Finding Captain Nemo
Yeah, I went there. (If it hadn't been for a certain cartoon movie, that would've made an excellent title for my novel!) Columnist Sydney Harris used to run a feature titled "Things I learned en route to looking up other things." In that spirit, I'd like to share some things I learned while researching and writing "The Nautilus Legacy."
1) Jules Verne was a victim of political correctness. His original intention was to make Nemo Polish and the country he hated Russia. Verne's editor squashed that idea, reasoning it would be bad for book sales in Russia and bad for France's diplomatic relations with the czarist empire. When Verne gave Nemo the identity of an Indian prince in "Mysterious Island" --a move his grandson called "a sop to the readers"--it was considered a more acceptable explanation for the times in which he lived. I felt a very strong duty to restore the author's original intent, which I have done.
2) While Verne is highly regarded in Europe, his best-known work is not well esteemed in English-speaking countries. This is due to the poor quality of the initial English translation of "20,000 Leagues," which has been repeatedly republished in public domain editions of his work. That translation mangled his scientific numbers, left out an entire chapter, and is generally seen as the equivalent of a botched surgery.
3) Verne was also the victim of creative vandalism. The most prominent English version of "Mysterious Island" arbitrarily changed character names. Cyrus Smith became Cyrus Harding; Pencroff became Pencroft; Harbert became Herbert--all because the translator thought Verne's names weren't American enough for the American characters. It, too, has been widely republished and circulated.
It's a grand testament to Verne's talent and vision that his work survived such literary atrocities to be as well-remembered, enjoyed, and influential as it is. Merci, M. Verne! Merci!
1) Jules Verne was a victim of political correctness. His original intention was to make Nemo Polish and the country he hated Russia. Verne's editor squashed that idea, reasoning it would be bad for book sales in Russia and bad for France's diplomatic relations with the czarist empire. When Verne gave Nemo the identity of an Indian prince in "Mysterious Island" --a move his grandson called "a sop to the readers"--it was considered a more acceptable explanation for the times in which he lived. I felt a very strong duty to restore the author's original intent, which I have done.
2) While Verne is highly regarded in Europe, his best-known work is not well esteemed in English-speaking countries. This is due to the poor quality of the initial English translation of "20,000 Leagues," which has been repeatedly republished in public domain editions of his work. That translation mangled his scientific numbers, left out an entire chapter, and is generally seen as the equivalent of a botched surgery.
3) Verne was also the victim of creative vandalism. The most prominent English version of "Mysterious Island" arbitrarily changed character names. Cyrus Smith became Cyrus Harding; Pencroff became Pencroft; Harbert became Herbert--all because the translator thought Verne's names weren't American enough for the American characters. It, too, has been widely republished and circulated.
It's a grand testament to Verne's talent and vision that his work survived such literary atrocities to be as well-remembered, enjoyed, and influential as it is. Merci, M. Verne! Merci!
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