Bruin: The Grand Bear Hunt

"Bruin: The Grand Bear Hunt" by Mayne Reid is a novel written in the mid-19th century. The story follows two young brothers, Alexis and Ivan, the sons of a Russian nobleman, who embark on an adventurous quest to travel around the world in order to hunt and collect the skins of every known bear species. Accompanied by their old guardian, Corporal Pouchskin, the youths set off with enthusiasm but face numerous challenges along the way. The opening of the novel introduces the noble Baron Grodonoff and his sons, who express a desire to travel the world. The Baron sets forth the unusual condition that they must collect the skins of all bear species, providing a unique and ambitious framework for their adventure. As they prepare for their journey, the brothers display distinct personalities: Alexis, serious and thoughtful, contrasts with the mischievous and lively Ivan. The narrative sets the stage for their ensuing adventures in the pursuit of bears, highlighting the thematic elements of exploration, education, and the peculiarities of nature as they navigate the wild environments in search of their quarry. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Thomas Mayne Reid was a British novelist who fought in the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). His many works on American life describe colonial policy in the American colonies, the horrors of slave labour, and the lives of American Indians. "Captain" Reid wrote adventure novels akin to those by Frederick Marryat (1792-1848), and Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894). They were set mainly in the American West, Mexico, South Africa, the Himalayas, and Jamaica. He was an admirer of Lord Byron. His novel Quadroon (1856), an anti-slavery work, was later adapted as a play entitled The Octoroon (1859) by Dion Boucicault and produced in New York.