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An Adventure, With Appendix And Maps
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
234 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1910
105 people are currently reading
900 people want to read
About the author
C.A.E. Moberly
2 books1 followerCharlotte Anne Moberly (1846–1937) was an English academic, best remembered for her claim that she and fellow academic, Eleanor Jourdain, had slipped back in time whilst visiting Versailles. Moberly and Jourdain originally published their story under the pseudonyms Elizabeth Morison and Frances Lamont.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
July 22, 2015
This was quite a fascinating read. The authors present their experience in minute detail and explain the research they painstakingly carried out over a decade in their attempt to get to the bottom of what happened. As the book progresses, the reader comes to appreciate how from their point of view, what they experienced is truly inexplicable. I liked how their quest for answers led them to dig for and uncover more and more historical information that slowly painted a picture of Marie Antoinette's life and connected the dots between the various seemingly unimportant details of what happened that day, leading them to understand the significance of certain things. Regardless of the reasons behind the mysterious events, they gained a unique perspective of this slice of history. For that reason, it's an interesting read for anyone trying to learn more about the French Revolution.
Their effort is admirable, especially when you compare how much easier it would be to do the same research today with the benefit of the Internet and easy remote communications. As it was, it being 1902-1910 they had to hunt down people who knew people who had heard stories, visit libraries and pore over dusty old maps in bookshops. And since they lived in England, they often could do this research only during their trips to France.
The average reader may find this book a bit dry, since after the initial presentation of the events the authors go into extraordinarily detailed explanations of their research and the events are examined from many angles (creating a sense of repetition). It should be remembered that they approached this in part from an academic perspective.
Most of all, I enjoyed the very interesting conclusion they ultimately drew in their attempt to explain this apparent slip in time.
The one downside to this book, as other people have commented, is that large sections of French quotes are included but without any translation. Maybe back in 1911 the average educated English person could read French, but this could be frustrating for the non-French-speaking reader of today. For me it was fine because I luckily can understand French.
I read the public domain version of this book online (first edition published in 1911 under pseudonyms) so can't comment on any additional information that may be included in this particular edition.
Their effort is admirable, especially when you compare how much easier it would be to do the same research today with the benefit of the Internet and easy remote communications. As it was, it being 1902-1910 they had to hunt down people who knew people who had heard stories, visit libraries and pore over dusty old maps in bookshops. And since they lived in England, they often could do this research only during their trips to France.
The average reader may find this book a bit dry, since after the initial presentation of the events the authors go into extraordinarily detailed explanations of their research and the events are examined from many angles (creating a sense of repetition). It should be remembered that they approached this in part from an academic perspective.
Most of all, I enjoyed the very interesting conclusion they ultimately drew in their attempt to explain this apparent slip in time.
The one downside to this book, as other people have commented, is that large sections of French quotes are included but without any translation. Maybe back in 1911 the average educated English person could read French, but this could be frustrating for the non-French-speaking reader of today. For me it was fine because I luckily can understand French.
I read the public domain version of this book online (first edition published in 1911 under pseudonyms) so can't comment on any additional information that may be included in this particular edition.
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July 30, 2018 tough book to assign a star rating to, but it was fun.
In August 1901, two women visiting Versailles decided they'd visit the Petit Trianon. Baedeker in hand, Miss Charlotte Anne Elizabeth Moberly and Miss Eleanor Frances Jourdain set off from the Salle des Glaces toward their destination, and according to their accounts of their experiences, somehow found themselves in Versailles at the end of the eighteenth century. This book, detailing what became known as the "Moberly-Jourdain Incident" sparked a controversy that continued over the decades, a number of books, radio and television dramatizations, and as Wikipedia quotes historian Roy Strong, the incident "retained its hold on the public imagination for half a century." Even now, a full century-plus later, all manner of websites exist on the topic, so obviously some people are still interested.
