Jules Verne; A Writer Ahead of His Time

Jules Verne may be old hat to some readers, but to me he has endured time with his classic novels that will go on from one generation to the next. He has published such novels as Around the World in Eighty Days, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, and many others that are not so famous. Oddly enough, he has probably written more than most people realize. I just wish all of it was in English.

This nineteenth century author who made it into the twentieth century, had no idea how famous his stories would become. He would be overwhelmed as to how many times some of them would be re-written as screenplays for television and the movies. It was surprising to me to find out as an adult that Jules Verne happened to study under my other favorite French writer, Alexander Dumas. Dumas wrote The Three Musketeers and The Man in the Iron Mask.

As a child I read most of Jules Verne's novels before I ever attended middle school. I was most impressed with my grandfather's copy of Journey to the Center of the Earth, mainly because it was in paperback. That may sound strange to you, but all my grandfather's books, except for this one, were hardbound. This book must have been something sort of 'novel' to him. I remember borrowing the book and bringing it back the next time I visited.

I hate to admit it, but I did see the first movie about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea before I read the book. This only inspired me to read the book, which was so much better. When the movie The Leauge of Extraordinary Gentlemen came out, I was surprised at how the story unfolded with characters I had read about years before. I was not all that impressed with this particular onscreen version of Captain Nemo other than they held true to his knowledge of so many things. Captain Nemo is supposed to represent a Utopian type of character who dreams of a better world for mankind in his own warped thoughts.

Never the less, Around the World in Eighty Days has been made into about as many different movies as Journey to the Center of the Earth. What's more is that this fictional story went on to become a quest for many after it was published. All too often there was news of those who did not make it in their quests to circumnavigate the globe in a hot air balloon. Jules Verne would have enjoyed hearing of those who did accomplish this goal he had written about years before it happened.

Inspiration from Jules Verne's novels led to the invention of the submarine, space rockets, airplanes and even some crafty tools that we may not have ever invented had it not been for these writings. So how much did he write? The man wrote well over 100 writings either as novels, novellas, short stories, and a few poems. Most of these were never translated into English, thus remaining in their French luster over all these years.

Penguin Publishing and a few other publishers of Jules Verne's books, list many of his writings on a page or two in each book. In order to find more of his work you will need to research who is holding onto them this day and age. I recommend to start of reading the all time classic, Journey to the Center of the Earth. Also, seek out a copy of Paris in the Twentieth Century and be amazed at what all he wrote about in it. You will be flabbergasted - or not.