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Paris in the Twentieth Century

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Purely as a work of literature, Paris in the Twentieth Century lacks the qualities of the best novels that have insured Verne's reputation for over a century. Nonetheless, Paris in the Twentieth Century will be of interest to readers for two primary reasons, because of its prophecies, but even more because of its early position in the development of dystopian science fiction. On the most basic, surface level, Paris in the Twentieth Century is an astonishing book for its depiction of the modern age. Written in 1863, the story is set in the Paris of the 1960s. Paris in the Twentieth Century concerns a 16-year-old, Michel Dufrénoy, who graduates, with a devotion to literature and the classics, but finds they have been forgotten in a futuristic world where only technological writing is favored. The officially sanctioned creativity is government sponsorship of the arts, resulting in lowbrow theater for the masses.
Dufrénoy determines to be an artist, working on his own, but finds that his book of poetry is impossible to sell, and soon he is starving in the winter's cold, one of the few forces of nature that science has yet to overcome. In despair, he spends his last sous to buy violets for his beloved, but finds that she has disappeared from her apartment, evicted when her father lost his job as the university's last teacher of rhetoric. In a moving but excessively melodramatic climax, the heartbroken Dufrénoy, bereft of friends and loved ones, wanders through the frozen, mechanized, electrical wonders of Paris. The subjectivity becomes steadily more surreal as the dying artist, in a final paroxysm of despair, unconsciously circles an old cemetery. Dufrénoy encounters the modern tool of criminal execution-the electric chair (yet another scientific prediction, opposed to the guillotine of Verne's time)-before freezing to death.
The macabre imagery of this peroration to Paris in the Twentieth Century may be inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe was one of Verne's principal models as a writer, and was also the subject of Verne's only literary essay-written at the time of Paris in the Twentieth Century. Poe may have also provided direct impetus for the characterization of Dufrénoy. Like his portrayal of Dufrénoy, Verne believed that Poe's potential creativity had clashed with the uncongenial background of an industrial, material society in America. The strange end of Poe's life may even have provided the idea for the bizarre climax of Paris in the Twentieth Century and the death of Dufrénoy.
Verne's prophecies of the world to come in Paris in the Twentieth Century, both in technical and cultural terms, are breathtaking in their extent and nearly unerring accuracy. Virtually every page is crowded with evidence of Verne's ability to forecast the science and life of the future, from feminism to the rise of illegitimate births, from email to burglar alarms, from the growth of suburbs to mass-produced higher education, including the dissolution of humanities departments. Perhaps Verne's most amusing error was in anticipating that the government would conduct itself in such a businesslike way as to show a dividend.
However, Verne's publisher, Pierre-Jules Hetzel, rejected Paris in the Twentieth Century as simply unbelievable. He also disapproved of the pessimistic, dystopian tone of the novel, believing that it would not attract readers and might potentially destroy Verne's promising career after the publication of his first scientific adventure and popular success, Cinq Semaines en ballon. Not all of Hetzel's judgments were so questionable. He also recognized that from the standpoint of the requirements of novel, Paris in the Twentieth Century was structurally weak, particularly in the narrative elements Hetzel believed were so necessary in speculative fiction. While characterization was seldom Verne's strength as a writer, usually the fault was obscured by the context of the story, with an adventurous, scientific, fantastic, or comedic setting. In Paris in the Twentieth Century Verne centers his narrative, for the only time, on self-consciously artistic characters-and the results are noticeably neither credible nor intriguing.
Paris in the Twentieth Century was translated into English by Richard Howard, previously familiar to Vernians for translating into English the essays on Verne of such prominent theoreticians as Roland Barthes and Michel Butor. Howard's translation of Paris in the Twentieth Century is generally literal, faithful to the wording and syntax of Verne, to the point of preserving the flow of Verne's wording in an unwieldy manner for modern readers. However, Howard goes so far in this direction as to be unnecessarily awkward. He amplifies every nuance that surfaces from each phrase and verb conjugation in the process of translation, to the point of adding complexity that is not present in the original text (perhaps an echo of Howard's work translating many continental literary theorists). Howard thus creates more convoluted phrasing than was necessary, when a more direct and less complex style would have been more readable and still faithful to the text. Howard's most evident changes to the text are in format, such as inserting breaks in chapters where there are none. Howard also occasionally merges short paragraphs into fuller paragraphs, or consolidates brief, single-phrase sentences into longer, more properly grammatical sentences. By doing so, Howard loses some of the intended staccato effect of Verne's style and the meaning it creates; for instance, the impact of Dufrénoy expiring in the snow is lessened by combining into a single paragraph the final, closing lines of the novel.
Howard does not seem to know of the recent tradition of Verne translations over the last forty years, although his work falls squarely within the attempt to evoke a Verne closer to the original French texts than had been the case in 19th century translations. In conversation with this reviewer, Howard defended the inaccurate 19th century translations for their "wonderful tonality," and revealed that he was unaware of the serious literary studies of Verne outside of those that he had translated himself, describing Verne as analyzed only by a few "eccentrics."

Michel Dufrenoy is a man born out of time. Possessing the soul of an artist, he lives in a time when the artist is despised, and the industrialist is utterly triumphant. Where can Michel go to fit in? What place can an artist find in the Paris of 1960?

Jules Verne wrote this short book in 1863, but his publisher rejected it as unrealistic. In many ways, what Verne wrote was prescient. He wrote about electric lights, asphalt streets and motorcars, but he went far beyond that. He foresaw the future degradation of art ("I've even heard of a certain Courbet, at one of his last exhibitions, showed himself, face to the wall, in the performance of one of the most hygienic but least elegant actions of life!"), and the deconstruction of history in mass entertainment ("...History must be raped if she is to bear a child. And she was made to bear any number, who themselves bore no resemblance to their mother!")

This book is highly polemical in nature. Verne makes quite clear his distaste for capitalism and its concomitant mindset. Also, this story offers no great insight, but merely warns. I found the story fascinating for its seeming precognition, but did not find the story particularly entertaining. Therefore, I give this book a qualified recommendation--read this book as an interesting historical document, but not as an entertaining story.

This is a most singular work of science fiction indeed. Like many of the futuristic technological marvels Jules Verne described, this novel lay in obscurity, waiting for someone to come along and discover it. That someone was Verne's great-grandson, who in 1989 found the manuscript in an old safe that was thought to be empty. While I bought this book as soon as it was published, I have only now compelled myself to read it. I could not help but wonder if Verne would want this novel published now in its current form, especially given the fact it was one of his earliest writings, so I held off in respect to the founding father of science fiction. Having now read the novel, I must say it differs significantly from the other Verne novels I have read, expressing a maudlin and tragically pessimistic vision for the future of modern society. At the same time, its defense of the classics, arts and literature, and individual freedom is quite moving.

In one of the richest ironies in the history of literature, Verne's editor rejected the manuscript of Paris in the Twentieth Century because, in his own words, "No one today will believe your prophecy." As with so many of Verne's visionary ideas, however, fiction has now become fact. Among the wild ideas included in these pages are fax machines, horse-less carriages, a subway system, computers, calculators, and other modern luxuries we take for granted now. A much longer list could be produced, but I would contend that too much of the reaction to this "lost" novel has directed itself to Verne's prophecies fulfilled. Certainly, the basis of Verne's future society is built on technological accomplishment, but Paris in the Twentieth Century is a social commentary that rivals in its unnerving implications famous dystopian novels such as George Orwell's 1984.

Verne's vision of Paris in 1960 is a troubling one indeed; the wonders of technology have worked miracles on earth, yet humanity's savior has proceeded to become its curse. It's an action-oriented society, one run with great economy and efficiency. War has been made extinct because, once war progressed to the point that machines and not men were fighting each other, the whole thing seemed ridiculous. Life itself has become scientific, and in the process the society has given up its own humanity. There is no place for an idealistic dreamer such as Michel Dufrenoy in this world where the arts and literature have been completely forgotten; popular literature now consists of books such as The Lubrication of Driveshafts. Popular music is so un-melodic that it would make even John Cage cringe. Still, young Michel does try to become a modern man, taking a job (his first of many) in his guardian's bank. He finds friends in a long-lost uncle, one of his co-workers, his former teacher, and the lovely grand-daughter of the latter. Even still, his life of quiet desperation grows more and more disheartening and threatens to make him a martyr for the forgotten cause of the arts.