In 1911, the two women published this book, which includes their individual accounts of what happened that day, their research (which they note "had been undertaken with the idea of disproving the suggestion that anything unusal had happened") over the ten years that had elapsed since their initial experiences, and it is here that the authors also attempt to offer proof that what they had encountered could have only taken place in the late eighteenth century. They claim to have had no previous knowledge of Versailles in the eighteenth century prior to 1901, making it impossible to have come up with the detailed descriptions given in their respective accounts. Noting that they do not "pretend to understand -- what happened to put us into communication with so many true facts," they go on to say that the book was meant to "record exactly what happened as simply and fully as possible."
While it's your own call whether or not the story is a hoax, An Adventure is still a fine read for anyone at all interested in otherworldly sorts of phenomena.
more: http://www.nonfictionrealstuff.com/20...
In August 1901, two women visiting Versailles decided they'd visit the Petit Trianon. Baedeker in hand, Miss Charlotte Anne Elizabeth Moberly and Miss Eleanor Frances Jourdain set off from the Salle des Glaces toward their destination, and according to their accounts of their experiences, somehow found themselves in Versailles at the end of the eighteenth century. This book, detailing what became known as the "Moberly-Jourdain Incident" sparked a controversy that continued over the decades, a number of books, radio and television dramatizations, and as Wikipedia quotes historian Roy Strong, the incident "retained its hold on the public imagination for half a century." Even now, a full century-plus later, all manner of websites exist on the topic, so obviously some people are still interested.
In 1911, the two women published this book, which includes their individual accounts of what happened that day, their research (which they note "had been undertaken with the idea of disproving the suggestion that anything unusal had happened") over the ten years that had elapsed since their initial experiences, and it is here that the authors also attempt to offer proof that what they had encountered could have only taken place in the late eighteenth century. They claim to have had no previous knowledge of Versailles in the eighteenth century prior to 1901, making it impossible to have come up with the detailed descriptions given in their respective accounts. Noting that they do not "pretend to understand -- what happened to put us into communication with so many true facts," they go on to say that the book was meant to "record exactly what happened as simply and fully as possible."
While it's your own call whether or not the story is a hoax, An Adventure is still a fine read for anyone at all interested in otherworldly sorts of phenomena.
more: http://www.nonfictionrealstuff.com/20...
June 13, 2015
Timeslips have been an interest of mine for many years. I first became interested in them when I was teaching night classes on ghosts, ghost stories and ghost hunting. My interest also extended to folklore and mythology. The Adventure is of course the classic text. The question is - do I believe Moberly and Jourdain? Though I can't explain it, I do believe they sincerely had a very strange experience that looks very much like time travel. However, I also accept that there are problems in accepting it as a straight trip into a day in the past. Lots of people over the years have rubbished their account accusing them of being more or less unhinged, but I am open minded. I hope I am open minded without being credulous though! The book is what it is, I have taken the liberty of adding some material as well as translating and cleaning up the texts. If you have any suggestions for historical or translation points, please make contact with me. We can always update the text to make it more accurate.
Tony
Tony
February 9, 2013
This was hard going as the copy was a free and rather messy digital edition, and the page numbers, captions, notes, etc were mixed in with the text. However, the case of the Versailles time slip is fascinating, particularly because in both attempts to debunk Moberly and Jourdain's story, the women's queerness, or that of the group of cosplayers they were speculated to have happened upon, is put down as the overriding justification for skepticism. Their own claims to truth are also littered with self-conscious affirmations of normalcy: "We're clergymen's daughters. Academics. Proper ladies." While the account may not be solid, its publication and aftermath make an interesting unsolved mystery and look into how early 20th prejudices against homosexuality stood in for weakly supported skepticism. The development(embellishment?) of the details--the mutual confession of their experience after a week of silence following the event,for example -- also forms an interesting subtext for the women's relationship.
May 26, 2019
0,4 estrellas
Relectura.
