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Old 07-12-2021, 01:35 PM   #16
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Most versions of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea are missing 23% of the book. It should say someplace that this was added back in. If not, it hasn't and it's thus incomplete/abridged.
Well, the edition I have has around 141K words. I have gone to Project Gutenberg and got the complete French edition, and it's 139K words. Translations may have a different word count from the original (for example, a novel in Spanish will usually have more words that the same novel in English), but French and Spanish being so related I think it's safe to say that my edition is not missing 23% of the book.

It's quite possible that there are some shorter paragraphs or details missing, though.
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Old 07-12-2021, 01:47 PM   #17
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(2) Voyage au centre de la Terre (Journey to the Center of the Earth, 1864) (1 volume) 68K words


After Five Weeks in a Balloon, we come to the second stop in my quest to read the Voyages Extraordinaires. Journey to the Center of the Earth is one of Verne's best-known novels (along with "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" and "Around the World in Eighty Days"). The story of the German professor, his nephew and their Icelandic guide who get into an extinct volcano and explore the interior of the Earth has captured the imagination of generations of readers and movie watchers. Their discoveries deep below are incredibly cinematic.

Just like they say that the "Golden Age" of science fiction is thirteen, a lot of readers discovered and fell in love with Verne's stories in their early teens. There is a reason for that: many of his novels are filled with a sense of discovery, with boundless possibilities, with sense of wonder. And this particular one is strong on the sense of wonder. Now, I'm not a teenager any more, and we are no longer in the 19th century. The scientific theory that is the basis of this story, already dubious when it was written, has been disproven since then. A reader now probably knows how the story ends, since it's part of pop culture. Also, we are used to movies and shows with expensive special effects, so our sense of wonder is dulled not just by age but also by use.

Nevertheless, I advice you to put yourself in the proper frame of mind. We are in the middle of the 19th century, an age of progress and exploration. Mankind is discovering just how far it can go, where scientific and technical progress can take it, what new doors are being opened. Guided by Verne's imagination, we are going to accompany three explorers, one of them enthusiastic, one of them reluctant and one of them... silent, in the most incredible adventure ever, something that had not been dreamed of before.


First read or reread?: A reread for me. I enjoyed it a lot as a kid.


What is it about?: An adventurous geology professor chances upon a manuscript in which a 16th-century explorer claims to have found a route to the earth's core. Professor Lidenbrock can't resist the opportunity to investigate. With his nephew Axel, he sets off across Iceland in the company of Hans Bjelke, a native guide, intending to descend into an extinct volcano.


Like in Five Weeks in a Balloon, we have three main characters, although their personalities and internal dynamics are different. We have Professor Otto Lidenbrock, a hot-tempered geologist with radical ideas and limitless energy. We have his nephew Axel, a young geologist in training. And we have Hans Bjelke, their Icelandic guide. Professor Lidenbrock fits the template of a crazy scientist. Once he gets into a project, he is relentless, and no difficulty will deter him, no matter how insurmountable. He is completely reckless. Young Axel is, how shall we say this, kind of cowardly. He doesn't want to go, but he is browbeaten by his uncle and his girlfriend Gräuben, who basically tells him to man up. And Hans is the strong and silent type. As few words as possible, but completely unfazed by the most crazy and dangerous adventures, just as long as he gets his modest salary as a guide every week.

Because of the dynamic between the characters, this novel is funnier than Five Weeks in a Balloon. Watching Professor Lidenbrock bully and browbeat his nephew into adventure is always amusing. It's not that Axel is really a coward, he just has a sense of self-preservation, unlike his uncle. I don't blame him, as he is actually the sane one, but he is not your typical heroic explorer.

The story is told in first person by Axel, contrasting with the third person narration in Five Weeks in a Balloon. That works fine, since it gives Verne a natural way to exercise his didactic muscle and tell us about geology. After all, Axel may not want adventure, but he likes geology. And, well, those are the best scientists to accompany you deep into the Earth. It also allows us to see Axel's psychological suffering at certain points.

