Plot

Argentine surgeon Salvator is engaged in biological research, one of their main topics is organ transplantation, including from one living being to another. Along the way, he provides medical assistance to the Indians living nearby. Indians revere Salvator as a god - he heals diseases and injuries that are considered hopeless. Once Salvator is brought in for treatment, a child who must inevitably die - his lungs are too weak. Fighting for the life of the child, the surgeon transplants the gills of a young shark, thanks to which the child remains alive and gets the opportunity to live under water. But in order to survive, the child must constantly observe the regime - he must spend part of the time in the water, part of the time in the air, otherwise his condition will deteriorate sharply. Realizing that the rescued cannot survive among the poor Indians, Salvator tells the child's parents that he is dead, leaves the boy with him and brings up him himself. So Ichthyander is born - the man-fish.

The action of the book begins many years later, when Ichthyander has already grown up. He lives with Salvator, swims in the ocean, where he gets out by an underwater tunnel leading from Salvator's villa. The fish-man does not go unnoticed - either he cuts the fishing net into which he accidentally fell, then fishermen or pearl divers will notice him when he swims on a dolphin and blows a shell. Along the coast, there are already rumors about a "sea devil" living in the ocean. Pearl divers are afraid to dive, fishermen are afraid to go fishing. Captain Pedro Zurita, a pearl fisherman, is annoyed by rumors at a loss, but quickly realizes that there is something real behind the rumors. He decides that the "sea devil" is an intelligent animal that would be nice to catch and use. Attempts to catch the "devil" with nets fail. Zurita soon becomes convinced that the "devil" has something to do with Salvator. Cristo, an agent of Zurita, comes to the estate disguised as the grandfather of a sick Indian girl. He gains confidence in Salvator and eventually learns about Ichthyander.

Ichthyander rescues a girl drowning in the sea - Gutiere, daughter of Balthazar, one of Zurita's henchmen. Zurita, who is nearby on the bank, finds Gutiere and assures the girl that it was he who saved her. Struck by the beauty of Gutiere, Ichthyander wants to see her again, but he does not know life on the shore at all. With the help of Christo, he makes several exits to the city, finds a girl, meets with her. Gutierre has a lover, but she has a liking for a strange, handsome youth. But in the end, Zurita, richer and more powerful, marries Gutiere and takes him to his estate. Ichthyander goes after the girl, but as a result he himself gets to Zurita. He is first forced to get pearls, chained to a long chain, and then sent, allegedly at the request of Gutiere, to collect valuables from a recently sunken ship. Once free, Ichthyander flees.

Balthazar learns that Ichthyander is his son, who many years ago was taken for treatment to Salvator. He wants to get his son back to him, and he submits a complaint to the prosecutor. Zurita also appeals to the prosecutor at the same time. Local church leaders also oppose Salvator, accusing him of blasphemous experiments. The police take Salvator and Ichthyander into custody.

In court, Salvator tells the story of Ichthyander. He is sentenced, and on Ichthyander, who was recognized, because of his unfamiliarity with the realities of life, insane, receives the custody rights of Zurita. Thanks to the assistance of the professor's friends and one of the jailers, whose wife Salvator once saved his life, Ichthyander is organized an escape - he will go by sea to a distant island, to one of Salvator's friends.

Screen adaptations

1. - Sea Devil TV series based on the novel "Amphibian Man"
2. - Amphibian Man 2

see also

Links

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

See what "Amphibian Man (novel)" is in other dictionaries:

Amphibian Man: Amphibian Man (novel) the famous science fiction novel by A. R. Belyaev; Films based on this novel: Amphibian Man (film, 1961); Amphibian Man (film, 2005). Amphibian man (cartoon) ... Wikipedia

Amphibian Man: Amphibian Man (novel) the famous science fiction novel by A. R. Belyaev; Films based on this novel: Amphibian Man (film, 1961); Amphibian Man (film, 2005) ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Amphibian man (disambiguation). Amphibian man ... Wikipedia

This term has other meanings, see Lord of the World (disambiguation). Master of the World Genre: Science Fiction

This term has other meanings, see Ariel (disambiguation). Ariel ... Wikipedia

DESCRIPTION PRIZES INTERESTING FACTS PLOT REVIEWS REVIEWS

Once the talented scientist Dr. Salvator saved the life of a little boy by transplanting shark gills. From that day on, Ichthyander, as the scientist named his adopted son, could swim under water like a fish, dive to any depth, but it was hard for him to be on land for a long time ... Years later, rumors of a strange creature that was terrifying spread throughout the quiet sea city on all fishermen, o "sea devil". At the same time, a young man appears in the city who communicates little with people and swims beautifully. He meets the daughter of a poor pearl diver, the beautiful Gutierre, and falls in love with her without memory ...

The distant southern country is thrilled by the appearance in the coastal waters of a mysterious silvery creature, which rumor has dubbed "the sea devil." The owner of the pearl schooner, the cruel and domineering Don Pedro Zurita (Mikhail Kozakov), decides to hunt down and capture this creature. Meanwhile, his bride, the beautiful Gutiere, meets a strange young man named Ichthyander ... Such is the plot of this brilliant romantic drama based on the fantasy novel by Alexander Belyaev "The Amphibian Man". This film is one of the highest grossing films in the history of Soviet cinema, a film that can be watched over and over again. Large-scale underwater shooting, unique for its time, confident, exciting music and songs by composer Andrey Petrov, excellent work of artists, first-class acting ensemble - these are far from all the advantages of this picture. And young actors Vladimir Korenev (Ichthyander) and Anastasia Vertinskaya (Gutiere) became idols of several generations of Russian viewers - in fact, the first "sex symbols" of the sixties ...

PRIZES AND AWARDS

MF SCIENCE FANTASTIC FILMS IN TRIESTA, 1962
Winner: Silver Sail Prize.

