Famous works and quotes by Jules Verne, author of Around The World In Eighty Days and others

A visionary who wrote about submarines when none existed in his 1870 novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne is often referred to as the father of science fiction.

He breathed his last on March 24, 1905.

The author who had an immense influence on the avant-garde and surrealist literary movements was also the man behind such stellar works like the 1864 novel Journey to the Center of the Earth and the 1873 novel Around the World in Eighty Days.

Such is the author’s fame that even 115 years after his demise, his works continue to garner the same popularity as when they were first published over 150 years ago.

Verne is also the second most-translated author in the world since 1979, after Agatha Christie and before William Shakespeare.

On his 115th death anniversary, here is a look at some of his best works:

Journey to the Center of the Earth: Originally written as the Voyage au centre de la Terre, the 1864 science fiction novel follows German professor Otto Lidenbrock and his exploration on the volcanic tubes going toward the centre of the Earth. He, along with nephew and guide, descend into the Icelandic volcano Snæfellsjökull and unveils certain secrets.

Around The World In Eighty Days: This is one of Verne’s most acclaimed works. The book deals with Englishman Phileas Fogg and his French valet Passepartout’s journey around the world in 80 days following a bet.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea: A science fiction classic, it follows the adventures of Professor Pierre Aronnax and a crew inside a submarine named Nautilus.  

In Search of the Castaways: Verne published the book in 1867–68, originally written in French as Les Enfants du capitaine Grant (The Children of Captain Grant). The book narrates the story of the Captain Grant’s quest of the Britannia.

Five Weeks in a Balloon: This book is a mix of adventure and twists by Verne. It takes the reader around Africa, then unexplored by the Europeans.

Not just his work, but his quotes have been equally been remembered for years. Here are some of the well-known ones.

1.     Man is never perfect, nor contented.

2.     Reality provides us with facts so romantic that imagination itself could add nothing to them.

3.     Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth.

4.     The chance which now seems lost may present itself at the last moment.

5.     I believe cats to be spirits come to earth. A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through.

Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter

At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase.