Interesting Facts about Jules Verne
Legendary French writer Jules Verne is considered the father of science fiction. Most of the fantastic things he wrote about in his books were later invented or discovered.
Jules Verne's entire body of work is united by one thing—his passion for travel and adventure, which remained with him throughout his life and which he infused into his books.
Interesting Facts about Jules Verne
● The future writer was born on February 8, 1828, into a family of lawyers. Jules was the eldest of five children.
● Jules Verne first attempted to embark on a journey at the age of 11. Running away from home, he signed on as a cabin boy on a ship bound for India. His parents managed to stop him in time.
● The writer's first work was a theatrical play called "Broken Straws." However, Jules Verne soon realized that playwriting was not his forte and it did not bring him profit. He abandoned this pursuit.
● Unlike most other writers who primarily worked from home, Jules Verne traveled extensively for much of his life. The experiences he gained provided him with inspiration for his writing.
● Because of his extensive travels, Jules Verne was admitted to the French Geographical Society, although he was not a scientist.
● Throughout his life, Jules Verne realized his dream when fame and wealth came to him. He always dreamed of owning his own ship, which meant the possibility of setting sail wherever he pleased. Upon becoming wealthy, he spared no expense and bought three yachts, each capable of crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
● Many of the fantastic inventions depicted in Jules Verne's books were later invented, such as the airplane or the aqualung. Furthermore, some scientists acknowledged that reading Jules Verne's books inspired them to invent certain devices.
● Of the 108 predictions made by the writer, only 10 have not yet been realized today.
● UNESCO conducted a study and found that Jules Verne's books were printed worldwide in 148 languages.
● The inspiration for writing the book "Around the World in Eighty Days" came from a newspaper article. The article discussed the possibility of traveling around the world in a short period if good means of transportation were invented.
● Jules Verne could write for over fifteen hours straight without leaving his study. When inspiration struck him, it was difficult to stop him.
● In 1886, the writer's nephew, who suffered from a mental disorder, shot Jules Verne in the leg. The injury was so serious that he could not walk for the rest of his life.
● Due to diabetes, the writer went blind shortly before his death, but he did not give up and continued to write, dictating his works to assistants.
● Much of the details of Jules Verne's biography have come down to us through the work of his grandson, who devoted almost his entire adult life (a full 40 years!) to compiling a biography of his famous grandfather with all the details. The writer's son, Michel Verne, became interested in filmmaking in his youth and he himself adapted five of his father's works for the screen. The literary heir of the author also made his contribution he found the original manuscript of the novel "Paris of the Twentieth Century", a fantastic novel that was considered lost forever. This work was published only many decades after the writer's death.
● Jules Verne passed away on March 24, 1905, from diabetes. He was 77 years old.