INTERESTING FACTS

Amphibian Man is a science fiction novel about a man who can live underwater, written by Alexander Belyaev in 1927. The novel was first published in 1928 in the magazine Around the World. Two separate editions - in the same 1928 in the publishing house "Zemlya i Fabrika". Plot Sources: French feuilleton novel "A Man Who Can Live in Water" by Jean de la Ira, published by the newspaper "Le Matin" (Paris) from July to September 1909. The main character the Jesuit Fulbert, dreaming of power over the world, transplants the gills of a young shark that replace one lung to the little Giktaner and instills hatred for the entire human race. The grown-up Giktaner sinks entire squadrons, and his mentor issues ultimatums to the world community. This continues until Giktaner falls in love with Moisetta, who reveals to him the existence of God. The amphibian man leaves Fulbert's subordination, performs an operation to remove gills in Paris, and then moves to live in Tahiti with Moisetta. Russian novel "Fish Man" by an anonymous author, based on the text of Jean de la Ira, published in the St. Petersburg newspaper "Zemshchina" in the fall of 1909. In the Russian remake, the main storylines French original, however, Fulbert becomes a Jew and tries to subjugate the world to international Jewry in order to "enslave the human race." Literary critic MN Zolotonosov, who pointed to these sources in 2003, believes that the novel “The Fish Man” became a direct model for Belyaev: it was reworked “in the Soviet way” and received a humanistic sound instead of an anti-Semitic one. Screen adaptations: 1961 - “The Amphibian Man; 2004 - “Sea Devil (TV series based on the novel); 2009 - "Amphibian Man 2".
The text of the novel "Amphibian Man" - http://lib.ru/RUFANT/BELAEW/man-amhp.txt.
The Americans wanted to film A. Belyaev's novel back in the late 1940s. But they quickly abandoned this idea, since they did not yet have the experience of large-scale deep-sea filming. Nor did Soviet filmmakers have it in the early 1960s. True, the director Vladimir Chebotarev and cameraman Eduard Rozovsky (later the third participant, director Gennady Kazansky will join this tandem) was not stopped by this circumstance. When the Americans found out about this, an article even appeared in The New York Times, where the future Soviet filmmakers were openly ridiculed and predicted a complete failure. The publication noted that Walt Disney himself refused to film Belyaev's novel due to the complexity of underwater filming, and the Russians, who work on antediluvian technology, decided to challenge fate.
The script for the film "Amphibian Man" was in the "Lenfilm" studio for several years. Nobody wanted to take on filming due to technical difficulties. Director Vladimir Chebotarev by that time already had experience in popular science cinema, where he conducted underwater filming. He had the idea that actors can scuba dive, then, having disconnected the cylinder and the mouthpiece, go into free swimming. Thus, the operator has about a minute to shoot the next take.
Famous sports diver Rem Stukalov acted as a film consultant and, subsequently, a stuntman.
The story of the creation of the "Amphibian Man" in itself is worthy of a separate fascinating scenario. In order to work under water, Anastasia Vertinskaya and Vladimir Korenev worked with a trainer in the pool of the Institute of Physical Education for six months. Filming took place in Crimea, in Laspi Bay with enough clear water... An old fishing schooner was bought and a dolphin enclosure was set up.
In addition, part of the filming was carried out in the Crimean village of Kastropol under the slope of the Iphigenia rock and in the city of Baku (Azerbaijan), where they filmed the "land" part of a foreign town - houses and streets.
The film crew was more than once exposed to danger due to the difficulty of working underwater. In the episode, when Ichthyander sinks under the water on a chain, the sailor did not follow her, let go of her, and a multi-meter iron chain almost dragged Vladimir Korenev to the bottom, but, fortunately, he was backed up. When the shooting dragged on until October, Korenev worked for a long time in cold water at a depth of 20 meters. And during short breaks, he sat on the shore, wrapped in a fur coat, and warmed himself with hot coffee.
There was another dangerous episode - the scene when Ichthyander is hidden from Salvator under water, tied to an anchor. The episode was filmed at a depth of 20 meters, in the pause Korenev was given a scuba mouthpiece, but it did not work. Rem Stukalov, who was nearby, dumps his scuba gear and gives it to the actor, while he himself pops up without stopping. The fact that Stukalov eventually developed decompression sickness, Korenev was told only after the end of filming.
Sixteen-year-old Vertinskaya amazed the entire film crew with her fearlessness. She worked out quite dangerous scenes without an understudy. For example, in order to slowly sink to the bottom and lie there for a few seconds, Anastasia put on a heavy lead belt. In this lengthy scene, she was only given scuba gear once to take a couple of breaths.
By the way, actors for the main roles in "Amphibian Man" were searched for a long time - all over The Soviet Union... The director of the film, Vladimir Chebotarev, gave the assistants a task: Gutiere must have the sky in his eyes, and Ichthyander must have the sea. Vladimir Korenev was invited to audition after watching a student performance at GITIS. He attracted the attention of the director with his intelligence and striking blue eyes. Maybe this is a coincidence, but the sea was not only in the eyes, but also, one might say, in the blood of the actor who played the first inhabitant of the underwater republic. Vladimir Korenev was born in Sevastopol, and even in the family of a military sailor.
The truck on which Ichthyandra is taken away is the Czechoslovak Skoda-706 RT, which in the 60s in the USSR was popular among drivers.
Differences from the book: In the film, Dr. Salvator is more of a scientist than a medic; The film lacks a storyline with the relationship between Balthazar and Ichthyander, Ichthyander is the son of Salvator; Unlike the book in the film, Zurita is killed, there is no marriage between Gutierre and Olsen; In the book for Ichthyander there is a hope of recovery, in the film he is doomed to live in water; In the film, the further fate of Salvator is unknown; In the book, Ichthyander's escape from prison takes place in a barrel in which they brought water for him, in the film - on a truck; A noticeable discrepancy in the timing of the events in the film and the book.
The music for the film was written by a young Leningrad composer Andrei Petrov. This was his first work in big cinema, and the film owes a lot to the music of Petrov for its phenomenal success, not counting the participation of young brilliant actors.
According to those involved in the creation of the film, Nonna Sukhanova, who sang the song "Sailor" off-screen, performed it on the set nine times before the composer liked the result. And only when her voice began to sound hoarse from tension, the last, ninth version entered the film.
Leningrad singer Nonna Sukhanova (born April 2, 1934) told Smena how the song was created. Despite the fact that Nonna Sukhanova is already 75 years old, she still sings beautifully and recalls with pleasure a cheerful song about a sailor and a sea devil. - I must say right away that no casting, as it is now customary to call it, was not carried out, - Nonna Sergeevna says proudly. - Andrey Pavlovich Petrov immediately approved me. He liked how I sing, and even if something didn't work out, he always supported me. Sukhanova admits that when she read the lyrics for the first time, he made a bad impression on her. - At first, the song seemed to me, to be honest, very stupid, - the singer admits. - Well, what are these words: “Now I like the sea devil. I want to love him! " - stupidity, and nothing more. But then I changed my mind. The artist says that the song was recorded in record time: in twenty (!) Minutes. However, the conditions in which the recording took place looked more like ... the military. “We recorded the song in a huge hangar where twenty Boeings could fit,” recalls Nonna Sergeevna. - Besides, you yourself understand what audibility was in the hangar! When I sang, I had the feeling that I was in a huge barrel. The conditions for recording were terrible: instead of modern technology, they gave me an antediluvian microphone of 1946! By the way, few people know, but in the original version there were not two verses in the song, but three. For some unknown reason, one of them was cut out. They paid pennies for the performance of the hit. The actors who starred in the movie "Amphibian Man" received high fees. Everyone except Sukhanova. - For the performance of the song I was paid only 9 rubles - just tears in comparison with the salaries of the actors. But I could not get this small fee either. The fact is that, having recorded the song, I went on tour, and my mother came to the box office for money.
Alexander Nikolaevich Pozdnyakov, film expert, editor of the Lenfilm film studio, lover and connoisseur of jazz: "Yes. This is boogie-woogie ... The free world reigned on the screen, shone with neon advertising ... tanned people in white pants, as in the dreams of Ostap Bender Filmed in Baku, in some small cafe. The jazz singer Nonna Sukhanova sang behind the scenes, she, by the way, lives in St. to the bottom ", get drunk, forget, run away. And it was this song that I liked the most! The country began to sing! It penetrated into all the pores, it was recorded and rewritten. It was forbidden, but they sang in all restaurants. You can't forbid the singing of birds, the murmur of the brook , the sound of falling water ... It's impossible to censor! And clever film editors missed! Solomon Fongelson wrote the lyrics, and the editor argued that this song was written specifically for contrast: the eerie world of cash is opposed to the life of the naive Ichthyander. people subconsciously understood that the truth was behind this music, this song ... "
Lyrics. "Fisherman" (music: Andrey Petrov; lyrics: Yulia Drunina): The fisherman is leaving on his dangerous journey. “Goodbye,” he says to his wife. Maybe he will have to rest, Falling asleep on the sandy bottom. The fisherman will cast a glance at the shore, Swarthy will wave his hand ... If the fisherman did not come back, He found peace in the sea. Chorus: Better to lie in the haze, In the blue cool haze, Than to suffer on the harsh, Cruel cursed land. The water will rustle, Years will fly, And Black cities will hide in white mists. The fisherwoman will cry, falling on her face. The fisherman could not explain, That there is no need to cry, that he chose the Best of the roads. Let the orphans forgive him, The way they have is such, If the fisherman did not come back, He found peace in the sea. Chorus.; “Sailor” (music: Andrey Petrov; lyrics: Solomon Fogelson): We would, we would, we would, we would all be at the bottom. There would be, there would be, there would be, there would be to drink wine. There under the ocean We are sober or drunk - Can't see it all the same. Hey sailor, you've been sailing too long. I managed to forget you. I like the sea devil now. I want to love him. Remove from the anchor, stand in places. Hey, on rumba, rumba, rumba keep it up! Let's take a barrel of rum to the sea devil, He will not resist. Hey sailor, you've been sailing too long. I managed to forget you. I like the sea devil now. I want to love him.
Premiere: January 3, 1962.
Leader of the box office (1962, 1st place) - 65.5 million viewers.
Ranked 11th in attendance among domestic films in the history of Soviet film distribution.
In 1962, the film "Amphibian Man" triumphantly played across the screens of the USSR. It was with him in Soviet cinema that the countdown of films that managed to cross the 60 million mark began. Previously, the ceiling was considered a record of 48 million 640 thousand viewers - this record was set in 1956 by Eldar Ryazanov's comedy "Carnival Night". Such a success of "Amphibian Man" is not accidental - the record-breaking film was created in order not only to shake the imagination of the Soviet viewer, but not less than to surpass Hollywood. This thesis quite fit into the concept of the then Secretary General Nikita Khrushchev - to catch up and overtake America.
In all the cities where the tape was shown, there was a stir: tickets for all the sessions were sold out in a few days. The performer of the role of Ichthyander Vladimir Korenev instantly turned into a national idol. He recalled: "After the release of the film, my popularity among women was simply incredible, suffice it to say, for example, that the entire staircase up to the sixth floor was painted with lipstick. I had to make repairs at my own expense. I received a huge number of letters: about ten thousand. Answering them, even reading them, was simply impossible, I put them in a box from the refrigerator. " And the men tried their best to imitate Korenev's hero. Hairstyles a la Ichthyander and white trousers came into vogue.
"Amphibian Man" became a symbol of the thaw for both physicists and lyricists. It was a hymn to the romance of the 60s, praising sultry beaches, great love, youth and technological progress. It is no coincidence that the film became the leader of the box office in '62. Because of this, the Minister of Culture Yekaterina Furtseva called the painting "a gift to the Ministry of Finance."
In the competition of the magazine "Soviet Screen" (1962), viewers named the film among the 5 best films of the year, A. Vertinskaya and V. Korenev were among the five best actors of the year.
"All 45 years we have been living in an atmosphere of love for our film of millions of viewers," said Vladimir Korenev, the performer of the role of an amphibian man, People's Artist of Russia. According to him, the success of the film is always unpredictable, "but here there was every reason to hope, here all the stars met happily." Korenev explained that the components of the film's success - both the literary basis - are the novel by Alexander Belyaev, and the work of director Vladimir Chebotarev, composer Andrei Petrov. "A brilliant cameraman Eduard Rozovsky worked on the film, who has shot more than 80 films in his life, including another legend -" White Sun of the Desert. "Razovsky was the first to master and superbly conduct unique underwater shooting," he said. "I'm not even talking about the wonderful cast: first of all, it is the great actor Nikolai Simonov, Vladlen Davydov, Mikhail Kozakov, Anastasia Vertinskaya and others. These are not just high-class professionals, but also significant personalities, real stars," said Korenev. When asked what difficulties he experienced playing the role of an amphibious man, Korenev noted: "All the difficulties and difficulties were then only a joy to me. This was my first film work after graduating from theatrical institute. I was 20 years old and I was happy, that I got into such an outstanding company. " (December 19, 2006)
Interview with the filmmakers - http://videodive.ru/diving/amfibia.shtml.
A. V. Fedorov "Analysis of the cultural mythology of the media text on the example of A. Belyaev's story" The Amphibian Man "(1927) and its adaptation (1961)" - http://kino-teatr.ru/kino/art/kino/667/ ...
Alexander Fedorov. "Is the bitter truth better than any lie?" - http://kino-teatr.ru/kino/art/kino/303/.
Lydia Clement and Nonna Sukhanova - http://marie-olshansky.ru/muz/klement.shtml.
Korenev Vladimir Borisovich. Born June 20, 1940 in Sevastopol, in the family of a military sailor. The father was constantly moved through the service, and the family followed him. So Vladimir Korenev ended up in the city of Izmail, where he studied at school for several years. Graduated from the State Institute of Theater Arts (1961, workshop of O. N. Androvskaya). Since 1961 - an actor of the Moscow Academic Drama Theater named after V.I. K. S. Stanislavsky. People's Artist of Russia (1998).
Vertinskaya Anastasia Aleksandrovna Born on December 19, 1944 in Moscow. Her father, Vertinsky Alexander Nikolaevich (1889-1957), a great Russian chansonnier, composer, poet, film actor, one of the founders of the Russian art song genre. Mother - Vertinskaya (Tsirgvava) Lidia Vladimirovna, artist and actress. In 1962, the actress was admitted to the troupe of the Moscow Theater. Pushkin. In 1967 she graduated from the Theater School. B.V.Schukin. In 1967-1968 she was an actress of the theater named after I. Evgenia Vakhtangova, since 1968 - an actress of the Sovremennik Theater, later played in the Taganka Drama and Comedy Theater, the Moscow Art Theater (1980-1989). The 15-year-old Anastasia got into the cinema thanks to the director Alexander Ptushko - it was he who invited her to star in the role of Assol in the film adaptation of Scarlet Sails. The film, which appeared on the screens of the country in 1961 and won a huge audience success, immediately made the young actress a celebrity. But already next year, a new successful role - Gutierrez in the fantastic film by Gennady Kazansky and Vladimir Chebotarev "Amphibian Man", staged based on the book by Alexander Belyaev. One of Anastasia Vertinskaya's best films was the role of Ophelia in Hamlet, a well-known adaptation of Shakespeare's play by Grigory Kozintsev. The actress continued to play successfully in films and on television, the role of Liza Bolkonskaya in Sergei Bondarchuk's epic War and Peace (1966-1967, the film won the Academy Award) and the role of Kitty in the film Anna Karenina (1968 ). "Anna Karenina" was followed by pictures: "Lovers", "Do not cry!" (directed by Georgy Danelia, based on the novel by French writer Claude Tillier "My Uncle Benjamin"), "The Case of Polynin" (after the story of Konstantin Simonov), "The Premature Man" (directed by Abram Room, after the unfinished story of Maxim Gorky "Yakov Bogomolov"), "A man in his place" ... Almost simultaneously with the work in the film based on the story of Maxim Gorky, Anastasia Vertinskaya starred in the film based on Schwartz's fairy tale "Shadow". In 1978, Mikhail Kozakov shot the television film "The Nameless Star" based on the play of the same name by the Romanian writer Mikhail Sebastian with Anastasia Vertinskaya in starring... Among the notable works of Anastasia Vertinskaya - "Thirst for Passion" by Andrei Kharitonov, "In the city of Sochi dark nights"Vasily Pichula, Margarita in the film" The Master and Margarita "(1994, directed by Yuri Kara), which has not yet been released on the screens, based on the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov and the Atamansh in the film" The Bremen Town Musicians "by Alexander Abdulov (1999). Both on the screen and on the stage Anastasia Vertinskaya embodies the images of literary heroines from the works of the most different forms and genres composed by writers of various eras and trends. She is an actress of refined psychological depth and, according to the outstanding director Anatoly Efros, "she is so physically natural and has such exquisite acting grace that it sometimes seems incredible." For a number of years, together with Alexander Kalyagin, the actress taught acting at Oxford, in Paris (with the Comédie Française, at the Chekhov School), and in Switzerland (at the European film school). On the stage of the Parisian theater "Nanterre des Amandiers", together with the students, they staged the play "Chekhov. Act III", which included the third acts from "Uncle Vanya", "Three Sisters" and "The Cherry Orchard". In 1991, she created and heads the Charitable Foundation for Russian Actors (since 1996 - the Charitable Foundation for Actors). A. Vertinskaya was the author of the TV programs "Golden Section" and "Other Coast" (ORT channel). In 1989, Russian viewers were able to see her extraordinary performance of the role of her father in the play Mirage, or the Road of Russian Pierrot, conceived and staged by herself, timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Alexander Vertinsky. The play was written by Anastasia Vertinskaya based on her father's book of memoirs. Awarded: the Order of Honor (2005); Order of Friendship (2010). The last role in the theater was in the play "Imago" directed by Nina Chusova. Anastasia Vertinskaya has not acted in films or in the theater for several years. The actress unexpectedly started cooking in the restaurants of her son, Stepan Mikhalkov. She supervises the work of chefs in three by no means the last Moscow establishments. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1988).

