End) | 10:49 | |
| 8 | 1-8 Metamorphosis of the Penguins | 3:44 | |
| 9 | 2-01 The First Clothes | 10:51 | |
| 10 | 2-02 The First Clothes (Continuation and End) | 1:51 | |
| 11 | 2-03 Setting Bounds to the Fields and the Origin of Property | 8:38 | |
| 12 | 2-04 The First Assembly of the Estates of Penguinia | 5:29 | |
| 13 | 2-05 The Marriage of Krakken and Orberosia | 4:37 | |
| 14 | 2-06 The Dragon of Alca, pt. 1 | 5:34 | |
| 15 | 2-07 The Dragon of Alca, pt. 2 | 4:59 | |
| 16 | 2-08 The Dragon of Alca, pt. 3 | 6:07 | |
| 17 | 2-09 The Dragon of Alca, pt. 4 | 5:15 | |
| 18 | 2-10 The Dragon of Alca, pt. 5 | 6:59 | |
| 19 | 2-11 The Dragon of Alca, pt. 6 | 6:19 | |
| 20 | 2-12 The Dragon of Alca, pt. 7 | 6:03 | |
| 21 | 2-13 The Dragon of Alca, pt. 8 (end) | 4:25 | |
| 22 | 3-1 Brian the Good and Queen Glamorgan | 8:16 | |
| 23 | 3-2 Draco the Great (Translation of the Relics of St. Orberosia) | 6:56 | |
| 24 | 3-3 Queen Crucha | 6:38 | |
| 25 | 3-4 Letters: Johannes Talpa | 7:32 | |
| 26 | 3-5 The Arts: The Primitives of Penguin Painting | 11:30 | |
| 27 | 3-6 Marbodius | 26:03 | |
| 28 | 3-7 Signs in the Moon | 3:22 | |
| 29 | 4-1 Mother Roquin | 9:53 | |
| 30 | 4-2 Trinco | 6:37 | |
| 31 | 4-3 The Journey of Doctor Obnubile | 9:19 | |
| 32 | 5-1 The Reverend Fathers Agaric and Cornemuse | 15:02 | |
| 33 | 5-2 Prince Crucho | 5:52 | |
| 34 | 5-3 The Cabal | 10:04 | |
| 35 | 5-4 Viscountess Olive | 8:39 | |
| 36 | 5-5 The Prince des Boscenos | 11:17 | |
| 37 | 5-6 The Emiral's Fall | 15:09 | |
| 38 | 5-7 Conclusion | 6:59 | |
| 39 | 6-01 General Greatauk, Duke of Skull | 6:57 | |
| 40 | 6-02 Pyrot | 7:26 | |
| 41 | 6-03 Count de Maubec de la Dentdulynx | 7:40 | |
| 42 | 6-04 Columban | 6:31 | |
| 43 | 6-05 The Reverend Fathers Agaric and Cornemuse | 9:16 | |
| 44 | 6-06 The Seven Hundred Pyrotists | 9:20 | |
| 45 | 6-07 Bidault-Coquille and Maniflore, the Socialists | 12:50 | |
| 46 | 6-08 The Columban Trial | 12:05 | |
| 47 | 6-09 Father Douillard | 10:26 | |
| 48 | 6-10 Mr. Justice Chaussepied | 8:46 | |
| 49 | 6-11 Conclusion | 7:43 | |
| 50 | 7-1 Madame Clarence's Drawing-Room | 8:15 | |
| 51 | 7-2 The Charity of St. Orberosia | 8:57 | |
| 52 | 7-3 Hippolyte Ceres | 12:36 | |
| 53 | 7-4 A Politician's Marriage | 8:43 | |
| 54 | 7-5 The Visire Cabinet | 10:45 | |
| 55 | 7-6 The Sofa of the Favorite | 9:14 | |
| 56 | 7-7 The First Consequences | 7:20 | |
| 57 | 7-8 Further Consequences | 13:34 | |
| 58 | 7-9 The Final Consequences | 17:49 | |
| 59 | 8-1 The Endless History & Section 1 | 13:31 | |
| 60 | 8-2 Section 2 | 8:29 | |
| 61 | 8-3 Section 3 | 10:57 | |
| 62 | 8-4 Section 4 | 3:27 |
Prefer reading? Read Penguin Island online free or download the PDF and EPUB above.
