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The Begum's Millions (Early Classics of Science Fiction)

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This 1879 moralistic Verne novel contrasts the ideal French city France-Ville with the malevolent German City of Steel. The founders of the respective cities were able to build them with their receipt of millions of dollars from an Indian rajah. The dark view of the German character Herr Schultze and his militarisic, imperialistic City of Steel is attributed to the French view of Germany after France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. But "The Begum's Millions" is not simply a nationalistic, chauvinistic French work of the time, but also a novelistic treatment in the genre of "Brave New World" and "1984" of central political and cultural subjects and controversies of the modern era. Industrialization, urban life, the benefits of improved health brought by science, political leadership, and the scourge of more destructive weapons are starkly portrayed. The French city manages to overcome the dire threat from the German city, absorbing the positive aspects of the latter into it for one combined community which is a "model city and factory." Nonetheless one can now see Verne's novel as a prophecy of the history of 20th-century Europe with the German city the victor. This edition part of Wesleyan's ongoing Early Classics of Science Fiction series is more than a economic, smart translation. With bibliographic matter of 20 pages on Verne's publications and another 11 pages on secondary sources, it is a notable resource on this pioneering author in the field of science fiction and fantasy.

The premise this novel is simple, if rather outlandish. Two distantly related scientists, Dr. Sarrasin of France and Professor Schultze of Germany, each inherit half of an enormous fortune. Each decides to use his share to construct a city in the wilderness of territorial Oregon. Dr. Sarrasin, whose primary interest is hygiene, founds France-Ville, a city of cleanliness and healthy living. Herr Schultze, an engineer, creates Stahlstadt, a combination coalmine, steel foundry, and weapons plant of colossal proportions. In order to demonstrate the power of his products to the world, and out of contempt for what he calls "the Latin races," Herr Schultze decides to destroy France-Ville by bombardment. Here, Verne's technical details anticipate inventions to come. Schultze creates MRV-style scatter-bombs, reminiscent of World War Two era firebombs or Regan era nuclear warheads, designed to shower fire over a wide area, as well as poison gas projectiles filled with deadly concentrations of carbon dioxide. France-Ville, it seems, is in serious trouble.
The hero of our story is Marcel Bruckman, an engineering student who is both roommate and tutor to Octave Sarrasin, the doctor's only son. Marcel is an Alsatian, not the dog of course, but a native of the conquered region. The novel begins in 1871, and Marcel has just lost his home to the enemy. Curiously, the novel, composed in 1879, hardly mentions the war directly. Marcel and Octave's military service is passed over a single paragraph, and their attitude toward the war's outcome is left to the reader's imagination. While Octave, newly rich, lives the high life in Paris, Marcel finishes school and then disappears, off to infiltrate Stahlstadt under an assumed name.
What follows is strangely reminiscent of a James Bond novel. Stahlstadt--both a fortress against intruders and a bureaucratic prison for its workers--is described in suffocating detail. Herr Schultze lives in a tower at the center of innumerable concentric rings of steel. He even has his own tropical jungle under a greenhouse dome, its heat maintained by geothermal energy, a stage set worthy of Dr. No or Goldfinger. In true super-villain form, he even allows Marcel to live once he is discovered as a spy, giving the young Alsatian time to plan a daring escape.
Of course, France-Ville is spared. There is, in fact, no climactic combat at all. Instead, Verne contrives an unusual and thoroughly surprising ending, which I will not spoil here. All in all, The Begum's Millions is a strange document. It encourages a post-war hatred of all things German while supposedly decrying racism and nationalism. The Chinese receive some odd treatment at the hands of the "enlightened" French. They are allowed to help build France-Ville, and at reasonable wages too, but only if they agree to return to China afterward, thus "solving" that very western problem of surplus cheap labor. Analogies could easily be made to the old bracero system or the new immigration policies the W administration is trying to implement. Despite the happy and relatively non-violent ending, this is one of Verne's more pessimistic novels. Money and scientific insight are depicted as dangerous when put into the wrong hands. The "wrong hands" here are defined by a man whose nation has suffered a bitter defeat. In spite of this, Verne has created an exciting adventure story, one which I believe most people can enjoy.