Let's talk about pace: as usual with 19th century literature, you have to get into the pace of the story. Readers had longer attention-spans back then, not being distracted with TV, the internet and video-games, so modern readers can sometimes be taken aback by what they perceive as a slower pace. My advice is to get into it, it's a feature, not a bug. You get to experience a different style of storytelling. There will be plenty of action, don't worry, but it starts slow.

In this case, in particular, there is a part near the beginning of the novel that can try your patience. Not the very beginning, because the discovery of the runic manuscript and the attempts to decipher it are quite entertaining. But the trip for Hamburg to Reykjavík and from there to the volcano are kind of uneventful. I won't blame you too much if you skip parts of chapters 8 to 14, to get to the exciting stuff. Because during that journey, first by train to Copenhagen, then by ship to Reykjavík and overland by horse to the volcano, nothing much happens, apart from hiring Hans. Of course, for most contemporary readers, traveling to a faraway country would have been the adventure of a lifetime in itself, so I'm sure that part was more interesting for them.

Then they get to the volcano and the story proper begins, about one third into the novel. We'll get some Verne-style science (in this case geology) infodumps. You wouldn't get those in a modern novel, but as I said in my review of Five Weeks in a Balloon, it's part of the charm. Verne was out to entertain but also for the popularization of science.

And then, of course, more and more things happen, and it's a gripping story. Not as gripping as the movies, mind you, they don't actually fight dinosaurs, but just witnessing and exploring it all is impressive. Sense of wonder, remember.

If you were in doubt during the slow parts when traveling, I think you will be satisfied later by how eventful it becomes. Some things happen that really strained my suspension of disbelief because of the characters' ability to survive certain events. Perhaps that was a bit too far-fetched even for a story such as this, but let's go along with it. Also, just how can those people take so much equipment and food with them? I mean, I know Hans is strong and silent, but still...


Enjoyment factor: I quite enjoyed the story, although maybe not as much as Five Weeks in a Balloon (as I said in my review of that book, African exploration really captures my imagination). This one has more sense of wonder, no doubt about that, and more cinematic moments. It does have a slow part that is slower than anything in Five Weeks, and you have to be willing to suspend disbelief at certain points. The occasional infodumps were mostly about geology, which for me is less interesting than African exploration. Worth reading.


Next up: The Adventures of Captain Hatteras

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Old 07-12-2021, 02:03 PM   #18
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My impression of Verne's Voyages is that he was always answering the question: what would it be like to go ... THERE!!!! Flying in the air! Under the earth! Under the sea! To the moon!

The info dumps are a product of the times. I think Verne was motivated to persuade the reader that his ideas were feasible. Victorian-era authors frequently include educational material in their adventure novels (see also G. A. Henty's war novels). I suppose more people would find them worthwhile that way, especially for young readers.

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Old 07-12-2021, 02:59 PM   #19
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My impression of Verne's Voyages is that he was always answering the question: what would it be like to go ... THERE!!!! Flying in the air! Under the earth! Under the sea! To the moon!

The info dumps are a product of the times. I think Verne was motivated to persuade the reader that his ideas were feasible. Victorian-era authors frequently include educational material in their adventure novels (see also G. A. Henty's war novels). I suppose more people would find them worthwhile that way, especially for young readers.

Yes, I agree they had less reluctance back then to tell readers about their research, since the average reader had a longer attention span, but I think in Verne's case he was particularly interested in science and progress, beyond just the adventure element of exploring unknown regions. Even in his more traditional adventures, without a science fiction element, he still surprises you with his ideas. For example in Captain Hatteras, the one I'm reading now, we get the characters in winter polar conditions, without ammunition and stalked by a hungry polar bear. Then one of the characters has the idea of making a bullet with frozen mercury from a thermometer... It's a kind of thing that I don't expect in an adventure novel from a different writer.
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Old 08-01-2021, 06:39 PM   #20
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(3) Voyages et aventures du capitaine Hatteras (The Adventures of Captain Hatteras, 1864-66) (2 volumes) 139K words


This is the third novel I read in my personal journey through Verne's Voyages Extraordinaires. Among those three (the others are Five Weeks in a Balloon and Journey to the Center of the Earth), Captain Hatteras is the closest to a conventional adventure novel. And I say that in the best possible sense. This one doesn't have such a ground-breaking premise; it's just an old-fashioned naval exploration tale, but what a gripping one. It was published originally as two books: Les Anglais au pôle nord (The English at the North Pole) and Le Désert de glace (The Desert of Ice).


