Jules Verne is best known for his imaginative adventure novels which set examples of science fiction. Famous writers he influenced include H.G. Wells (The Time Machine) and Edgar Rich Burroughs (Tarzan of the Apes.)
Early Life of Jules Verne
Jules Gabriel Verne (Feb 8, 1828 – Mar 24, 1905) was born in the port of Nantes, western France, the son of a lawyer. He went to Paris to study law. There, an uncle introduced him into the literary circles, and he met Alexandre Dumas. He still managed to pass his law degree despite allocating time to writing.
At 28, he married a young widow, Honorine de Viane, acquiring two stepchildren. He went into stock broking to provide secure income, but still managed to write. He achieved his first popularity with Five Weeks in a Balloon when he was 35 years old. Slowly he was more lured to writing than stock brokering. After the success of A Journey to the Centre of the Earth when he was 36 years old, he finally devoted himself to writing.
Themes of His Books
Verne wrote about space, air and underwater travel before air travel and submarines were invented, as well as practical means of space travel had been devised. He is one of the most translated authors in the world and some of his works have been made into successful films. He is often popularly referred to as the father of science fiction.
His books describe incredible adventures, influencing later famous writer H.G. Wells. His stories caught the imagination of 19th-century readers, who were much enthralled by scientific inventions. Machines that had not been invented in his day, such as spacecraft, were imagined by Verne, and his amazing descriptions made them sound so exciting, fun and believable.
Verne's Two Most Successful Books
Verne's two most successful works are Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, and Around the World in Eighty Days. The former is about Captain Nemo who travels in a submarine under the ocean, and Around the World in Eighty Days is about the journey of Phileas Fogg around Earth in just 80 days, an incredible span of time.
Major Books by Jules Verne
- Five Weeks in a Balloon, 1863
- A Journey to the Centre of the Earth, 1864
- From the Earth to the Moon, 1865
- Twenty thousand Leagues Under the Sea, 1870
- Around the World in Eighty Days, 1873
- The Master of the World, 1904
Sources:
Chambers Biographical Dictionary, edited by Una McGovern, Edinburgh. Chambers Harrap, 2002
Larousse Dictionary of Writers, edited by Rosemary Goring. Larousse, 1994
 |
 |