When two European scientists unexpectedly inherit an Indian rajah's fortune, each builds an experimental city of his dreams in the wilds of the American Northwest. And so begins The Begum's Millions, a masterpiece of scientific and political speculation. This Wesleyan edition features notes, appendices, and a critical introduction as well as all the illustrations from the original French edition. Here's what the Washington post Bookworld had to say: "To read Jules Verne is one of the great treats of childhood. To read Jules Verne later in life is to discover a writer just as satisfying but even richer, one who is not only a natural storyteller but also a mythmaker, a social critic and an innovative artist. ...Give The Begum's Millions or one of (his) other novels a try.... There's a lot more to Jules Verne than what you find in those old, albeit quite wonderful, Disney movies."

Until this new lovely edition, Verne's highly moralistic story of two rival scientists was only available in the flawed and dated translations dating back to its original 1879 publication. Here, the story emerges afresh under the capable hands of Stanford Luce, and is supported by the 80+ illustrations from the original French publication, as well as comprehensive annotations, bibliography, and biographical essay on Verne. These are excellent supplements to the core text, which do a great deal to tease out its themes and provide context. However, readers should be warned that the introduction and notes are both full of "spoilers" that give away key plot points and one may wish to return to them only after first reading the story. One element from the introduction well worth noting is that the story was not originally Verne's. Rather, the original manuscript was written around 1872 by the rather colorful Corsican writer Paschal Grousset. He submitted the work, then titled, "The Langevol Inheritance" to Verne's publisher, who bought it as a rough property for Verne to develop.

In any event, like so many of Verne's own stories, the tale concerns men with grand ideas about scientific progress and how it ought to be applied toward humanity. The hero is Dr. Sarrasin, a happily middle-aged Frenchman with a strong interest in what would today be called public health. The villain is Dr. Schultze, a German engineering professor of an altogether egoistical and bellicose nature. Written in the aftermath of France's humiliating defeat in the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian War, the story will be of great interest to anyone interested in studying the nationalism as expressed in literature. Verne indulges in the most chauvinistic stereotypes, presenting the German as racist, aggressive, overbearing, etc. and the Frenchman as humanistic, enlightened, rational, peace loving, etc. A supporting English character manages to convey the avarice, cunning, and scheming nature of the British, while the U.S. is generally portrayed as a chaotic place with little interest in outside events.

The two doctors are discovered to be 50/50 heirs to a vast Indian fortune, and are thus provided with the means to put their ideas to the practical test. The story hops forward five years and across the Atlantic to the Oregon coast, where apparently both men have bought large swathes of territory from the United States, and have built experimental utopian city-states. First, we are introduced to the dark "City of Steel", where Dr. Schultze rules as dictator over what is essentially a vast factory for making war materials, especially giant cannons. This fortresslike city is shrouded in mystery, bereft of women, and a place where everyone is essentially a robot programmed by Dr. Schultze. Indeed, its vision of industrialization as the debasement of humanity has much in common with the film "Metropolis" and other dystopian literary visions such as Yevgeny Ivanovich's "We".

Meanwhile, Dr. Sarrasin's democratic "France-Ville" is a strictly gridded, strictly organized monument to rationalist, idealist communal principals. Like a lot of utopian designs, some elements of it are explained in minute detail (here the urban planning and public health measures), while others are left rather more hazy (such as how its economy would actually work). The implication is that this is how mainland France would be if only mean ole' Germany would leave it alone. And of course, here, Dr. Schultze has a grand scheme to destroy France-Ville as the opening demonstration of superiority of the Germanic race over the dregs of Europe. Events proceed in the same vein of Verne's other scientific adventures, and the true superiority of the French temperament is seen to win out. Ultimately, the book is mainly interesting for its portrayal of nationalism, utopianism, and perhaps more to for its prescience regarding the chemical warfare of WWI, and even the decline of the German state into National Socialism and rule by a megalomaniac.