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Re: Hector Servadac

From: Walter J Miller <wjm2~at~nyu.edu>
Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2007 08:10:48 -0500
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>
Cc: 1001~at~atlanticbb.net

Dear Vernians: Thank you for your acknowledgment of my memo about Verne's (Chaucer's, Shakespeare's, Dickens's) anti-Semitism. It takes a lot of guts for those of us raised Christian (I'm 90) to admit the complicity of the Church. I have put it into print with similar results----I forget for the moment which edition of which novel. Thanks especially to Jan Rychlik and Norm Wolcott. You have made me feel less isolated in this matter. I admit I am a bit shocked by the silence of a few I counted on. Cheers! Walter James Miller

----- Original Message -----
From: Norm Wolcott <nwolcott2ster~at~gmail.com>
Date: Thursday, September 6, 2007 11:36 am
Subject: Re: Hector Servadac
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
Cc: 1001~at~atlanticbb.net


> I somewhat thought this email might prompt some discussion on this one
> of Verne's most controversial books. I have not looked at the dates
> yet, but it would seem quite likely that the Seaside version was based
> on the magazin version, as in the case of Michael Strogoff the Emma
> Garrison Jones version precedes, at least in the beginning, any book
> version. There are even chapter inversions, but not having the
> "magazin" I cannot say for sure if these are translator errors or not.
>
> As for Verne's anti-semitic tendencies, these are as WJM states. The
> 3rd republic was seized by a wave of anti-semitism culminating in the
> Dreyfus Affair. Dreyfus was not fully exonerated until 1906, after
> Verne's death. See the illuminating Wikipedia article on the Dreyfus
> Affair, according to which antisemitism in the French military
> continued until the 2nd world war in the persona of the Vichy regime,
> which sent Dreyfus' grand-daughter to her death in the concentration
> camps.
>
> As a further question are any of the "magazin" versions available
> on-line for comparison purposes?
>
> On 9/6/07, Jan Rychlík <jan.rychlik~at~seznam.cz> wrote:
> > Dear Walter,
> >
> > thank you very much for this most pregnant specification. I feel it
> is an important output of this debate, no matter that my original
> input was to draw attention to the fact, that the Munro translation is
> probably based on the Magasin version and not to blame Verne for
> antisemitism (although it is deplorable).
> >
> > Sincerely
> >
> > Jan
> >
> > > ------------ Původní zpráva ------------
> > > Od: Walter J Miller <wjm2~at~nyu.edu>
> > > Předmět: Re: Hector Servadac
> > > Datum: 05.9.2007 18:02:00
> > > ----------------------------------------
> > > Vernians, this has been a typically productive discussion. I want
> to add what I
> > > must always add in defense of Chaucer, Shakespeare, Dickens, and Verne,
> > > shameless as it may sound. They were all raised in a church that
> preached
> > > anti-Semitism (until recently). Finally the next-to-the-present
> pope admitted
> > > it, the Jews were not responsible for Jesus' death, and the Jews
> are to be
> > > regarded as our elder brothers. Poor Chaucer, Shakespeare,
> Dickens and Verne
> > > did not have the benefit of such enlightenment in their early
> upbringing. We
> > > all know they would have preferred that interpretation. When his
> followers
> > > proclaimed him King of the Jews, the Romans had to take over, and
> the richest
> > > Jews, disturbed by Jesus' anti-rich man tendencies, were glad to
> turn him over
> > > to the Romans for execution. The Church found it convenient to put
> all the blame
> > > on the Jews, but no one aware of history can do that any longer.
> Cheers!
> > > Walter James Miler
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Jan Rychlík <jan.rychlik~at~seznam.cz>
> > > Date: Wednesday, September 5, 2007 10:08 am
> > > Subject: Re: Hector Servadac
> > > To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
> > >
> > >
> > > > Dear Chris,
> > > >
> > > > Hakhabut in fact is a representative of Germany/Germans, not
> Jews per
> > > > se. But it is, of course, significant of Verne's (or, rather,
> > > > contemporary conservative-christian) perception of Jews.
> > > >
> > > > As for Hetzel, according to Lottman's quotation of
> correspondence of
> > > > Hetzel father to Hetzel son, he deplored Verne's antisemitic panache
> > > > in Hector Servadac and Verne had to reduce it in rewriting the text
> > > > for book edition (Paris rabbi protested against the Magasine version).
> > > >
> > > > Your reaction implies that Hetzel was a Jew. Was he? Personally,
> I
> > > > remember one Jewish merchant of this name.
> > > >
> > > > Sincerely
> > > >
> > > > Jan
> > > >
> > > > > ------------ Původní zpráva ------------
> > > > > Od: Chris Moser <crmoser~at~shaw.ca>
> > > > > Předmět: Re: Hector Servadac
> > > > > Datum: 05.9.2007 14:22:52
> > > > > ----------------------------------------
> > > > > The question of Verne's attitude towards Jewish people can not
> be
> > > > separated
> > > > > from his relationship with Hetzel . Given Hetzel's significant
> > > > involvement
> > > > > in the editing of Verne's works and Hetzel's close personal
> > > > relationship