First read or reread?: This is a first read for me.


Synopsys: Set in 1861, describes the adventures of a British naval expedition led by Captain John Hatteras to the Arctic Ocean. Struggling against mutiny and the harshness of the polar winter, Hatteras refuses to give up in his ambition to reach the North Pole.


The Adventures of Captain Hatteras is long, as long as the previous two novels put together, but for my taste it has better pace. None of it was dull. From the moment it starts, with a bunch of sailors discussing a state-of-the-art ship that has just been built, and the mysterious captain who doesn't skimp on expense and only communicates with his crew through letters, it gets our attention, and doesn't let it go throughout the whole epic tale.

There is a speculative element here, although in this case it's purely geographic. At the time it was written, no one had been able to reach the northernmost regions of the Earth, and it was unknown what they would find there. There was a very popular theory at the time, called the Open Polar Sea, suggesting that in the summer there was an open sea around the North Pole. Many naval expeditions had failed to reach it, becoming stranded in a frozen sea, sometimes for several years. However, there were measurements suggesting that the "cold pole", the coldest areas of the northern hemisphere, were at lower latitudes than the North Pole, and there were some testimonies of captains who thought they had glimpsed an open sea in the summer, north to the point where they were themselves trapped in the ice fields. (As modern readers, we know the Open Polar Sea theory is not true, but in Verne's world that was still unknown and waiting to be determined.)

Captain Hatteras firmly believes in that theory. He is convinced that he will be able to reach that open sea and get to the pole with his ship. However, the tragic outcomes of his previous expeditions make it difficult for him to hire a crew. What follows is a truly epic and gritty fight of human spirit against the force of nature.

The cast of key characters here is larger than in the other two novels I have read. We have of course Captain Hatteras, who is that kind of visionary, strong-willed character that we find in many Verne novels. Like Professor Lidenbrock from Journey to the Center of the Earth, Hatteras is relentless in his quest. No matter how overwhelming the danger is, to himself and to his companions, he won't give up. In this case, this relentless character is the adventurer, not the scientist.

The role of the scientist then is played by the ship physician, Doctor Clawbonny. He is competent in his job, good-natured but also filled with a thirst for knowledge and adventure, even if he has a lot of the former and little experience of the latter. His knowledge and ingenious ideas (like making a bullet with frozen mercury from a thermometer when they are far from the ship, without ammunitions and stalked by a hungry beast) save the lives of his companions more than once.

We also have Shandon, the first mate of the ship, whose falling-out with Hatteras poisons the expedition. We have Duke, the captain's dog, with as much character and dedication as any member of the crew (in fact, in the beginning of the novel, before Hatteras shows up, there was a rumour among the crew that the dog was actually the captain). We have Captain Altamont, the American explorer, who is a bitter rival of Hatteras but may have to find a way to cooperate with him if they are all to survive. And several other important characters...

The book is narrated in third person, and the Verne-style infodumps come in the form of conversations of Doctor Clawbonny with other characters, where he talks about the state of Arctic exploration. I find the subject fascinating, so I was on board with that. You know, the story of Franklin's lost expedition and that kind of thing.

As always, if you read it in English and can afford to pay a bit more, look for a modern translation if there is one, in this case William Butcher's translation published by Oxford University Press.


Enjoyment factor: I hadn't read this one in my youth and liked it a lot. Even though it's long, and as always with Verne there are educative infodumps, the pace of this novel is good. The dangers were not occasional, but ever-present, and the difficulties seemingly overwhelming. It doesn't have as much sense of wonder as the previous two novels, but the thrill of getting to unexplored regions is there. I really enjoyed it, and if your edition doesn't have a map, don't hesitate to look for the Captain Hatteras map online, to follow the course of the journey as you read.


Next up: From the Earth to the Moon

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Old 08-04-2021, 08:49 AM   #21
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Thank you for your informative reviews and opinions. I very much appreciate them. I have a lot of Verne in ebook format, but have only read one of his books - and that was years ago, before the advent of ebooks.

One thing, however: Could you, when the information is available, supply the translator and/or publisher that you are using for your reviews?

