Jules Verne Forum

<jvf@Gilead.org.il>

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 19961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012

Re: Journey and Journey 2

From: David McCallister <drmmystery1881~at~gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:30:40 -0500
To: Jules Verne Forum <jvf~at~gilead.org.il>

   This is the central conceit of those Sherlockians (Sherlock Holmes fans)
who play what is called "The Great Game", ie that the characters and
events "really happened", as Art says. This idea goes back to Ronald Knox
and Dorothy Sayers in the 1920's.
   Once one buys into this notion, John H. Watson becomes the true author
and Holmes's biographer, and Arthur Conan Doyle is known to us as his
Literary Agent. Similarly, Jules Verne would be merely the Literary Agent
of Prof. Arronax and others, or at least a ghost writer for them.
   There's a lot of potential in identifying cross-over characters and
events. I have already made a case for identifying Prof. Moriarty as
J.T.Maston, although others prefer Cpt. Nemo. This adds an extra dimension
to studying both canons.

   I haven't seen Journey 2, yet, but I did see last week what was billed
as "Jules Verne's Mysterious Island" on the SYFY cable TV channel here in
the US . It was a travesty. But, what would be expected? I only hope
Journey 2 is better- it could hardly be worse.
David McCallister, Tampa, FL

On Mon, Feb 20, 2012 at 10:10 AM, aevans2 tds.net <aevans2~at~tds.net> wrote:

> Dear Vernian friends,
>
> This weekend I went to see the film *Journey 2: The Mysterious Island*with Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson and the young actor named Josh Hutcherson
> who appeared in *Journey to the Center of the Earth in 3D* with Brendan
> Fraser. It was mildly entertaining but, of course, has nothing to do with
> Verne (although the volcano spitting out gold reminded me of *The Golden
> Volcano*).
>
> One important feature shared by both films, however, is the notion that
> the events in Verne's novels *really happened* and were not just fiction.
> This is the supposed secret shared by most "Vernians" around the world. So
> the films' protagonists (ironically) follow in the footsteps of Lidenbrock,
> Axel, Cyrus Smith, Nemo et al. and, during the course of their many
> adventures, confirm the real existence of these original Vernian
> characters.
>
> In one way, this notion is a useful gimmick to avoid direct comparisons
> between the films and Verne's novels (which would be very unflattering to
> the films). But I also found it fascinating as a verisimilitude-building
> device. And I remember Verne doing exactly the same thing in _Le Sphinx
> des glaces_ (The Ice Sphinx). In this novel Edgar Allan Poe's Arthur
> Gordon Pym is treated as a *real* person whose adventures at the South Pole
> *really happened* according to Captain Len Guy. Yet another irony.
>
> Best,
> Art
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Received on Mon 20 Feb 2012 - 17:30:46 IST

JV.Gilead.org.il
Copyright © Zvi Har’El
$Date: 2012/02/20 16:00:03 $$