PLOT

Fishermen and pearl divers in Buenos Aires are frightened - a mysterious "sea devil" has appeared in the sea. However, the cold-blooded businessman - the owner of the pearl divers' cooperative Pedro Zurita - decides to catch the mysterious creature and adapt it to the case. He begins to patrol the bay, hoping to track down the "devil". The lung-breathing man with shark gills is a young man named Ichthyander - the result of Dr. Salvator's daring experiments with organ transplants. Ichthyander is poorly acquainted with people and civilization - he grew up in his father's house and in the sea, his friends are dolphins. Once Ichthyander saw a girl falling overboard and drowning and saved her from death. This fleeting meeting changes the life of a young man. He first enters the city and finds there the charming Gutiere, who does not know who her real savior is. Feelings arise between young people. However, the girl's father, Balthazar, insists that she marry Zurita of convenience. Gutiere resists. After several attempts, Zurita was finally able to catch the "sea devil" and put him on a chain in a barrel of water. But Gutiere helps Ichthyander escape. Due to the fact that he stayed in the air and in stagnant water for too long, Ichthyander's health deteriorated, and now he will no longer be able to leave the sea.

Indeed, neither before nor after in Soviet cinema there was nothing like this. Even today, in the age of computer technology, unfortunately none of the filmmakers working in the genre of adventure or science fiction films can "reach" the bar that this film "set". "Abroad" is shown so reliably that, I am sure, many of today's young viewers do not doubt that "The Amphibian Man" was filmed in one of the countries of Latin America. And if you add here the brilliant performance of Korenev, Kozakov, Vertinskaya, Simonov and others, then you get such a "bouquet" that today's directors have only to dream of. But at one time the film was subjected to razor-sharp criticism, which reproached him for "lightness" and "lack of ideology"! (Igor. Ru, Krasnoyarsk)

Truly fabulous, sometimes it seems like a true love story. I learned about this amazing story thanks to my mother, who advised me to first read and then watch this film adaptation. The film makes you truly believe in the existence of pure, bright love and true friendship. To be honest, I didn’t particularly like Soviet films, except for film masterpieces shot by the great Gaidai. But this film changed my opinion, and I decided to turn my attention to the work of Soviet directors. And I did not lose! The main characters are so gorgeous and beautiful that, in my opinion, they cannot be compared with the best and most beautiful Hollywood stars... But only one thing is depressing - this role turned out to be fatal for Korenev. After this film, he became an actor "one role". He rarely starred, although he was popular. in this regard, Vertinskaya was more fortunate - in "Scarlet Sails" and "Lovers" she is still beautiful and sweet. Let us not talk about sad things! (Kalcifer)

One of the most beautiful and touching love films, I saw it for the first time as a child and since then I have not tired of watching it. This picture is based on a really unusual plot. Ichthyander, a young man who, as a result of complex operations, can live both on land and under water. He is happy, he has the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful underwater world, his friends are dolphins, he has a loving and beloved father. But everything changes when he saves the beautiful Gutiere from death. Excellent acting work. Vladimir Korenev and Anastasia Vertinskaya are so young and incredibly beautiful in this film, their love story can touch even the most callous heart, but from the very first minutes you feel a persistent dislike for the hero of Mikhail Kozakov, which only intensifies later. And as shown here undersea world, it is impossible not to fall in love with this wonderful country. "Amphibian Man" is a wonderful film and if you see it at least once, you will watch it again and again. (Madolyn)

Let's take a look at a popular science fiction novel written in 1927. Your attention is offered it summary... "The Amphibian Man" is a work by Alexander Belyaev, which has been repeatedly filmed. And this is not surprising - its plot is really interesting.

So, we begin to describe the summary. The amphibian man is the protagonist of the novel. However, at the beginning of the work, no one can understand what kind of monster lives in the sea. For some time now, rumors about the appearance of the Sea Devil began to spread throughout the town. It was as if he caused a lot of troubles - he threw fish out of boats, cut the nets. But he was also rumored to have saved someone from a shark. The newspapers wrote about this monster. In the end, they decided to organize a scientific expedition, which proved that he does not exist. However, the superstitious Indians and Spaniards were not dissuaded by the expedition's assurances. They were still afraid to go to sea. The catches of fish and pearls have decreased.

Pedro Zurita's plan

This situation undermined the plans of the owner of the schooner "Meduza" Pedro Zurita. He soon had an idea: to catch the monster and make him get pearls for himself from the bottom of the sea. Zurita became convinced for himself that the Sea Devil is sane. He heard this monster screaming in a human voice while riding a dolphin.

The wire net was built by order of Zurita. It was installed at the entrance to the underwater tunnel. The Sea Devil often comes here, as divers found out. However, they failed to catch him. When the net was pulled out, the "devil" cut the wire with a sharp knife and fell out into the water through the hole.

However, Zurito was single-minded and was not in the mood to back down. Reflecting on the Sea Devil, he concluded that on the shore, by the underwater tunnel, there is another exit.

House of Dr. Salvator

A huge house with a high fence stood not far from the shore. It was home to Dr. Salvator, a healer who was known to the whole neighborhood. And Zurita decided that the riddle of the Sea Devil could be solved only by being in his house. However, Pedro, despite the fact that he pretended to be sick, was not allowed to see the doctor. Nevertheless, the Spaniard did not change his plans.

Christo goes to Salvator

A few days later an elderly Indian stood at the gate of Salvator's house, holding a sick girl in his arms. It was Christo who agreed to comply with Zurita's request. They let him in, the servant took the child from him and told him to come back in a month. When he appeared, the servant returned the absolutely healthy girl to him. And although she was not his granddaughter at all, he began to kiss her and threw himself on his knees in front of the doctor, saying that he was very much obliged to him. Cristo asked Salvator to take him as a servant. The doctor rarely hired new servants, but there was a lot of work, and he agreed. In Salvator's garden, many things surprised and frightened the Indian. There were rats and sheep, fused on their sides, barking like dogs, spotted jaguars. Snakes with fish heads and fish with frog paws swam in the pond. However, Christo did not see the Sea Devil.

Who the Sea Devil really turned out to be

More than a month has passed. The Indian noticed that the doctor trusted him more and more. And then one day he introduced Christo to the Sea Devil. It turned out that this is an ordinary young man with the ability to stay under water for a long time. Apparently, he was nicknamed the devil because of his strange outfit: a suit that fits the body, fins, gloves with membranes and huge glasses. The amphibian man was called Ichthyander. The world in which he lived was much more interesting and fascinating than the terrestrial one. The young man had friends under water - dolphins. An amphibian man especially became attached to Liding, one of them. Unfortunately, a very brief summary does not imply a detailed description of their relationship.

Ichthyander is looking for a girl

Ichthyander once noticed a girl tied to a board and dying. The young man pulled her ashore, after which he disappeared. Then some mustachioed gentleman ran up to the girl and began to convince her that it was he who saved her. And Ichthyander fell in love with this stranger. He told about her and Cristo. The Indian invited him to go to the city - there are many girls, perhaps among them there is also a beautiful stranger.

Christo and Ichthyander set off for the city on the appointed day. This episode continues his novel, Alexander Belyaev ("Amphibian Man"). Its summary is as follows. Cristo wanted to lead the young man to Balthazar, his brother, where Pedro Zurita would be waiting for them. However, in the house of Balthazar, they found only his adopted daughter Gutiere. Seeing her, Ichthyander ran out and disappeared. The sly Indian guessed that this was the stranger who was once saved by Ichthyander.

The sea devil pulls the necklace from the bottom of the sea

Are you curious to know how the summary of the story "The Amphibian Man" continues (although it is wrong to call it a story, because it is a full-fledged novel)? Then the plot becomes more interesting. Two weeks passed. Swimming in the bay, Ichthyander once again saw Gutiere. The girl talked to the young man, after which she took off the pearl necklace and handed it to him. Suddenly the necklace slipped from Gutiere's hands and fell into the water. The bay was very deep, and it was impossible to reach it from the bottom. Ichthyander, who managed to get out of the water and put on a suit, ran to Gutiere. He said that he would try to help her and rushed into the bay. She was very scared for Ichthyander Gutierre and her companion. They decided that the young man must have already drowned. However, he soon appeared out of the water and gave the pearls to Gutiere.

Meetings of Ichthyander and Gutiere

It is imperative to tell about the relationship between Ichthyander and Gutiere, retelling the novel "Amphibian Man". The chapter summary would be incomplete without this important storyline. After their meeting, described above, Ichthyander sailed to the shore every evening. He changed into a suit hidden here and then waited for the girl. Together they walked every day. The young man realized more and more that he loved Gutierre. One day they met Olsen, a young man to whom the girl was going to give her pearls. Due to feelings of jealousy, Ichthyander decided to confess his love to Gutiere. However, at this time, a rider, Pedro Zurita, appeared. He scolded her for the fact that she, being the bride of one, walks with another. Ichthyander, hearing these words, ran to the shore and disappeared into the water. Gutierre turned pale, and Pedro Zurita laughed. The girl decided that now Ichthyander really died.

Gutierre is getting married

What events does AR Belyaev ("Amphibian Man") further acquaint us with? The summary we have compiled contains a description of the most important ones. The sea devil, of course, not drowned, did not stop thinking about his beloved, but now with bitterness. He once saw Olsen underwater among pearl seekers. Ichthyander went to him, which frightened him and the other swimmers. Olsen and Ichthyander were already talking in a few minutes, sitting in the boat. Olsen realized that Ichthyander and the Sea Devil are one and the same person. He told the amphibian man about the events that had taken place. Gutiere was now married to Zurita, the owner of the schooner. She was unsympathetic to her husband. The girl married him only because she thought that Ichthyander had died. She was now living on Zurita's hacienda.

