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Re: anti-German feeling of JV

From: Jan Rychlík <jan.rychlik~at~seznam.cz>
Date: Wed, 09 Jun 2004 00:02:30 +0200 (CEST)
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
Cc:

Dear Ralf,

I checked the quotes you excerpted from LES CINQ CENTS MILLIONS DE LA BEGUM. I understood the first ("sens si remarquable de la justice que possédaient tous les Allemands") rather a proffessional flattery of Mr. Sharp, than JV's particular standpoint. The third ("homme aux facultés puissantes") looks like typical paying respect to the vanquished enemy.

But in the second case ("sentiment musical inné dans la race germanique"), you nailed me for superficial reading of the novel. Still I would like to say that JV (in the person of Marcel) was simply just in this assumption. There was no match to German composers in France at the time.

But I am really astonished that you didn't find this novel ani-German. Perhaps I am a victim of some Czech tradition of explication of the novel. I always thought that our moviemakers played down the anti-german tone in their 1980s adaptation of the novel in order to export the film. (They even renamed Schultze to Janus.)

Sincerely

Jan Rychlik

================= Původní zpráva =================
Od (From): ralf.tauchmann~at~t-online.de
Komu (To): "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
Kopie (Cc):
Předmět (Subject): Re: anti-German feeling of JV
Datum (Date): 8. 6. 2004 18:48
==================================================

> "Jan Rychl <jan.rychlik~at~seznam.cz> schrieb:
> > But in the context of LES CINQ CENTS MILLIONS DE LA BEGUM
> > the quote about German bed doesn't seems ironical.
>
> Dear Jan,
>
> By curiosity, I've checked "LES 500 MILLIONS DE LA BEGUM"
> and should like to quote the following passages:
>
> "... il comptait que le sens si remarquable de la justice que possédaient
> tous les Allemands admettrait que Billows, Green et Sharp acquéraient
> aussi, en cette occasion, des droits d'ordre différent, mais bien plus
> impérieux, à la reconnaissance du professeur."
>
> Or:
>
> "Cette précision dans les manoeuvres est la grande force allemande.
> Elle procède du sentiment musical inné dans la race germanique.
> Jamais les Anglais ne pourront atteindre à cette perfection: l'oreille
> leur manque, sinon la discipline. Des Français peuvent y arriver
> aisément, eux qui sont les premiers danseurs du monde..."
>
> So I do not see any actual "anti-German" feeling. As to the rather
> unconfortable German bed, I think, Jules Verne just was right.
> In German, the "French bed" still is highly appreciated (for several
> reasons, not just sleeping...).
>
> I think we should bear in mind that Jules Verne is "trival literature"
> (entertainment literature). Verne uses a lot of clichés and stereotpyes.
> His particular skills are plot settings linked to geographic discoveries
> and technico-scientific inventions. Anyway, Verne speaks to us from
> pre-World-War times with largely obsolete nationalist views... at least,
> I hope so. But, to the honour of Jules Verne, although he often utters
> nationalist views as generally accepted, his actual plots (his very own
> input) are different. In Hector Servadac, there is a rainbow flag for
> a peaceful co-existence on the comet. In "BEGUM", doctor SARRASIN says
> when learning that Schutz is dead:
>
> " Ah! pourquoi cet homme aux facultés puissantes s'était-il constitué
> notre ennemi? Pourquoi surtout n'a-t-il pas mis ses rares qualités
> intellectuelles au service du bien? Que de forces perdues dont l'emploi
> eût été utile, si l'on avait pu les associer avec les nôtres et
> leur donner un but commun ! "
>
> So, although Jules Verne uses nationalist and other stereotpyes,
> his plots are different. As a German, I've never felt BEGUM was
> anti-German...
>
> Best regards,
>
> Ralf Tauchmann
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> mailto:ralf.tauchmann~at~t-online.de
> tel: +49-351-8336141 fax: -8336142
> http://www.ratau.de ; http://tauchmann.ratau.de
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>

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Received on Wed 09 Jun 2004 - 01:31:48 IDT

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