Jules Verne

Presents Jules Verne's classic novel in which a French professor and his two companions sail above and below the world's oceans as prisoners on the fabulous electric submarine of the deranged Captain Nemo, and includes historical context, explanatory notes, excerpts of criticism, discussion questions, and other study tools.

"In one of Verne's supreme adventures, Professor Lidenbrock discovers a centuries-old document which, when decoded by his brilliant nephew Axel, offers instructions to the Earth's core. Accompanied by an Icelandic guide, they set off on a dangerous and exciting trek that begins with a descent into an extinct volcano. As the explorers travel through geologic time, they encounter a living past that holds the secrets to the origins of humanity"--

In Jules Verne's classic adventure tale, a hot air balloon is swept off course only to land on a faraway desert island
In the midst of the American Civil War, five prisoners hijack a hot air balloon to make their escape. Caught in the winds of a violent storm, the balloon is blown far, far away from its point of departure in Richmond, Virginia. When the craft crash-lands, its passengers find themselves castaways on an exotic island.

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Phileas Fogg, a British gentleman of independent means, bets his companions that he can travel around the entire world in just 80 days. He is determined not to lose the bet, no matter what obstacles arise - and they do arise!

This story is undeniably prophetic in both subject and tone. It portrays a day in the busy life of the managing editor of the world's largest newspaper in New York City (now called Centropolis). This narrative framework serves quite well as a stepping-stone for a detailed description of this entire future world, its technological advancements, its international relations, and its (ironically, still quite 19th-century) social mores.

Michel Strogoff, courrier du tzar, est chargé d'une mission secrète et périlleuse, rallier Irkoutsk à 5000 kilomètres de Moscou pour déjouer les plans d'Ivan Ogareff, un traitre, instigateur de l'invasion tartare qui déferle sur la Russie. Incognito, le jeune officier se lance dans une course haletante à travers la Sibérie dévastée par les hordes de Feofar-Khan... Sur cette route pleine d'obstacles, il trouve la belle Nadia, ainsi que les...

The story takes place in the Flemish town of Quiquendone, where life moves at an extraordinarily tranquil pace. Doctor Ox has offered to light the town with a new gas, but actually has other plans in place.

Dans la Chine Impériale, un jeune milliardaire désœuvré et blasé, Kin-Fo décide de mourir en apprenant sa ruine. Recherchant dans la mort des émotions absentes de sa vie, il fait promettre à son mentor, le philosophe Wang, un ancien tueur Taïping, de le tuer sous deux mois pour bénéficier de l'assurance qu'il a souscrit à son bénéfice et celui de sa fiancée, la belle Lé-ou ...Un retournement du sort fait retrouver à Kin-Fo sa fortune...

The stories in this volume reflect the dark themes evident in Verne's work at the beginning and end of his writing career. The early short story, "Master Zacharias" (1854), tells the story of an obsessive watchmaker faced with a Faustian bargain. Later novella, "The Castle of the Carpathians (1892), also reflects the dangers of obsession, as well as superstition. In both cases, Verne raises questions concerning the role of science in our understanding...

When a volcano suddenly seems to erupt and threaten a mountain town of North Carolina, Inspector Strock is sent to determine the danger. When an automobile race in Wisconsin is interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a vehicle traveling at many times the top speed of the entrants, Strock is again consulted. And when an odd-shaped boat is sighted moving at impossible speeds off the New England coast, Strock and his boss begin to wonder if the incidents...