Massacre of Ichthyander

The locals were perplexed by a strange young man dressed in a rumpled suit. A robbery was committed in one of the haciendas at that time. Ichthyander was suspected of him. However, the young man managed to escape in handcuffs. He came at night to the house of Gutiere. Ichthyander began to call the girl, but suddenly fell, feeling pain. His shovel hit Pedro Zurita, who did not like the "convict" who came to his wife. After that, the body was thrown into a pond. The girl could not sleep at night, and she decided to go out into the yard. Here she saw a bloody path leading to the pond. When Gutiere approached the pond, Ichthyander emerged from the water. The girl was frightened, believing that there was a drowned man in front of her, but the young man explained who he was.

Ichthyander pulls out pearls for Zurita

Zurita overheard their conversation. He promised to hand over Ichthyander to the police or release him, but only if the young man gets a lot of pearls for Zurita from the bottom of the sea. This is how Ichthyander ended up on Meduza. He was put on a long chain and then released into the sea.

The first catch brought Zurita a fortune. A wave of excitement swept through the schooner. And the next morning Zurita released him into the sea without a chain. According to the agreement, Ichthyander was to investigate the ship that had sunk recently and bring what was found to Zurita. When the Sea Devil disappeared underwater, the team attacked Zurita as his wealth made them envy. Zurita found himself in a hopeless position when he noticed that the boat was approaching the schooner. Dr. Salvator was in it. Zurita immediately jumped into the boat and headed for the shore. Having examined the schooner, Salvator did not find Ichthyander.

The process of the doctor

Soon, with the help of Balthazar, Christo and Zurita, they organized a trial against the doctor. The animals from his garden were examined by numerous commissions. However, the main proof of the terrible experiments conducted by Salvator was Ichthyander. He was now kept in a cell, in a barrel of water. The water was rarely changed, and the young man practically died. The trial did not break Dr. Salvator - he continued to write even in the cell, and once operated on the wife of the chief of the prison. But then the trial took place, in which the doctor was brought against many charges.

Rescue Ichthyander

The novel created by Belyaev ("The Amphibian Man") is already approaching its finale. The summary continues with the fact that Salvator saw Ichthyander at night after the trial. The fact is that the head of the prison allowed the doctor to escape, but Salvator asked not to let him leave the prison, but Ichthyander. The water carrier took part in the conspiracy, and it was he who took the Sea Devil out of the prison in a barrel of water. The young man now had to make a long journey to South America, where the doctor's friend lived.

How does the summary end? The amphibian man was forgotten by everyone a few years later, no one remembered the Sea Devil anymore. Salvator was released from prison, Gutiere divorced her husband and then married Olsen.

We have outlined the plot of the novel, composing a summary. "Amphibian Man" is an interesting and fascinating work, so we advise you to read it in the original. You will find many interesting details in the text. Russian Jules Verne is called a writer like Alexander Belyaev. "Amphibian Man", a summary of which was presented above, is not his only work. This author has written 13 novels, many of which are also very interesting.

Collegiate YouTube

1 / 2

✪ AMPHIBIAN Human. Alexander Belyaev

✪ A. Belyaev. Amphibian man (part 1)