Verne's warnings over the possible dangers of the technology he is famous for espousing makes for an intriguing read. Through Michel, Verne gives the reader a crash course on the history of French literature and thought as well as a primer of sorts on musical history. Some critics say the characters of this novel are ephemeral, but I found them all quite compelling, especially the main character Michel. The only real issue I have with the book is the fact that Verne basically left matters unresolved; while this is indeed effective in terms of Michel, I yearned to know the ultimate fates of the extraordinary friends he had acquired. While there are a few comical bits in this book, Paris in the Twentieth Century is a somber, very serious book warning of the possible unintended consequences of modernization. It shows Verne as a true visionary as well as a social critic and devoted lover of literature. This book is so rooted in the French ideals of Verne's time that those who, like me, are not overly familiar with the context in which Verne was writing may not appreciate and understand all of the text's nuances, but its prophetic warnings are even more timely now than they were in 1863.

The story of the discovery of Jules Verne's novel PARIS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY is the stuff of fantasy: The 1863 unpublished manuscript was discovered lying in a safe some 130 years later.

It tells the tale of one Michel Dufrenoy, winner of a prize in poetry at a time when poetry, indeed literature, means nothing. Thousands of books are still published, but they are all engineering and scientific works with sesquipedalian titles. The real hero, however, is the city of Paris circa 1960: a city of engineering marvels with such devices as elevators, fax machines, underground trains, and gas-powered cabs. (Curiously, this future world also contains quill pens and giant accounting ledger books with scaffolding.)

Verne's vision of the future is endlessly fascinating, especially as so many of his predictions have come true. Where the young Verne faltered, however, is his failure to display the rambunctious 19th century optimism of his later works. Instead of a triumphant tone, we have a world in which the individual who refuses to be a cog in the great works of society becomes marginalized and ultimately crushed. PARIS IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY is a young writer's experiment that was rejected by publishers of the day, ostensibly because its vision was too far-fetched (it isn't), but oddly not because it was pervaded with a feeling of doom (which it certainly is).

The book makes interesting reading for its insights, but fails as a story. The hero and his struggling friends are sadly short-changed.

Although it is true of the plot of this book being rather weak, the overall message of art, imagination, and creativity being lost and technology dehumanizing all is a powerful one for this day and age. We argue now for funding of the arts, but do we really know what art truly is or is it a result of our present environment skewing our view on things?

Jules Verne is best known as an early science fiction writer. As most readers know, his "Inventions" include the atomic submarine (20,000 Leagues ...). In "Paris..." he is more of a futurist in the vein of George Orwell. In fact Orwell's writing style in "1984" is very similar to this book. Verne forsees the 20th century clearly but misses some important 19th century innovations. He writes about elevated rapid transit trains and computers. However, his Paris does not have inside toilets, an invention from a few years after the book was written. The plot - and there is one is - expounds the difficulties which a non-technical person has in a highly technical society. It is a first class tragedy. The society has no use for "The classics." Books, plays, etc. are written by committees with the aid of computers. Even the job of soldiering as an occupation is gone since modern technology has made war obsolete. Summing up, "Paris in the 20th Century" is fascinating to read while remembering when it was written and the plot although weak, still carries the book through to its sad conclusion.

Verne's ability to extrapolate a remarkably accurate vision of the future by dreaming of uses for the new inventions of his day is incredible. he foresees the mass-market use of paper made from wood pulp, automobiles, calculators, fax machines...etc. by looking closely at the inventions that are just beginning to receive attention in his own time. The plot of this novel is not really worth anything; it serves only as a framework around which this vision of 1960 Paris is built. This is a good (short) read for anyone interested in how technology evolves and might serve as a primer for aspiring futurists.