Thank you!
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Old 08-04-2021, 11:30 AM   #22
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Although I'm currently reading an ebook given to me by NetGalley, titled (Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr), I'll attempt to read along with you on From the Earth to the Moon.


My source will be the Delphi Classics Edition (4th), since I already own it. [Public domain; Trans.: Lewis Page Mercier]

It'll be interesting, I think, to also look at Georges Méliès short film from 1902, A Trip to the Moon, which is based (in part) upon Verne's novel.

Let's wish ourselves some happy reading!
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Old 08-04-2021, 11:45 AM   #23
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Thank you for your informative reviews and opinions. I very much appreciate them. I have a lot of Verne in ebook format, but have only read one of his books - and that was years ago, before the advent of ebooks.

One thing, however: Could you, when the information is available, supply the translator and/or publisher that you are using for your reviews?

Thank you!
You're very welcome. I always write goodread reviews so that I can have a personal record of what I thought about the books I read, and I thought collecting these could be interesting info for other Verne readers.

Sure, I wouldn't mind sharing the info I have about the translator/edition. The thing is, I'm not sure it would be useful, because I'm reading a Spanish collection that I have had at home for ages. From what I have seen, they use old 19th century translations with some corrections/modifications. So the vocabulary or expressions are old fashioned sometimes, but I don't particularly mind, because these are 19th century books after all, so it fits that they'd have some old-fashioned flavor.

Would it be useful for you to know the name of the translator for these Spanish editions I'm reading?

Regarding the English translations, some of the old, open domain ones have a reputation for taking liberties, and one is famous for basically rewriting a different book (the one I mention in my review of Journey to the Center of the Earth). In general it seems good advice to use a modern translation when possible, even though they are not free. But I can't really give an opinion about the old ones, since I'm reading my Spanish editions.
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Old 08-04-2021, 11:52 AM   #24
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Although, I can understand the urge to edit out the infodumps. There's always a great adventure story buried in there. Somewhere.
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Old 08-04-2021, 11:57 AM   #25
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I'll attempt to read along with you on From the Earth to the Moon.
That's cool! The only thing is, I'm already more than 50% into it, and was planning to finish it this week. I have to warn you, From the Earth to the Moon, although it's of course very interesting from a science-fictional point of view, and also surprisingly funny, is not the most dynamic of Verne's novels. I was planning to talk about that in my review, but here rather than the act of actually going to the Moon, the adventure is more in the planning and preparing.

I'm not sure whether you are particularly interested in reading this one, but given that I'm close to finishing it, if there are other Verne novels you are interested in, maybe when you are ready you can tell me and we could do a read along of the novel you choose, as long as its not one of the few I have already read. It doesn't need to be the next one in my reading order, I'm OK with reading any of them.
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Old 08-04-2021, 12:07 PM   #26
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Although, I can understand the urge to edit out the infodumps. There's always a great adventure story buried in there. Somewhere.
You are absolutely right that there are infodumps. In some books more than in others, but they are always there to some extent, to the point that they are more a feature than a bug. He's telling you an adventure story, but when he judges it necessary he'll give you a popular science lecture relevant to the story.

It's something that modern writers are advised against, and that people tend to dislike for obvious reasons, but there's something that I find likable in the way Verne does it. It's not just that I don't mind, it's that I actually like it, at least if the subject is interesting for me. For example, in Captain Hatteras I enjoyed the discussion of other Artic expeditions. If it's something I find less interesting... well, you can always skip a few paragraphs ahead.

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Old 08-04-2021, 12:14 PM   #27
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That's cool! The only thing is, I'm already more than 50% into it, and was planning to finish it this week. I have to warn you, From the Earth to the Moon, although it's of course very interesting from a science-fictional point of view, and also surprisingly funny, is not the most dynamic of Verne's novels. I was planning to talk about that in my review, but here rather than the act of actually going to the Moon, the adventure is more in the planning and preparing.

I'm not sure whether you are particularly interested in reading this one, but given that I'm close to finishing it, if there are other Verne novels you are interested in, maybe when you are ready you can tell me and we could do a read along of the novel you choose, as long as its not one of the few I have already read. It doesn't need to be the next one in my reading order, I'm OK with reading any of them.