Subtitles

Friends, if you do not have the opportunity to read the science fiction novel by Alexander Belyaev "Amphibian Man", watch this video. This is a story about a guy who could live underwater. Belyaev wrote the novel in 1927. Events take place in the same period somewhere in South America. In Argentina. So ... Imagine the sultry night of the Argentine summer. The schooner "Medusa" was at anchor. It was quiet around. Pearl divers lay on deck. They slept after a hard day at work. At night the old Indian Balthazar was on watch. He was mate to the captain and owner of the schooner Pedro Zurita. And in his youth, Balthazar was one of the best pearl divers. His left leg was disfigured by a shark. In Buenos Aires, he had a shop where he traded in pearls, corals, shells. But on the shore, Balthazar was bored - he was drawn to the sea. He knew the bay best of all, the places where pearl shells might be. He was respected. He told young hunters how to hold their breath, how to escape from sharks and how to hide pearls. Balthazar fell asleep. But his hearing picked up all the extraneous noises. Suddenly he heard the sound of a trumpet and the voice of a guy. The Indian woke up. Other catchers also asked for it. They were scared. Everyone knew who it was. Here he was called the Sea Devil. The sleepy owner Pedro Zurita came out on deck. Balthazar told him to get out of here. Zurita did not want to wean, but the Indians insisted. He promised them to sail in the morning. Zurita did not believe in the Sea Devil. Nobody saw him, but they talked a lot about him. He hurt some, he helped others. The Indians considered him a sea god, Catholic priests - a sea devil. Now the Devil was blamed for all the shoals in the sea: for torn nets, for sunken schooners. Others said that he threw fish to fishermen and rescued drowning people. Still, people were mostly afraid. Therefore, they began to go out to sea less often. Local authorities tried to find the Devil, but to no avail. Scientists and police have concluded that this is all the tricks of some troll. The next morning, it turned out that the boats left for the night by the schooner were untied. They swam in the ocean. Zurita ordered the Indians to jump into the water and collect the boats. They refused. Zurita pulled out a revolver. Then Balthazar, in order to calm everyone, jumped into the sea and swam to the boat. He said that someone cut the rope. A little later, the catchers got to work. They dived from boats into the water. One Indian saw the Devil under the water. When he came to, he told the other guys that under water he saw a big shark swimming on him. And the Devil appeared next to her. With large eyes and paws, like a frog, with shiny scales and a tail instead of legs. So he killed the shark. Zurita decided that the Indian had invented all this out of fright. “But someone killed the shark. Strange, ”thought Zurita. Suddenly the sound of a trumpet was heard near the rocks. Everyone looked there. On one dolphin, like a rider, the Sea Devil swam. He had the body of a man, it was shimmery with silver. He also gave a command to the dolphin in Spanish. Seeing people, he disappeared into the water. Zurita went to his cabin. So he exists, he mused. - The devil speaks Spanish, so you can talk to him, and he feels good both on land and in the water ... But what if you catch him, tame him and make him look for pearls? And this is the idea. After all, then I will become the richest man in Argentina. " Zurita told the whole team to keep their mouths shut and not tell anyone about the Devil. Otherwise they will go to jail. Zurita only told Balthazar about his plan. He agreed to help. Zurita said that the Devil keeps the coast. So we need to find his lair. He told Balthazar to find brave guys to catch the Devil. The Indian found 5 daredevils, bought nets. Everything was ready for the hunt. For two weeks Zurita and the guys were waiting for the Devil to appear. Zurita was nervous. But at last the Devil appeared. The Indians watched the rocks and saw the place where the Devil was swimming. Balthazar sank to the bottom near the place to look around. He saw the passage to the cave and said that only there the Devil could dwell. Zurita decided to spread wire nets in this place. At night, someone heavy hit the net. The guys pulled the net in which the Devil fluttered. But he managed to cut the net with a knife. “He's got a cool knife,” Balthazar said. - Cuts the wire. Zurita was upset, of course. But he didn’t give up. He was determined to catch the Devil anyway. Zurita put many wire fences, nets, traps at the bottom of the bay. The fish came across, but the Devil did not. Zurita decided that he had to go down to his lair himself. He told Balthazar to go to town and bring back two diving suits with oxygen and flashlights. The next day, Zurita and Balthazar sank to the bottom in diving suits. It was very dark. They swam towards the cave. Inside it, they saw an iron grate that blocked the way. It was closed. "Hmmm ... The devil is smart," thought Zurita. - I tamed the dolphin, put the grate. Probably he can live on land too. After all, you cannot make the same grating under water. " The guys went up to the surface. Zurita suggested that the entrance to the cave could also be from the shore. We decided to look around. We saw some kind of huge wall with an iron door, behind it there was a fortress. The guys have been waiting for a long time. But no one came in or out of the door. - Who lives there? Zurita asked. - God. His name is Salvator. He is a doctor. He makes new legs lame, returns sight to the blind, and even raises the dead. It only accepts Indians. “Some kind of nonsense,” said Zurita. - In the Bay of the Devil, above the Bay of God. Maybe they work together? Devil with God. BUT? What do you think? Zurita went to town and found out about the doctor. He was a surgeon. He was known both in America and in Europe. I bought myself a huge plot of land and surrounded it with a wall. Now Salvator was engaged in scientific work in his laboratory and sometimes operated on the Indians. Then Zurita decided to get to him under the guise of a patient. He came, began to knock on the door loudly and for a long time. Someone outside the door said that the doctor did not see anyone. - I am ill! - Patients do not knock so loudly, - they answered him. Zurita was forced to return to his schooner. He sailed to Buenos Aires. One day an old Indian was going to the doctor. He had a sick granddaughter in his arms with a huge tumor on her neck. The door was opened by a negro and led to the doctor. It turned out that there was another wall behind the big wall - a smaller one. There were many Indians there, adults and children. The doctor examined the girl. He told the old man to come for her in a month - she would recover. A month later, he came. The granddaughter was healthy. The old man began to cry. He said that he was ready to do anything for the doctor, ready to work for him for the rest of his life. The doctor was reluctant to take on new servants. But he took the old man - the Negro Jim needed help in the garden. The Indian's name was Christo. The doctor promised him good working conditions and decent wages. With one condition - to be silent about everything that he will see here. Christo promised. He was led through the second wall into the garden, where he immediately saw dogs with the bodies of jaguars. Negro Jim stopped them. And Jim did not speak. The Indian felt uneasy. He decided that the doctor would cut off the tongues of all the servants. The garden was huge, beautiful and unusual. It was home to six-legged lizards, two-headed snakes, two fused sheep, a dog with a monkey sticking out of its back, a sparrow with a parrot's head, a horse with a cow's head, etc. Cristo wanted to escape from there. But gradually I got used to it. The garden was looked after by 12 blacks. They are also silent. Jim was in charge. Christo was his assistant. The only thing that bothered him was that everyone was silent. One day he saw Jim sleeping with his mouth open and looked in there. The language was in place. The Indian calmed down a little. The doctor trusted him, but he would not let him behind the third wall. One day a negro from the lower garden fell ill, and the doctor put Christo in his place temporarily. At the same time, he said that he was going to go to the mountains to recruit new animals there for his research. And since the Indian knew the Andes well, he decided to take him with him. There were many children behind the third wall. Monkeys played with them. No wool. They knew how to speak. And Christo also saw in the rock a barely noticeable iron door that led to the sea. Before the trip to the mountains, the Indian approached the doctor and asked him to let go to say goodbye to his daughter and granddaughter. Reluctantly, Salvator allowed, warning him to keep his mouth shut. It turned out that Christo did not come to the doctor by accident. He was the older (by 10 years) brother of Balthazar. Balthazar did not trust his brother. He believed that for the sake of money, Christo could betray anyone. As you can imagine, Christo did not have a sick granddaughter. The girl was a stranger. Christo came to Balthazar and Zurita. He said that he hadn’t seen the Devil yet, but I’m sure that he lives with the doctor. He told about all the miracles that he saw in the garden and about the upcoming trip to the Andes. Zurita wanted to attack the house in the absence of the doctor. Christo said he had no chance. Negroes and jaguars will tear anyone apart. “Well then, we’ll ambush the doctor and demand a ransom for him - the Sea Devil,” Zurita suggested. “It won’t work,” said Christo. - The doctor will agree, and then deceive. Better to do it differently. Organize an attack on him. And I'll save his life. After that, Salvator will fully trust me. And so they did. Zurita hired 10 bandits. They waited for the doctor, who was unexpectedly driving a car. When the car broke down on the road, the bandits attacked the doctor, Christo and three blacks. Everyone was tied up. The bandits demanded a ransom for everyone. Big ransom. Salvator said that he did not have that kind of money. Then the bandits promised to kill him in the morning. They immediately swelled and went to bed. And at night Christo crawled up to Salvator. He said he was able to untie the belts and kill one bandit. He and the blacks got on the car (already repaired) and drove away. The doctor was grateful to Christo. Salvator, instead of showing Cristo the Sea Devil (which the Indian hoped for), thanked him with money. Then Christo himself penetrated the wall. He was able to find the lever that opened the thick door. Christo entered, the door closed. "Damn, but how is it back?" - the Indian thought and went on. There was a lush garden. Christo saw the pool. I went up to him. There was a monkey inside. She breathed underwater. “Fuck. The Sea Devil turned out to be a monkey. Wow, ”thought Christo. He climbed a tree, onto the fence and then jumped down. The doctor was looking for him behind the wall. He told the Indian to follow him. He brought me to that door and showed the lever that opened it. They went inside. - Wow! The monkey breathes under water, - the Indian was surprised. The doctor pressed a button, and water began to drain from the pool. Then they went down into it and went to the hatch. The hatch opened and a staircase led down. They went down to the dungeon. We ended up in a cave. One wall in it was glass. And behind this glass was the ocean: fish, corals and ... the Sea Devil. He swam to a special chamber, and then entered the cave. He took off his glasses and gloves. He was a handsome guy. Salvator introduced him. - It's Ichthyander! Amphibian Man. The guy greeted. The doctor said that the guy's constant servant was sick, and if Christo copes with the duties, he will take his place. Christo was shocked. Further, the author describes one day of the life of Ichthyander. How he wakes up in the doctor's house, how he goes to sea, how he swims, how he hears the sounds of fishing schooners and steamers, how he watches birds, how he eats oysters under water. After the storm, he swam to the coast and rescued sea inhabitants, who were thrown onto land. And late in the evening he returned home and already slept there in a regular bed. Moreover, he did not remove his strong scales, which protected him from the teeth of predators. Once Ichthyander was swimming in the ocean after a thunderstorm. He saw on the waves a beautiful girl tied to a board. She was unconscious. Ichthyander quickly pulled this board to the shore. He untied the girl from her, made artificial respiration. The girl was alive. She began to recover. Then Ichthyander decided not to frighten her with his appearance and left. Moreover, he heard someone's footsteps nearby. This someone was looking for a girl and was very happy to find her. When the girl came to her senses, she decided that this man was her savior. She thanked him. Although she still remembered about some monster. Ichthyander heard their conversation and thought: "This is an asshole, this man: pretended to be her savior." It was Pedro Zurita. Christo served Ichthyander. He had already reported this to Balthazar. Now they were thinking how to kidnap the Devil. Christo made friends with Ichthyander. I told him a lot about life on earth. And Ichthyander told the Indian about sea life. The guy knew a lot about science, but almost nothing about ordinary earthly life, about people. There was a pool in Ichthyander's room and the guy liked to be in it more than on the bed. But the doctor told Christo to make sure that Ichthyander slept on the bed at least three nights a week. It is very important! So that the gills, which the guy breathed under water, are not weaned from the air. Ichthyander called Salvator his father, but Christo doubted their relationship. The guy's face was like that of an Araucanian Indian. The same as Christo and Balthazar. Ichthyander told Christo that there are many tunnels in the sea, that he has a tamed dolphin, which he once rescued when he was washed ashore. Dolphin's name was Liding. - Tell me, how do you fight predators? Christo asked. - This is how I feel them long before they come to me. By water fluctuations. - Even when you sleep? - Well yes. Christo asked why Ichthyander cut the nets for the fishermen. - So they take more fish than they can eat. - But they are taking it for sale. So that other people can eat it. The guy did not understand: - What else are people somewhere? And then Ichthyander told about the girl he had saved. He thought about her constantly. Christo was pleased with this interest. After all, now it has become possible to get the guy out into the city, from which he used to be. And already in the city of Zurita it will be easier to catch the Devil. - There are many girls in the city. Maybe you will meet her, - tempted the guy Christo. The naive Ichthyander was ready to go to the city right now. - Where? Let's go tomorrow morning. I still need to get a suit for you. When Ichthyander swam ashore in the morning near the city, Christo was waiting for him with a white suit. The Indian wanted to impress the guy with the beauty of the city. Showed him the most beautiful places. But all this commotion, dust, stuffiness was not for Ichthyander. He saw his own in almost every girl. But no - I was wrong. At noon, the guy said he wanted to go home. - OK. Only on the way will we go to my friend for a minute, - answered Christo. This acquaintance was his brother Balthazar. They went to his shop. Ichthyander stayed on his own, and Christo went into his brother's room. Balthazar said that his adopted daughter Gutiere does not want to marry Zurita. This is such a profitable party. And it breaks down. Here's a weird one. - Did you bring it? - he asked. - Yes. In the shop. Waiting for me. Balthazar looked out and did not see the guy. He said that only his daughter was there. Gutierre was a beauty. Many sought her hand, including Zurita. But she refused everyone. The girl said that when she entered the shop, some guy saw her, grabbed her throat and ran out. This is her, - guessed Christo. Gasping for breath, Ichthyander fled to the sea. In a place where no one saw him, he took off his suit, hid it between the stones and entered the sea. He swam long and far. A lot of thoughts were spinning in his head. He swam to the depth that frightens him. I thought that it was a fig and swam upstairs. For three days Ichthyander did not appear at home. Christo was worried. The guy said that he almost died. Although he told him an old story about how he ended up at an underwater lake, from which some kind of poisonous gas was coming. Ichthyander wanted to see Gutiere again, to get to know her. But I didn't know how to do it. He swam to the city, changed his clothes, waited for something incomprehensible and again at the end of the day dived into the water. One day he went to a shop where he saw her. The girl was not there. Ichthyander walked along the shore. I saw Gutierre. She was waiting for someone. And very soon this "someone" appeared. A healthy guy Olsen. The girl wanted to give him a pearl necklace. - Are you sure? Does the father know? - he asked. - This is my necklace. He doesn't know why. And suddenly the necklace slipped from her hands and fell into the sea. - Damn! - said Gutiere. - It's so deep here. What to do? Ichthyander approached them. The girl recognized the guy from the shop. “If you like, I'll get the necklace,” Ichthyander suggested. “Without a chance, it’s impossible,” said Gutiere. - And yet I will try. He, without undressing, jumped into the sea from the rocky shore. Two minutes passed. The girl already thought that he had drowned. - There the bottom is all in fragments of rocks, - emerging, said Ichthyander. - Need time. When he surfaced a second time, he had a necklace in his hand. Ichthyander gave it to the girl. She thanked him and handed the necklace to Olsen. Ichthyander bowed and left. He spent the next day in the water. Found a pearl. And the next day I met Gutierre again at the cliff. - Here, this is for you, - said Ichthyander and gave her a pearl. The girl was shocked. After all, she knew about pearls and understood what an expensive pearl they were giving her. She had never seen one like this. “I cannot take such a valuable gift. - But how valuable is it? There are thousands of them at the bottom of the ocean. - No. I will not take it. - Well then, give it to that guy. It will be useful to him. Gutierre said that Olsen did not take her pearls for himself, but for a cause that Ichthyander knows nothing about. Then the guy threw the pearl far into the sea, turned and walked. The girl was really shocked. Some guy threw such a state into the sea like an ordinary stone. - Wait, where are you going? - she came to her senses. Ichthyander did not stop. Gutiere caught up with him. The guy was crying. For the first time. He didn't know what was happening to him. The girl apologized for having offended him with her refusal. After that, Ichthyander appeared in the city every evening and walked with Gutiere. In her eyes, he was smart, interesting, but strange. After all, he did not know the most elementary things from city life. Ichthyander told her about himself that he was the son of a rich doctor. And that's all. During the day, the guy was swimming. He even began to collect pearls. For fun. His thoughts were connected with Gutierre. Once she told him that she would not be able to come on a date tomorrow. - Why? - Ichthyander asked naively. - That's why. I can not. The next day, the guy saw how the fishermen shot his dolphin Liding. The fisherman jumped into the water to drag him to the boat. Ichthyander swam up to the fisherman and bit him on the leg. The fisherman, thinking that it was a shark, slashed it with a knife and hit Ichthyander on the neck just in the place where it was not protected by scales. The fisherman swam to the boat, and Ichthyander with the dolphin to his cave. There, the guy pulled a bullet out of him - his wound was not serious. But Ichthyander's wound was bandaged by Christo. He noticed a reddish spot on the guy's shoulder. It looked like a birthmark. The Indian pondered. Christo went to his brother. Balthazar was in a bad mood. Zurita endured his whole brain: both because they can't catch the Devil and because Gutierre doesn't want him. Zurita entered. - When will you bring the Devil? He asked, turning to Christo. - What did I do right away? I already brought him once - you were not there. And now he doesn't want to go to town. Then Zurita said that he would decide everything by force. Christo will only need to open the gate for him and his boys. Ichthyander felt bad. The wound hurt. It was difficult to breathe in the air. But he swam into the city anyway. At noon Gutiere appeared. They walked through the city, met Olsen. He told the girl that something would happen today after midnight and left. Ichthyander could not stand it. He asked Guttier what her permanent ciphers were with Olsen. “I'll explain everything,” she said. - Listen. And at that time Zurita rode up to them on horseback. Ichthyander recognized him. It was he who was there then, when Gutiere regained consciousness. Zurita told the girl that it was not good for the bride to go out with the guys before the wedding. Hearing this, Ichthyander became very ill, he could not breathe. He only had time to say that Gutiere deceived him and jumped into the sea. The girl also wanted to jump, but Zurita caught her and took her to the shop to her father. And he rode away. Gutierre was crying. She understood what Ichthyander was thinking - first Olsen, then