Jules Verne Forum

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From: Shaun Osborne <sosborne~at~pcpss.mail.fco.gov.uk>
Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 17:00:43 +0100
To: "'jvf~at~math.technion.ac.il'" <jvf~at~math.technion.ac.il>

Hello from a new member of your Mailing List

I have spent today reading the archive messages from May 2000, and I must
say I am very impressed with the extensive knowledge being displayed in it.
I would like to express my congratulations to the people concerned for
organising this Forum and the wonderfully informative web-site I discovered
it on. It is truly refreshing to know that there are people 'out there' who
keep the works of Jules Verne alive and well on a global stage.

I am a relative newcomer to the Jules Verne 'experience', as a youngster at
school I remember reading (although at that age it seemed more like enduring
through) '20,000 Leagues' and '80 Days' . I never really appreciated the
books then, but was caught up in the atmosphere created by the Hollywood
film versions that I would watch with my family. Recently my interest was
tweaked by a fellow passenger on the London Underground, who was immersed in
a copy of '20,000 Leagues'. I don't know why, but I just had to go out and
buy a copy of it that day. I thoroughly enjoyed re-reading it (well to be
honest after 20 years it felt like I was reading it for the first time!),
and before I'd finished had purchased '80 Days', '5 Weeks' and 'Journey
thcot Earth'.

I discovered the web-site soon after and was amazed to discover that Mr
Verne had written so many books, it quite took my breath away! As an avid
reader of all kinds of books it has taken a hold of my interest to such a
degree that I am determined to read as much of his works as I can.

I have realised that I am handicapped (or am I?) in that I am British, and
that I cannot read any language other than English (a deplorable trait in my
country's education system that I am determined to correct in my own
children's future). Of the few snippets of information I have read, it
appears that Jules Verne enthusiasts hold a high degree of criticism to the
translation of the 'works'. As a new reader I do not want to blindly subject
myself to 'bad' versions of his work. In retrospect the editions of '20,000
Leagues' and '80 Weeks' that I read (Wordsworth 'Classics'?) did have some
very dubious paragraphs which made me question the printing process. I am
currently reading the William Butcher translation of 'Journey thcot Earth'
which appears thus far to be faultless.

I would very much appreciate any members advice on which of the English
editions of Jules Verne's works are best to purchase. I would also be
interested to hear members opinions on which of the works would be best to
read next!

Yours

Shaun Osborne
London, England
Received on Fri 30 Jun 2000 - 19:10:30 IDT

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