Me parece tan interesante este librito. Que dos señoritas académicas inglesas muy respetables en pleno 1900 van por primera vez a Versalles como turistas y se ven inmersas en un viaje en el tiempo. Ellas saben poco o nada de la historia de Francia, y por lo mismo no se extrañan al ver personas con atuendos antiguos, arquitecturas que ya no existen, bosques que ya han desaparecido y una de ellas ver a una dama (Marie Antoinette) y confundirla con una turista de vestimenta anticuada. Posteriormente pueden comprobar de acuerdo a visitas posteriores al Petit Trianon, que este es muy diferente al visto por ellas la primera vez. Para ordenar sus recuerdo deciden indagar y este librito es el resultado de sus pesquisas.
Relectura.
Me parece tan interesante este librito. Que dos señoritas académicas inglesas muy respetables en pleno 1900 van por primera vez a Versalles como turistas y se ven inmersas en un viaje en el tiempo. Ellas saben poco o nada de la historia de Francia, y por lo mismo no se extrañan al ver personas con atuendos antiguos, arquitecturas que ya no existen, bosques que ya han desaparecido y una de ellas ver a una dama (Marie Antoinette) y confundirla con una turista de vestimenta anticuada. Posteriormente pueden comprobar de acuerdo a visitas posteriores al Petit Trianon, que este es muy diferente al visto por ellas la primera vez. Para ordenar sus recuerdo deciden indagar y este librito es el resultado de sus pesquisas.
March 23, 2018
It is a compelling story, and hard to dispute their findings due to the extensive researcher. I am a believer in the paranormal. Eerie and fascinating!
July 23, 2021
definitely a well researched book, but how much was of "the events" were altered to suit their research?
I think this book is more suited to someone doing research on french history. I found it downright boring, but I presume I'm not the target audience (despite my love for this time period)
I think this book is more suited to someone doing research on french history. I found it downright boring, but I presume I'm not the target audience (despite my love for this time period)
April 23, 2010
This was a very interesting "true" account of two women who visited Versaille and had a supernatural encounter with who they believe was Marie Antoinette and her court. It was difficult to read unless you know French, but the parts I could understand were terribly exciting and fascinating. I read it a year ago, and I may want to go back again because it was so intriguing. While there has been speculation as to the validity of the encounter, the amount of detail they provided in their accounts of the events were hard to deny. If you enjoy ghostly encounters, or anything relating to Marie Antoinette, I would check this one out
May 15, 2024
Interesting read!! Loved the research, pictures and the details about what could have happened.
October 15, 2024
Say what you will regarding this sort of phenomena, but this account is uniquely compelling. The experience of each of the women varied slightly, but only by virtue of each person's attention to their surroundings while on their first foray to the Petit Trianon. It was a vacation to France for them and their friendship was still new. So the odd sense that something had changed which occurred to each of them was withheld by each so as not to seem a wet blanket on a fair day.
Only upon return from their vacation did they discuss in finer detail that which each had experienced. And that led to several more visits and quite a bit of sleuthing around to understand what happened. Some of their investigations led to obvious differences in the landscape from present day along with the people they saw in period clothing. And further, there were bits of detail which could not have been known for sure in 1901 when they first visited the Petit Trianon, because one map was only discovered a decade later which corroborated their story.
Time is an odd thing. We perceive it as moving in one constant direction. But what if only our perception is linear, and all we have is now... and all those nows are stacked, or overlaid... and there are places in the stack which are thin enough to perceive beyond to another when.
Ponder that, dear reader.
Only upon return from their vacation did they discuss in finer detail that which each had experienced. And that led to several more visits and quite a bit of sleuthing around to understand what happened. Some of their investigations led to obvious differences in the landscape from present day along with the people they saw in period clothing. And further, there were bits of detail which could not have been known for sure in 1901 when they first visited the Petit Trianon, because one map was only discovered a decade later which corroborated their story.
Time is an odd thing. We perceive it as moving in one constant direction. But what if only our perception is linear, and all we have is now... and all those nows are stacked, or overlaid... and there are places in the stack which are thin enough to perceive beyond to another when.
Ponder that, dear reader.