Zurita called her a bride. The girl was sure that Ichthyander had committed suicide. And the father, meanwhile, persuaded his daughter. He said that if she once again refused Zurita, he would be completely ruined. - Have pity on me, daughter. Marry him. - No! - Guttier replied firmly. In the sea, Ichthyander quickly came to his senses. He decided to take up the business that he had been planning for a long time. Once he found an underwater grotto, which he really liked. The guy wanted him for himself. But other sea inhabitants already lived in it - octopuses. So what do you need to do with them? Right! What a person always does in such cases. Kills! One by one, he mercilessly killed the octopuses, which were only defending their territory. The guy brought some furniture into the grotto to make the house look more comfortable. But he still felt lonely. Then he swam to the surface and blew into the shell. Dolphin Liding immediately sailed, and Ichthyander showed him his new grotto. Olsen was at sea in the boat early in the morning. He watched the Indians dive in search of pearls. He himself decided to take a dip. And then under the water he saw the Sea Devil. Olsen was able to get on the boat. A monster's head appeared from the water. “Listen, Olsen, I need to talk to you about Guttier,” said the Devil. “Okay,” Olsen replied, surprised. Ichthyander climbed into his boat. Introduced himself. The conversation did not go well. Ichthyander asked if Olsen loved Gutiere, if he was looking for pearls, and why sell them later. Olsen didn't like these inquiries. He said that Gutierre had already married Zurita. - How? She loved me! - I loved. But you threw yourself into the sea and drowned. So she thought. She considers herself guilty of your death. Ichthyander told Olsen that he once rescued Gutiere in the ocean. “I should have told her about it. - Yes, it was somehow inconvenient ... Olsen said that he works as a sink receiver at a factory. There he met Gutiere. He said that Zurita was constantly pushing her. And that the father, who owed him a lot of money, constantly hung over his daughter so that she would marry him. - Well, why didn't you, such a big man, give it to this Zurita? Ichthyander asked. - Damn, it's a long time to explain. The police, the court ... In general, you can't just hit people on the head, ”Olsen said. “We thought we would flee to North America with her. - Did you want to marry her? - Maybe. - Why didn't you run away? - There was no money. But we collected. We were already ready to go. Ichthyander listened and wondered how Gutiere didn’t tell him anything about it. “Well, she’s known me for over a year, and she’s not known you for long,” Olsen explained. - On the day when we planned to escape, I went to her father's shop. The girl was gone. A little earlier, Zurita drove up to his shop in a car and forcibly put the girl in it. Balthazar said he thought Zurita took her to his mother at the estate to marry her. I was already there and talked to Gutiere She has no plans to run away from Zurita. - Why? - In life, not everything is so simple. First, she is sure that you drowned. Blames himself for this. And, secondly, they were married by a priest. And she is very religious. Therefore, all her life she agrees to be unhappy, but in order not to anger God, she resigned herself. Ichthyander did not fit all this in his head. - My father told me that there is no God. These are all fairy tales for children. - Fairy tales are not fairy tales, but she believes in them. And further. Zurita planned to capture the Sea Devil after marrying Guttier, in order to become the richest in South America. He wants to make him look for pearls. - Clear. Thanks. I swam after Gutiere. Olsen told him where and how to find the girl. Ichthyander swam down the river to the city of Parana. They had to swim against the current. Therefore it was difficult. Especially in fresh water. He clung to steamers to save energy. Finally he sailed to the city. Now it was necessary to continue the path along the ground. He dried his suit and put it on. He looked like a tramp. Ichthyander asked the locals how to get to Dolores' estate. That was the name of Zurita's mother. By evening he was supposed to reach. It was hot, thirsty and thirsty. Ichthyander met some guy in uniform. I asked him where to go. “Stretch out your hands,” the man said. The guy held out, and immediately on his hands were handcuffs. It turned out that the man was a policeman, whose appearance of Ichthyander aroused suspicion. After all, there was a murder and a robbery on a neighboring farm last night. The policeman led him on. They reached the pond. And then Ichthyander jumped down from the bridge. The policeman jumped after him and managed to grab his hair. But he was soon forced to let go. - Save! I'm drowning! - Ichthyander shouted and sank to the bottom. But the policeman did not leave. He sent a local farmer to the police station for help. Half an hour later, three appeared with a boat, a hook and an oar. They swam in search of the drowned man. At first, Ichthyander was even amused. But constant leeches, muddy water, and besides, still poor in oxygen, forced him to go into shallow water. When the police saw him, they laid bricks. And then Ichthyander calmly moved on. Zurita's mother Dolores was a fat, mustachioed old woman. “Oh, and you’ll have enough with such a beauty,” she said to her son when he brought his wife. One night she was sitting in the garden and saw a guy in handcuffs sneaking into her house through the fence. Ichthyander did not see her. He called Gutiere. So that's who you hang out with, Dolores thought. - With convicts. Dolores ran after her son. “There's a convict in the garden,” she said. - He's looking for your wife. Zurita jumped out with a shovel in his hands. I saw the convict and hit him on the head with a shovel. The guy fell. We decided to throw the body into the pond. Gutierre was in her room. It seemed to her that she heard the voice of Ichthyander. The girl heard a fuss in the garden and decided to go out to see what was there. She saw traces of blood on the ground, followed these traces to the pond. Well ... I saw Ichthyander's face in the pond. BUT? How do you like this unexpected thing? Gutiere thought she was crazy. And then the head of Ichthyander slowly began to appear from the water. - Hello dear, it's me! - Unclean, perish! Shouted Gutiere. “I'm not dead,” the boyfriend reassured her. - Here, touch me. I didn't tell you something. People call me Sea Devil. Run with me. And so, when Gutiere had already regained consciousness, Zurita's voice was heard from behind. - Well, I finally caught you. He came to the scream of his wife and heard the whole conversation. He said that if the Devil is on handcuffs, then he will turn him over to the police. Gutiere asked not to. “All right,” agreed Zurita. “Then we'll take him to the schooner. And then let’s go. Gutiere was very grateful to her husband. Meanwhile, in the city, Christo was talking with his brother. He explained to Balthazar that it is better to use the Devil not for Zurita, but for himself. - How many treasures lie in the ocean in wrecked ships. It can all be ours. Ichthyander loves your Gutiere. And she loves him. Ichthyander is a better son-in-law for you than Zurita. Balthazar did not interrupt his brother. He continued: - Do you remember how your wife died 20 years ago? She went to the mountains to bury her mother and there she died of childbirth. The child also died. Then I didn't tell you everything. I didn't want to upset. The child did not die, he was very weak. One old woman said that the god Salvator lives nearby, who works miracles. I took your son to him. And in the evening the doctor said that he could not save him. But! I remember well your son's birthmark. And just recently I saw this spot at Ichthyander. Balthazar was both happy and angry. He was ready to kill Salvator for his deception. Christo reassured his brother. Said it could be a coincidence. Then Balthazar told his brother that while he was sick with a fever, something had happened. Gutiere has already become Zurita's wife, and Ichthyander is captured on his schooner. Dr. Salvator returned from his trip in the morning. Cristo told him that Ichthyander was swimming in the bay and was caught. He is now on a schooner. Salvator immediately went to his submarine. He, Christo and two blacks entered it. In a few minutes they were already swimming in the ocean. Cristo offered to take with him another Balthazar, who knows very well where Zurita's schooner may be. The doctor agreed. Zurita sawed through the handcuffs. As soon as Ichthyander boarded the Medusa, he was immediately tied up by the Indians and thrown into the hold. Zurita sailed to the Caribbean to look for pearls there. Gutierre was in his cabin. He told her that he had already released Ichthyander. But the girl heard the screams and groans of Ichthyander from the hold. Zurita brought him a barrel of water to keep him from dying. And in the morning he released him from the hold, tied him to a chain and ordered him to look for pearls for him. What Ichthyander got from the bottom surpassed all his expectations. There were a lot of pearls. Zurita's dreams have come true. The naive Ichthyander asked to let him go. For this, he promised to give Zurita all the pearls from his cave, which he collected. Zurita wanted Gutiere to ask the Devil to bring her all these pearls. Then he certainly will not deceive her. But the girl refused, because did not believe Zurita that he would later release the guy. But something went wrong. The next day, the sailors of the schooner attacked Zurita. He was able to fight off them and climbed higher. From there he saw a submarine approaching the schooner. The sailors did not kill Zurita in front of the people from the submarine. Dr. Salvator ordered Zurita to free Ichthyander. Otherwise, he will let the schooner go to the bottom. - Good. I’ll give you right now, ”said Zurita. Meanwhile, the sailors boarded the boats and sailed from the schooner to the shore. Zurita returned for his wife, grabbed her and also got into the boat. He shouted to the doctor that Ichthyander was in his cabin. But the guy wasn't on the schooner at all. What happened at Meduza? The sailors consulted and decided to kill the captain in order to take possession of both the schooner and the Sea Devil. Zurita saw the masts of a recently sunken steamer at sea and decided to profit from its contents. He understood that the length of the chain would not be enough for Ichthyander to remain chained. And letting him go without the chain was rash. He decided to cheat. I wrote a note and took it to the guy. - Here you go. Here's a note from Gutiere. Ichthyander read: “Please bring all the most valuable things to Zurita from the ship. And then he will let you go. Do it for me. " “I don’t believe it,” said Ichthyander. - Gutierre could not ask for it. - Crap. You're right. I need it, not her. Do you believe now? - Now yes. - So it is. If you bring me from the steamer as much gold as you have pearls in the cave, I will let you go. The naive Ichthyander agreed and jumped into the sea. And immediately after that, the sailors attacked Zurita. Ichthyander sailed inside the ship: in the corridors, in the restaurant, in the 1st class cabins. There were few corpses. This means that many managed to escape. But in the cabins of the third class there were many corpses. Ichthyander did not want to engage in looting. He swam to Meduza. But it was empty. Very strange. From the bank, Zurita shouted that Gutiere was here and she was sick. Ichthyander swam to the shore. And as soon as he came out of the water, he heard the voice of a girl. She managed to shout that Zurita was lying, that he needed to be saved. And Ichthyander returned to the sea again. Balthazar could not find a place for himself: Ichthyander was not found, Zurita disappeared with Gutiere. Christo came and said that the guy was found. He's at home. Balthazar went to the bay to see his son, if possible. And in the morning he saw him. - Ichthyander! My son! he shouted and jumped into the sea. But the waves immediately threw him ashore. When the clothes were dry, Balthazar went to the doctor's house. He knocked and said that it was on an important matter. He was told that the doctor did not accept. Balthazar returned to the city. He was determined to act. I went to a tavern opposite the court, where different types were going. Found one guy Larra. He said that the Sea Devil is his son Ichthyander. - Are you drunk or out of your mind? - Larra asked him. And Balthazar told him the whole story. - Interesting. But there is one jamb - it will be almost impossible to prove that you are his father. - And what to do? Balthazar asked. - I need a son, not money. - First, we will write a letter to Salvator. We point out that we know everything about his experiments and for 100 thousand we will not say anything to anyone. When he pays us, we will write a second letter, where we will inform you that the real father of Ichthyander has been found, who wants to take him away through the court. But if he pays us a million dollars, we will not do anything. Balthazar grabbed the bottle and was ready to throw it at the lawyer. “I'm kidding,” he said quickly. - I will not sell my son! Shouted Balthazar. - Yes, you listen to the end. After Salvator pays us a million, we will turn to the newspapers with this story. We will still earn on them. And then we will sue to return Ichthyander to you. What do you say? Balthazar said to write a statement to the court now. Larra was very upset. And then Balthazar met with Zurita in court. The bishop came to the prosecutor of Buenos Aires. About how the trial of Dr. Salvator is progressing. It turned out that Zurita had denounced the doctor. He said that the scientist at home is conducting strange experiments with living things. The police conducted a search. All information was confirmed. Salvator was arrested. Ichthyander was brought with him as material evidence. He was placed in the basement of the court in an iron water tank. And scientists began to study creatures. The bishop wondered under which article the doctors would be prosecuted. “I don’t know,” replied the prosecutor. - There is no such article. We'll come up with something. He didn't do anything like that. The bishop said that Salvator interfered with the will of God by changing living beings. After all, God has already thought everything out perfectly. So Salvator undermines religious foundations. Therefore, he must be punished. - And Ichthyander, - he added (by the way, Ichthyander - from Greek, fish-man), - must be sent to the Creator as soon as possible. He doesn't have to live. Shouldn't confuse people. The prosecutor promised the bishop to punish both. In prison and during the trial, Salvator maintained his dignity. He worked hard, even performed operations in the prison hospital. Including operated on the wife of the prison warden, at whom all the other doctors have given up. And Salvator saved her. During the trial, there was a notice in the courtroom and around the building. The crowd gathered to see the miracle doctor. Salvator refused a lawyer. Three scholarly experts read their report. In short: what the doctor did is amazing. No one had ever done anything like this before. Ichthyander had shark gills under the scales. How he breathes them is unknown. This can only be found out by performing an anatomical dissection. - Our conclusion is this, - said the professor, - Dr. Salvator is a genius. But the genius is insane. Scientists said this on purpose. For Salvator to be transferred from prison to a hospital for the mentally ill. Then the floor was given to the doctor. “I don't see a victim in the courtroom,” he said. - I'm talking about God. After all, you want to accuse me of remaking his creation. But he's not here. I affirm that bodies are imperfect. Moreover, I once removed the appendix to the very bishop who now accuses me. Then, lying on the operating table, he did not mind that I cut something inside him. And I also helped the distinguished prosecutor with something. The audience laughed. “Ichthyander is my pride,” the doctor continued. “I transplanted the gills of a young shark into him. In order for everything to be fine with him, he had to observe a certain regime. But in my absence, he behaved imprudently. Now he began to transform from an amphibian man to a fish man. Very soon he will not be able to live on land. I believe that life under water has tremendous benefits for humans. The ocean is rich in resources that people could use for good. There is enough room in the ocean for all people. It is huge, unlike sushi. There are only advantages to making a person an amphibious person. And this is a complicated operation now. And soon almost any surgeon will be able to do it. The judge asked why he did not publish his research. - It's too early. Society, with its greed, is not ready for this. Ichthyander was immediately hunted by the pearl divers. And then the military would come for him to sink enemy ships. No ... Humanity is not yet ready for this. I'm not crazy. If I have broken the law, then judge me. Experts examined Ichthyander. They came to the conclusion that he is a large child who should be declared incapacitated. So you can't judge him. He needs to appoint a guardian. Two immediately wanted to become guardians: Zurita and Balthazar. Moreover, Zurita managed to bribe the members of the court and the board of trustees. And Balthazar naively relied on the fairness of the court. The prosecutor and the bishop wanted to destroy Ichthyander. Balthazar did not find a place for himself. He decided to go to jail to talk to his son. Having bribed the guards, he came to Ichthyander's cell. The guy was lying in an iron tank. Balthazar told him that he was his real father. “I don’t know you,” the guy answered. Zurita entered the cell. He said that he was appointed as the guardian of Ichthyander. “I'll take him with me tomorrow morning,” he said. Balthazar pounced on Zurita. A fight ensued. Zurita grabbed the old man by the throat and choked him. And he would have strangled him if it hadn't been for Dr. Salvator. He ordered the guard to separate the fighters. “Take them away,” Salvator said. - I need to talk to Ichthyander alone. The doctor felt like a master even in prison. He examined the guy. - Hmmm ... You shouldn't have spent so much time outdoors. Now you can only live under water. Then the doctor went to his cell. The prison warden came in to him. He said he owed the doctor for saving his wife. “I'll arrange an escape for you,” he said. - And one more thing: they want to kill Ichthyander. They gave me poison to add to the water in the tank. The prison doctor will tell you that he died due to your surgery. If I don't, they'll kill me. Therefore, I have already sent my family out of here. And I myself will run too. But I cannot save two. Only you. Salvator told him that it was necessary to save Ichthyander. - I myself will not be lost. And the guy needs to be saved. He asked to take him to his son. The doctor explained everything to him. He said that his friend lived on distant islands. He ordered Ichthyander to swim to him. - And I will join you soon. Maybe in two years, maybe a little longer. You need to sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Better to do this through the Panama Canal than bypassing the mainland in the South. You can be outdoors for a while. And then maybe longer. Everything will be fine. My friend and family will welcome you with joy. And you will help him in his work. He is an oceanographer. The first thing to do is swim home. Take everything you need. Take your dolphin. He will help you along the way. Well, my boy, that's all. See you soon. The doctor hugged his son, kissed him and left the cell. Olsen is back from work. Gutierre came to see him. - Oops. Where are you from? - the guy was surprised. The girl replied that she ran away from her husband after he hit her. Now he lives with a friend. Asked Olsen to help her get a job at the factory. “We’ll think of something,” he replied. - But Zurita will find you anyway. - Hmmm ... Exactly ... Then you need to go to Canada. To Alaska. Olsen suggested running away to Paraguay or Brazil first. And from there, having earned money, go to the States or Europe. He told her about Ichthyander. Gutierre didn't know anything about him. Olsen said he received notes from Salvator and the warden. “We will arrange for Ichthyander's escape tonight. - I also want to be with you, - said the girl. “You can't,” Olsen replied. “If he sees you, he won't be able to leave you. And he cannot live in the air. In general, it will be better this way. Gutiere agreed. She only wanted to look at Ichthyander from a distance. Late in the evening, Olsen drove into the prison yard in a sea-water wheelbarrow. Said he brought water to the Sea Devil. The caretaker brought Ichthyander out and told the guy to jump into the barrel. Everything went smoothly. Olsen took Ichthyander out of town. The guy thanked him, asked him to say hello to Gutiere and jumped into the sea. The girl from behind the stone saw him. Several years have passed. Dr. Salvator has served his sentence and is now preparing for a long journey. Christo continues to serve him. Zurita bought a new schooner and is still looking for pearls. Things are going well for him. Gutiere divorced her husband and married Olsen. They live in New York and work in a cannery. The locals almost forgot about the Sea Devil. Only sometimes the children were told stories about him. And old man Balthazar in a storm comes ashore and calls his son ... That's all, friends!