> > > > > with Verne I have always thought that the racist comments in the
> > > > Eglish
> > > > > editions were placed there by the translators.
> > > > >
> > > > > Chris
> > > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > > From: "Jan Rychlík" <jan.rychlik~at~seznam.cz>
> > > > > To: "Jules Verne Forum" <jvf~at~Gilead.org.il>
> > > > > Sent: Wednesday, September 05, 2007 1:07 AM
> > > > > Subject: Re:Hector Servadac
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > > Dear Norm,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I think it should be noted that Munro translation is probably
> > > > based on the
> > > > > > Magasin version of the novel. See Vol. 1, end chpt. 18:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Munro translation:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "In fact, captain," replied Count Timascheff, "there are, on
> this
> > > > fragment
> > > > > > of our old globe, the nations of France, Russia, Italy. Spain,
> > > > England,
> > > > > > and Germany. As for the last, it must be allowed that she is
> very
> > > > badly
> > > > > > represented by this Jew."
> > > > > > " No, I do not think so," replied Captain Servadac.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Ellen Frewer's translation:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > "True, captain," answered the count; "we have only a
> fragment of a
> > > > world,
> > > > > > but it contains natives of France, Russia, Italy, Spain, and
> > > > England. Even
> > > > > > Germany may be said to have a representative in the person
> of this
> > > >
> > > > > > miserable Jew."
> > > > > > "And even in him," said Servadac, "perhaps we shall not find
> so
> > > > > > indifferent a representative as we at present imagine."
> > > > > >
> > > > > > conform to the French book version:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > – En effet, capitaine, répondit le comte Timascheff, il y a,
> sur
> > > > ce
> > > > > > fragment de notre ancien globe, des nationaux de France, de
> > > > Russie, d'Italie,
> > > > >
> > > > > > d'Espagne, d'Angleterre, d'Allemagne. Quant à celle-ci, il faut
> > > > convenir
> > > > > > qu'elle est assez mal représentée par ce renégat!
> > > > > > – Ne nous montrons pas trop difficiles!» répondit le
> capitaine Servadac.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Sincerely
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Jan
> > > > > >
> > > > > >> ------------ Původní zpráva ------------
> > > > > >> Od: Norm Wolcott <nwolcott2ster~at~gmail.com>
> > > > > >> Předmět: Hector Servadac
> > > > > >> Datum: 04.9.2007 22:12:51
> > > > > >> ----------------------------------------
> > > > > >> By now I am sure everyone has looked at the Munro version
> of Hector
> > > > > >> Servadac on the Library of Congress web site. However, the
> > > > magazine is
> > > > > >> a little difficult to read online, and so I have posted a preliminary
> > > > > >> version of chapters 1-5 on ibiblio at
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/docs/books/sherwood/Servadac_001-005.htm
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> As is known the Sampson Low translation by Ellen Frewer ,
> > > > although it
> > > > > >> follows the story line faithfully, is defective in that it
> paraphrases
> > > > > >> much of the action and conversations, and much of the
> detail is lost.
> > > > > >> In addition she seems almost to be trying to explain the
> story to
> > > > the
> > > > > >> English readers as if afraid they will not get the point at
> all if
> > > > > >> translated literally. That may be true. We do not have to venture
> > > > very
> > > > > >> far into the novel to see how much of the original flavor
> has been
> > > > > >> lost in the Frewer version. Miss Frewer has also softened down
> > > > much of
> > > > > >> Verne's descriptions of Isaac Hakhabut perhaps noting a little
> > > > > >> overkill.
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> The Munro translation about which I shall have more to say
> later
> > > > is
> > > > > >> much more of a literal translation giving us the
> unvarnished Verne.
> > > > > >> Unfortunately there is much error in the typography
> requiring much
> > > > > >> editorial redaction, in addition to the normal OCR
> difficulties and
> > > > > >> spelling variations from page to page.
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> One interesting feature of the Seaside Library edition is the
> > > > > >> confusion of "u" with "n". These two letters are identical
> > > > > >> typographically, but there are notches indicating the top
> and bottom.
> > > > > >> It appears that after typesetting a junior or apprentice distributed
> > > > > >> the type into the type boxes, carelessly confusing several
> "u"
> > > > > >> 'sand"n" 's. There was obviously not much opportunity for
> proof
> > > > > >> reading in this high speed operation.
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >> --
> > > > > >> Norman Wolcott, nwolcott2 at post.harvard.edu
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>
> > > > > >>
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
> --
> Norman Wolcott, nwolcott2 at post.harvard.edu
Received on Fri 07 Sep 2007 - 16:11:06 IDT

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