This work was not printed during Verne's lifetime. This was because of the depressing nature of the work. It is well written, and does have some accurate points as far as prophecy goes, automobiles, high speed trains, governmental control of education. However, Verne seems to suggest that society came to worship(or, at least, respect) science while ignoring the fuzzy studies of humanities. If you look around America today, the general ignorance of science is appalling, and fuzzy studies are becoming fuzzier all the time... So, as a look into the future, this novel fails miserably. As I note that at least one major newspaper reviewer criticizes Verne for being a "technonerd" that nobody reads, let us remember Verne is the father of science fiction(as in SCIENCE), and even his more famous works, such as "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", have a great deal of contemporary science in them. If someone does feel science is boring and nerdy, he certainly will not enjoy this book and will be better off purchasing a comic book. In conclusion, this is not a great Jules Verne novel, but his worst is better than many novelists best!

Jules Verne's Paris in the Twentieth Century, hailed and widely publicized as "The Lost Novel" when it was discovered in 1989 and published in English in 1994, is valuable to the history of science fiction literature, but is not necessarily what one would expect from a Jules Verne novel. This particular text was written in 1863 and submitted for publication following the success of Verne's first published story, Five Weeks in a Balloon. His publisher, Pierre-Jules Hetzel, rejected the novel on the basis that it presented such a pessimistic view of the future that it would only harm the author's growing reputation as the writer of exciting adventure stories.

Paris in the Twentieth Century is certainly dystopic in nature. It presents a future world replete with technology, but devoid of culture. In fact, artists, writers, musicians, and other scholars as we know them today have no place in this highly structured, government controlled society. Our protagonist, the teenaged Michel Dufrenoy, fits into this category. He worships at the altar of the great French writers and philosophers of old, but the names of his gods are virtually unknown and entirely unimportant in the world of the future. Unfortunately, the character of Michel remains relatively undeveloped throughout the text: from his introduction, through his continued disillusionment, and finally his melodramatic "death" in a cemetery, he grows little and entertains less. The plot is also unlike the plots of other Verne works; this book does not have much in the way of action, and doesn't present the sort of adventurous journey that we have come to expect from Verne through his other works, like Journey to the Center of the Earth or Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

However, the text is perhaps unintentionally made more interesting through the accuracy of Verne's predictions of future technology. Among other things, Verne describes gasoline-powered automobiles, a public metro system with elevated trains, computer-like devices, global communication networks similar to the Internet, military weapons, public electric lighting, commercial advertising, global financial markets, fax machines . . . the list goes on and on, even including predictions of modern electronic music. While there are certainly some elements that miss the mark (pianos that convert to both dining tables and commodes?), Verne produces a vision of the future that, from the modern perspective, is largely believable. Overall, Paris in the Twentieth Century is worth a read, not only for Verne fans and science fiction buffs, but also for anyone who is interested in the development of the modern novel and the portrayal of the artist repressed by his society.

This novel, written in 1863, was never published until 1994. It is a total departure from Verne's more well known adventure novels. It is heavily introspective and depressing in its social predictions. The novel is all the more fascinating in that is was written early in his career, possibly a little autobiographical since he had not yet achieved the fame we know him for today. It seems he took his own advice and wrote grand adventure novels instead of the more cerebral.

The setting is France, Paris in particular, of the 1960s. One hundred years in the future from the writer's point of view. The central issue is that industry has remade the world, and while most people are physically well off the pursuit of art, poetry and music is dead. The protagonist is the 16 year old Michel, recent graduate and winner of the now scoffed at prize of 'Best Latin Verse'. He is a poet and has as his only allies an old uncle and older professor. Neither can help him, and warn that he must sublimate his poetic tendencies in order to survive in 1960 Paris. Verne uses the prediction of many modern conveniences; fax machines, universal electricity, mass transportation, to paint a soleless city where the young poet must make a living now that he has finished school.

Michel is apprenticed to another uncle and cousin, both bankers and both the epitome of modern industrialists. He soon fails several jobs and must assist the bank's chief scribe, a closet musician who befriends poor Michel. Verne uses each encounter between Michel and the other characters to prognosticate the doom of each and every form of art, theater, opera. None escape the ultimate demise.

The depth and breath of literary critique are amazing. I especially recommend chapter 10 where he describes past literary works as soldiers and generals. It makes one want to seek out any non-fiction or essays by Verne. Gone are the chases and narrow escapes of other books. Instead there are plenty of witticisms and clever observations on the future of French culture.