History

The novel was first published in 1928 in the magazine Around the World (M.) (No. 1-13). Two separate editions - in the same 1928 in the publishing house "Zemlya i Fabrika".

Plot sources

1. French feuilleton novel "A Man Who Can Live in Water" by Jean de La Ira, published by the newspaper "Le Matin" (Paris) from July to September 1909. The protagonist, the Jesuit Fulbert, who dreams of power over the world, transplants the young shark's gills that replace one lung to the little Giktaner and inspires hatred for the entire human race. The grown-up Giktaner sinks entire squadrons, and his mentor issues ultimatums to the world community. This continues until Giktaner falls in love with Moisetta, who reveals to him the existence of God. The amphibian man leaves Fulbert's subordination, performs an operation to remove gills in Paris, and then moves to live in Tahiti with Moisetta.
2. Russian novel "Fish Man" by an anonymous author, based on the text of Jean de La Ira, published in the St. Petersburg newspaper "Zemshchina" in the fall of 1909. In the Russian adaptation, the main storylines of the French original are preserved, but Fulbert becomes a Jew and tries to subjugate the world to international Jewry in order to "enslave the human race."

Plot

Argentine surgeon Salvator is engaged in biological research, one of their main topics is organ transplantation, including interspecies. Along the way, he provides medical assistance to the Indians who come to him from all over South America... The Indians worship Salvator as God - he heals diseases and injuries that are considered hopeless. Once Salvator is brought in for treatment, a child who must inevitably die - his lungs are too weak. Fighting for the life of the child, the surgeon transplants the gills of a young shark, thanks to which the child remains alive and gets the opportunity to live under water. But in order to survive, he must constantly observe the regime - spend part of the time in water, part - in the air, otherwise his condition will deteriorate sharply. Realizing that the rescued cannot survive among the poor Indians, Salvator tells the child's parents that he is dead, leaves the boy with him and brings up him himself. So Ichthyander is born - the man-fish.

The action of the book begins many years later, when Ichthyander has already grown up. He lives with Salvator, swims in the ocean, where he gets out by an underwater tunnel leading from Salvator's villa. The fish-man does not go unnoticed - either he cuts the fishing nets, then fishermen or pearl divers will notice him when he swims on a dolphin and blows a shell. Along the coast, there are already rumors about a "sea devil" living in the ocean. Pearl divers are afraid to dive, fishermen are afraid to go fishing. Captain Pedro Zurita, a pearl fisherman, is annoyed by rumors at a loss, but quickly realizes that there is something real behind them. He decides that the "sea devil" is a sentient animal that would be nice to catch and use. Attempts to catch the "devil" with nets fail. Zurita learns from Balthazar that the entrance to the lair of the "sea devil" leads to the villa of Dr. Salvator. Pedro Zurita decides to infiltrate his domain, but the attempt fails. Then, disguised as the grandfather of a sick Indian girl, Cristo, Zurita's agent, comes to the estate. He gains confidence in Salvator and eventually learns about Ichthyander.

Ichthyander rescues a girl drowning in the sea - Gutiere, the adopted daughter of Balthazar, one of Zurita's henchmen. Zurita, who is nearby on the bank, finds Gutiere and assures the girl that it was he who saved her. Struck by the beauty of Gutiere, Ichthyander wants to see her again, but he does not know life on the shore at all. With the help of Christo, he makes several exits to the city, finds a girl, meets with her. Gutierre has a lover named Olsen, but she has a liking for a strange young man. But in the end, Zurita, richer and more powerful, marries Gutiere and takes him to his estate. Ichthyander, having learned about what had happened from Olsen, goes after the girl, but as a result he himself gets to Zurita. He is first forced to get pearls, chained to a long chain, and then sent, allegedly at the request of Gutiere, to collect valuables from a recently sunken ship. Gutiere manages to shout to Ichthyander that Zurita is lying and that he needs to be saved. Ichthyander is running.

Cristo informs Balthazar of his assumption that Ichthyander is the son of Balthazar, who many years ago was taken for treatment to Salvator. He comes to this opinion because of the birthmark he saw on the skin of Ichthyander - exactly the same was in the child of Balthazar when he referred him to Salvator. Balthazar wants to get his son back and submits a complaint to the prosecutor. Zurita also appeals to the prosecutor at the same time. The local bishop also opposes Salvator, accusing him of blasphemous experiments. The police take Salvator and Ichthyander into custody.

By this time, due to too frequent stay on land, the condition of Ichthyander is deteriorating. His lungs atrophy. From now on, he must spend almost all the time in the water.

