From School Library Journal
Grade 4-8-Schoell tells the story of Verne's boyhood, including an incident in which he traded places with the cabin boy on a ship bound for the West Indies and made it to the first stop before his father caught up with him. Trained for the law as a student, his passion was science. A chance meeting with Alexandre Dumas led Verne to his other passion-writing. Schoell deftly portrays his subject's genius for marrying fantasy with plausibility. The book has all of the usual documentation: a list of major works, sources, bibliography, Web sites, and a much-needed glossary considering that the author uses words like "sycophant" and "vitiate." Average-quality, black-and-white photographs and reproductions appear throughout. Overall, this excellent biography about an interesting man will fill a gap in most collections.
Jane Halsall, McHenry Public Library District, IL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Jane Halsall, McHenry Public Library District, IL
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 6-12. Although nineteenth-century author Verne is still lauded for his ability to tell an exciting yarn and to tweak the imagination, Schoell makes clear that his contribution to both literature and science is broader and more significant than most people realize. While studying law at his father's request, Verne fed his boyhood passion for adventure by writing stories in which characters travel in unique ways to places Verne could only imagine. Influenced by his favorite author (Edgar Allan Poe) and friend (Victor Hugo), Verne became a Paris playwright and a nonfiction science writer before finding fame with novels that spun fascinating tales, invented unforgettable prehistoric animals, and inspired such scientific inventions as diving suits and rocket boosters. He also introduced the disaster novel, which would not find general favor until the twentieth century. Thanks to Schoell's smooth, crisp writing, this fascinating, approachable biography, which lends insight into Verne's eccentric characters and relatives, proves nearly as exciting as the writer's best stories. Roger Leslie
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
