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Originally Posted by gmw
The humour is one of the things I remember from my reading of the "From the Earth to the Moon". I did wonder if perhaps Americans might not find it quite so funny (as a lot of it was at America's expense).
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He does make fun of Americans in this book, but it doesn't strike me as an offensive kind of humor, because it's mixed with admiration for their daring and can-do attitude. So it's satire, but kind of a fond satire. You'll notice that a lot of Verne's protagonists are English, or, in this case, Americans.
Most members of the gun-club are also rather ridiculous, but I don't think that satire extends to all Americans.
From the novel:
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Nothing can astound an American. It has often been asserted that the word “impossible” is not a French one. People have evidently been deceived by the dictionary. In America, all is easy, all is simple; and as for mechanical difficulties, they are overcome before they arise. Between Barbicane’s proposition and its realization no true Yankee would have allowed even the semblance of a difficulty to be possible. A thing with them is no sooner said than done.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gmw
db105 - I am enjoying reading over your reviews! I've never attempted to read everything of Verne's so lots for me to learn here.  |
Thank you! I'm just starting, but if all goes well I hope read all, even though it will take time.