I've already read the first chapter, and it's absolutely hilarious! I'll try to catch up with you. It looks to be a fast read. And it's a rather short book.

Regarding the translations, I had forgotten that you previously mentioned you were reading in Spanish.

Regarding modern translations: yes, I would prefer them, but I also enjoy reading Victorian literature, etc., so this will be no problem for me. The veracity of the translations will be (and has been) open to debate throughout the years. I'm also aware of the one notorious translation where characters' names were changed.

So, I'll focus on this Verne title.

What is your next scheduled read? I'll defer to your better judgment on what book that will be.

Thanks!
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Old 08-04-2021, 03:54 PM   #28
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From the Earth to the Moon --> I'm about to start Chapter XVIII, called "The Passenger of the Atlanta" in the Project Gutenberg version. I can wait to give you some time to catch up, if you want. (I have a P. G. Wodehouse book I have started, so I can read that for a bit).

I'm not sure what the best way to read along would be, though. Maybe start a thread in one of the forums (would the "Book Clubs" forum be appropriate for that?). Since you are the one reading the first chapters, maybe, as you read, whenever you want to make a comment or cite a passage you can post to that thread, and I'll answer, and then when you catch up we can continue till the end.


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Originally Posted by Dr. Drib View Post
I'm also aware of the one notorious translation where characters' names were changed.
Yes, the names were changed in that translation, but the names are just an anecdote, the problem is that the whole story was changed.



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What is your next scheduled read? I'll defer to your better judgment on what book that will be.
I don't really have an schedule... I read one Verne and then maybe I read a couple other books, and then perhaps another Verne if I feel like it. Since my intention is reading all of them I was following the order of publication, because why not, but I don't mind changing the order.

You can see the chronological list in the first post of the thread. After From the Earth to the Moon the next one would be In Search of the Castaways, aka Captain Grant's Children. However, if you want to read one or two Verne novels, that one might not be your first choice. It's quite long to begin with (3 volumes in my edition, so about 3 times as long as From the Earth to the Moon), and not among Verne's most famous. Possibly you might prefer Around the World in Eighty Days, or Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas.

In any case, if you tell me a book you want to read and the date you'd like to start, I'm happy to adjust my schedule.
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Old 08-04-2021, 07:02 PM   #29
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From the Earth to the Moon --> I'm about to start Chapter XVIII, called "The Passenger of the Atlanta" in the Project Gutenberg version. I can wait to give you some time to catch up, if you want. (I have a P. G. Wodehouse book I have started, so I can read that for a bit).

I'm not sure what the best way to read along would be, though. Maybe start a thread in one of the forums (would the "Book Clubs" forum be appropriate for that?). Since you are the one reading the first chapters, maybe, as you read, whenever you want to make a comment or cite a passage you can post to that thread, and I'll answer, and then when you catch up we can continue till the end.




Yes, the names were changed in that translation, but the names are just an anecdote, the problem is that the whole story was changed.





I don't really have an schedule... I read one Verne and then maybe I read a couple other books, and then perhaps another Verne if I feel like it. Since my intention is reading all of them I was following the order of publication, because why not, but I don't mind changing the order.

You can see the chronological list in the first post of the thread. After From the Earth to the Moon the next one would be In Search of the Castaways, aka Captain Grant's Children. However, if you want to read one or two Verne novels, that one might not be your first choice. It's quite long to begin with (3 volumes in my edition, so about 3 times as long as From the Earth to the Moon), and not among Verne's most famous. Possibly you might prefer Around the World in Eighty Days, or Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas.

In any case, if you tell me a book you want to read and the date you'd like to start, I'm happy to adjust my schedule.

Just a quick note: I'm staying away from the Book Clubs. I'll send you a PM.

I'll comment further on your post tomorrow. I'd like to get comfortable and do some reading.

Last edited by Dr. Drib; 08-04-2021 at 07:05 PM.
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Old 08-04-2021, 07:56 PM   #30
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I've already read the first chapter, and it's absolutely hilarious! [...]
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).

I read the copy here on MR prepared by HarryT - The Moon Voyage, which carries both halves of the story, From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon.


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.
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