In court, Salvator tells the story of Ichthyander. He is sentenced to imprisonment, and on Ichthyander, recognized as incompetent due to his unfamiliarity with the realities of life, he receives the custody rights of Zurita. At the insistence of Bishop Ichthyander, they decide to kill him by poisoning him with cyanide potassium. Salvator is a luminary of science, a very rich man, so he is not afraid of unfair justice. He knows that his term of imprisonment will not be long, and he will soon be free. Thanks to the help of the warden of the prison, whose wife Salvator had saved his life shortly before, and Olsen, Ichthyandru is organized to escape. Salvator directs him to his scientist friend on a distant island in Pacific... Ichthyander takes his tame dolphin Liding with him. In parting, he calls out to Guttier, not knowing that she, warned by Olsen, is standing behind the rock and hears him.

Gutierre, whom Zurita dared to raise his hand, divorces him and marries Olsen. They leave for New York. The professor, having served his prison sentence, returns to scientific work, gradually preparing for a long trip. Christo continues to serve him. Balthazar, due to the loss of his son, goes mad and becomes a beggar.

Bibliography

• Amphibian Man: Science Fiction Novel / Fig. A. Black. - 3rd ed. - M.-L .: Detgiz, 1946 .-- 184 p. RUB 7 30,000 copies (NS)
• Amphibian Man: A Science Fiction Novel. - M .: Goslitizdat, 1956 .-- 168 p. - (Mass series). 2 p. 75 k. 300,000 copies
• Master of the World: [Novels] / Fig. Yu. Trupakova. - Gorky: Book Publishing House, 1958. - 672 p. 12 p. 15 room 75,000 copies
• Island of the Lost Ships: Tales and Stories / Comp. B. Lyapunova; Preface publishing houses; Hood. V. Vlasov, V. Kupriyanov, L. Rubinstein, V. Starodubtsev. - L .: Detgiz, 1958 .-- 672 p. - (Adventure and Science Fiction Library). 12 p. 85 k. 75,000 copies (NS)
• Island of the Lost Ships: Tales and Stories / Intro. Art. B. Lyapunov; Hood. V. Vlasov, V. Kupriyanov, L. Rubinstein, V. Starodubtsev; Design by O. Maslakov. - L .: Lenizdat, 1958 .-- 672 p. 12 p. 85 k. (11 rubles 85 k.) 150,000 copies (NS)
• Amphibian Man: A Science Fiction Novel. - Tyumen: Book publishing house, 1958 .-- 172 p. 2 p. 20 room 110,000 copies
• KEC Star: [Novels] / Fig. S. Brodsky. - Orenburg: Book publishing house, 1959. - 404 p. 7 p. 55 room 100,000 copies
• CEC Star: [Novels]. - Vladivostok: Primorskoe book publishing house, 1959. - 616 p. 11 p. 15 room 150,000 copies
• Master of the World: [Novels]. - Voronezh: Book publishing house, 1959. - 488 p. 8 p. 20 k. 200,000 copies (NS)
• Ship Lost Island: Science Fiction Novels and Stories. - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Sakhalin Book Publishing House, 1959. - 264 p. RUB 5 30,000 copies
• Amphibian Man; CEC Star: Science Fiction Novels / Design. L. Zamakha. - Minsk: Gosuchpedgizdat, 1959 .-- 328 p. - (School series). 6 p. 20 room 100,000 copies
• CEC Star: [Novels]. - Chisinau: Carta moldaveneaska, 1960 .-- 648 p. 11 p. 50 k. 225,000 copies
• Island of the Lost Ships: Tales and Stories / Comp. B. Lyapunov; Preface publishing houses; Hood. V. Vlasov, V. Kupriyanov, L. Rubinstein, V. Starodubtsev. - 2nd ed. - L .: Detgiz, 1960 .-- 672 p. - (Adventure and Science Fiction Library). 12 p. 85 room 150,000 copies
• Amphibian Man: Science Fiction Novels / Fig. O. Korovin. - M .: Young Guard, 1961 .-- 600 p. 1 p. 04 room 100,000 copies
• Amphibian Man: Science Fiction Tale / Fig. V. Khlebnikov. - Yaroslavl: Book publishing house, 1962. - 168 p. 43 kopecks 150,000 copies (NS)
• Professor Dowell's Head; The Man Who Found His Face: Science Fiction Novels. - Murmansk: Book publishing house, 1965. - 326 p. 57 kopecks 100,000 copies
• Selected science fiction works: In 2 volumes / Comp. B. V. Lyapunov; Hood. S. Brodsky. - M .: Young Guard, 1956. - (Library of Science Fiction and Adventure). 150,000 copies (NS)
• Selected science fiction works: In 2 volumes / Comp. B. V. Lyapunov; Rice. S. Brodsky; Design by V. Zhukov. - Frunze: Kirgizgosizdat, 1957.150,000 copies. (NS)
• Selected science fiction works: In 3 volumes / Comp. B. Lyapunov; Hood. S. Brodsky. - M .: Young Guard, 1957. - (Library of Science Fiction and Adventure).
Death's Head Ancestral Instinct

Relatives of A. Belyaev recalled that one day he came across a newspaper article about the trial in Buenos Aires over a doctor who was performing "sacrilegious" experiments on animals and people. The doctor, allegedly with the consent of the parents, performed operations on the children of the Indians - for example, he made the joints of their arms and legs more mobile. This fact was supplemented by the book Ictaner and Moisette, read by Belyaev, by the French writer Jean de la Ira. The book told the story of a shark man who became a tool in the hands of people who dream of enslaving the world. Of these real facts the concept of the novel "Amphibian Man" was born.

About freedom and those who encroach on it

It all started when the pearl divers heard a strange voice in the sea, frightening them. This secret, which made everyone wary, reveals the line of Ichthyander in the novel. Parallel to it is the line of Zurita - the owner of the schooner and the owner of pearl divers. When Ichthyander opened up to people, their lines crossed and a conflict was defined. He will become the main one in the novel.

Ichthyander and Zurita are presented by the author as two antipodes. Ichthyander initially evokes a sense of affection in readers. And this feeling intensifies in the further narrative. Another thing is Zurita. He aroused antipathy at the first moment of his appearance. Subsequently, it turned out that it was completely justified.

What is the essence of their conflict? In the fact that two concepts collided: "freedom" (Ichthyander) and "prison" (Zurita). In the novel, the image of the prison will become not symbolic, but real.

Why did the conflict arise? Because Zurita, as soon as he saw Ichthyander, set himself the goal of catching him and making him get the pearls from the seabed. The conflict is quite real, but one of its participants is not real - Ichthyander - the only fantastic image in the novel. His presence allowed the author to show important issues.

The main one is the problem of freedom. Zurita encroached on the freedom of Ichthyander, but he was not the first here. The first to allow himself this, but more subtly and skillfully, was the named "father" of Ichthyander - the surgeon Salvator. He did this under the pretext of improving human nature. “Man is imperfect,” he said. Then, when Salvator transplanted the shark's gills to Ichthyander, he will take care of him, protect and, perhaps, even love. But before, he simply took his freedom from him. Salvator does not cause such unequivocal rejection as Zurita. But if you think about it, he is no less dangerous than the straightforward Zurita.

Having become, at the will of the surgeon, a fish-man - not like everyone else, Ichthyander falls into a whirlpool of dramatic events. The hunt began on him, which ended in the loss of freedom.

Pearls as the meaning of life

The difference between Ihtnandra and Zurita is not only that one of them chose the other as his victim, but also that they live in a world of different values. This is especially evident in their attitude to pearls. For Ichthyander, pearls are of no value, but for Zurita they are the whole meaning of life. And not just for him alone.

Let us recall the scene in the prison, when the jailers were ready to open any doors for pearls. But Salvator did not even think of using Ichthyander as a pearl fisherman. After all, he was primarily a scientist.

The truth of science and the truth of morality

Ichthyander is a child of the scientific experiments of the surgeon Salvator. The result is a shark man. But was this operation a boon for Ichthyander? At first we see him, if not absolutely happy, then satisfied with his life. Salvator gave Ichthyander the sea. True, he immediately limited his stay on earth.

In the end, Ichthyander's habitat was limited to a barrel of water. Perhaps the author deliberately resorts to exaggerating the situation in order to show the possible consequences of experiments on humans. And after escaping from prison, Ichthyander moves to the sea for a long time, and perhaps forever. In fact, there was a resettlement of a person from land to sea, and, moreover, without his consent. How can this be evaluated from a moral point of view? Are all the blessings of Salvator, about which everyone speaks with admiration, capable of compensating for the violence that was carried out over Ichthyander? He was sacrificed to science. Is it justified? The question remained open.

Salvator and his experiments were also condemned by the church ( ordinary people only surprised and horrified).

Thus, the fantastical element allowed the author to define the problem and make the truth of two truths evident. Science has its own truth and morality has its own. Until they got together.

Does a fish man need love?

Before meeting Gutiere, Ichthyander was quite content with life. He was friends with dolphins, had fun with an albatross. Everything changed after he met Gutiere, or rather, when he saved her. To see her, he was ready to endure people and their stuffy city. It was love that showed that Ichthyander is primarily a man.

Thanks to love, it became apparent that, in general, the obvious: all the new capabilities of an amphibian person mean very little in comparison with the lost right to love. And again the question: "Are all the achievements of science worth it to deny a person what is the main meaning of his life?"

And what about the finale?

Almost all the characters remained with their own. Salvator, after serving his sentence, again took up scientific work. Zurita is still hunting for pearls - now on a new schooner. Gutiere married a good man - Olsen.

And only Balthazar, feeling himself the real father of Ichthyander, yearns for him. His pain is so strong that from a more or less prosperous person, he turned into a "half-crazy Indian", the father of the "sea devil".

Well, and Ichthyander? He managed to escape from captivity into the sea. But is he happy? And will he be happy in the future? Unlikely. Salvator sent him across the seas-oceans to a friend - also a scientist. There he will find protection. But what will the life of Ichthyander be reduced to? To serve science - already in the person of another scientist. “You will be his indispensable assistant in his scientific works on oceanography "," You will serve science and thus all of humanity, "says Salvator in parting. His pathetic speech excludes the personal in the life of Ichthyander. All that remains for him is friendship with the dolphin and loneliness.

It turns out that science, having pulled a person out of his native element and endowed him with great opportunities, did not make him happier.

Unexpected plot twists, a series of mysteries, adventures and fantasy in the novel "Amphibian Man", which we analyzed, reveal not only the problems of science, but also the problems of man. Belyaev is convincing when he says that science is not only a huge opportunity, but also a huge responsibility for a person.

The main features of the novel "Amphibian Man":

• genre: science fiction novel;
• sharp plot with unexpected twists;
• mystery as one of the main components of the plot;
• the opposite depiction of a situation from the legend of a fisherman who fell in love with a mermaid;
• division into positive and negative characters;
• the main positive character is a fantastic image;
• stereotypical characteristics of the negative hero;
• the scientist Salvator as a symbolic hero;
• a variant of the answer to the question about the right of science to decide human destinies;
• availability of cognitive material about the life of the sea.

​​