September 1, 2022
The question is: in 1901, did two Englishwomen slip through time during a visit to Versailles? Did they actually see Marie Antoinette? Did they see things and people that existed during the time of Marie Antoinette, but no longer existed in 1901? I want to believe so, but also don't wish to be led by my desire to believe. So I've read the theories (not in this book) of some who've tried to explain away the experience of Moberly and Jourdain. I actually find their ideas less convincing than the story our two "time tourists" tell in the book. Whatever the truth is, this tale is fun way to perk the imagination.
March 27, 2013
Intriguing though slight. Read rather more like a PI's logbook than an actual volume. And the incidents did seem pretty trivial, and inchoate--but then I suppose that's part of the versimilitude. I mean, who'd bother to make something like that up? ("And then D'Artagnan rushed at me with a swirl of his cape....Louis XVI ran out of the bathhouse naked, screaming that they would never have his head"). Eerie thing about the electrical storm all throughout Europe that day--makes me think of those sci-fi stories where they use a titanic burst of energy to jump back in time.
January 22, 2020
I first discovered this when PBS ran ' Miss Morison"s Ghosts',and had been looking for the book for years. It is worth reading-Moberley/Jourdain saw things they couldn't have known about. Provable on the oldest maps of Versailles. This is fascinating, and worth reading. I loved it. The women prove their theories by doing extensive research. Highly recommended. Grab this while it is available.
September 16, 2020
I'm not sure I can say I "liked" this, but it's a fascinating document of a supposed haunting and a subsequent attempt to scientifically prove that it occurred. It also had a huge impact on Shirley Jackson.
July 18, 2011
I want to have an Adventure.
February 11, 2022
Recensione de “Il sogno della Regina in Rosso” di Moberly e Jourdain edito Abeditore, curato da Fabio Camilletti
Die signore inglesi nell’ estate del 1901 si recano a Versailles: qui una esperienza soprannaturale le attende. Ma è stata realtà, suggestione o finzione?
Il sogno della regina in rosso è la prima traduzione italiana di “An adventure” il libro scritto dalle due protagoniste della vicenda.
L’introduzione di Camilletti è esauriente, metodica, ricca di collegamenti storici e filosofici; insomma una perla, da leggere assolutamente.
La narrazione di Moberly e Jourdain è, a mio avviso, artificiosa è costruita a tavolino.
L’impressione è che le due donne, convinte di avere facoltà paranormali, abbiano inscenato questa “avventura” con scarsi risultati.
Merita di essere letto? Assolutamente sì!
Abeditore ci regala edizioni curate nei dettagli dove nulla è lasciato al caso.
Da leggere!
Die signore inglesi nell’ estate del 1901 si recano a Versailles: qui una esperienza soprannaturale le attende. Ma è stata realtà, suggestione o finzione?
Il sogno della regina in rosso è la prima traduzione italiana di “An adventure” il libro scritto dalle due protagoniste della vicenda.
L’introduzione di Camilletti è esauriente, metodica, ricca di collegamenti storici e filosofici; insomma una perla, da leggere assolutamente.
La narrazione di Moberly e Jourdain è, a mio avviso, artificiosa è costruita a tavolino.
L’impressione è che le due donne, convinte di avere facoltà paranormali, abbiano inscenato questa “avventura” con scarsi risultati.
Merita di essere letto? Assolutamente sì!
Abeditore ci regala edizioni curate nei dettagli dove nulla è lasciato al caso.
Da leggere!
August 21, 2024
1911 edition available here: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/64809
1913 edition available here: https://archive.org/details/adventure...
The 1913 edition has an appendix with more information, the original written accounts, as well as different maps of varying ages. I'd categorize this under time travel (or time slip) rather than as a ghost story.
1913 edition available here: https://archive.org/details/adventure...
In 1911, Moberly and Jourdain published a book entitled An Adventure under the names of "Elizabeth Morison" and "Frances Lamont" [...] the two published versions of the ladies' accounts (the earlier-written of which, from November 1901, had only previously been published in the second, small print-run, edition of An Adventure in 1913).
-- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moberly...
The 1913 edition has an appendix with more information, the original written accounts, as well as different maps of varying ages. I'd categorize this under time travel (or time slip) rather than as a ghost story.
July 16, 2025
Me enteré de este caso scrolleando en Instagram, y mi algoritmo no falla.
Se nota que Moberly y Jourdain eran intelectuales, porque podrían haberse hecho súper famosas con semejante historia, pero decidieron avanzar con cautela (la época probablemente fue un factor determinante en ese sentido), y la investigación posterior a la "aventura" me pareció excelente. La narración de su paseo por Versalles es atrapante, pero la profundidad con la que compararon el diseño del lugar, la vestimenta y los personajes históricos con las personas que vieron ese día fue lo mejor. También me encantó el resumen de la revolución desde el punto de vista de María Antonieta. Fue bastante duro de leer, especialmente sabiendo todo lo que sufrió Louis-Charles.
Se nota que Moberly y Jourdain eran intelectuales, porque podrían haberse hecho súper famosas con semejante historia, pero decidieron avanzar con cautela (la época probablemente fue un factor determinante en ese sentido), y la investigación posterior a la "aventura" me pareció excelente. La narración de su paseo por Versalles es atrapante, pero la profundidad con la que compararon el diseño del lugar, la vestimenta y los personajes históricos con las personas que vieron ese día fue lo mejor. También me encantó el resumen de la revolución desde el punto de vista de María Antonieta. Fue bastante duro de leer, especialmente sabiendo todo lo que sufrió Louis-Charles.
June 14, 2020
“En 1901 las académicas Charlotte Moberly y Eleanor Jourdain deciden pasar juntas las vacaciones de verano en París. De excursión por Versalles dan un paseo por el Petit Trianon, y durante el mismo, se encuentran con varios personajes curiosos, y algunas escenas que no logran explicarse. Al cabo de dan cuenta de que se ha perdido en los jardines, cuyos caminos de tierra no se corresponden con el recorrido del plano que ambas siguen. Las dos mujeres regresan a su alojamiento confundidas con por lo ocurrido.”
Esta historia es un hecho real, y este libro son las pesquisas que las autoras hacen para poder dar respuestas al salto en el tiempo que tuvieron en 1901.
Esta historia es un hecho real, y este libro son las pesquisas que las autoras hacen para poder dar respuestas al salto en el tiempo que tuvieron en 1901.
September 24, 2020
Es un trabajo de investigación muy bien documentado, en toda la extensión de la expresión.
El camino para desentrañar la verdad y el recorrido realizado por las autoras es digno de reconocerse y aplaudirse.
Es una tesis, planteamiento del problema, investigación y sustento a su historia y finalmente conclusiones y comentarios de quienes respaldan y defienden la veracidad de los hechos narrados
El camino para desentrañar la verdad y el recorrido realizado por las autoras es digno de reconocerse y aplaudirse.
Es una tesis, planteamiento del problema, investigación y sustento a su historia y finalmente conclusiones y comentarios de quienes respaldan y defienden la veracidad de los hechos narrados
October 28, 2018
Great ghost story and the authors have tried to prove what they saw through historical details. Annoyingly due to not speak french so parts were lost on me! Would recommend having a background of the history of the place etc before reading.
April 9, 2020
I normally love stuff like this and find it fascinating but I just couldn’t get into this. It started slow and dull and I lost interest relatively quickly. Maybe I’ll try again another time, but life is too short to trudge through books that don’t grab your interest and draw you in.
February 27, 2022
Trasposto in modo adeguato preservando il suo essere non moderno, ma senza rimanere ancorati a un vocabolario eccessivamente aulico; un'avventura tutta da scoprire, a suo modo specchio particolare della società.
July 12, 2024
At first I thought this Timelapse would span over hours maybe even days but mere minutes of a Timelapse is crazy and the fact that they were able to figure out that many details is even more crazy! Not saying I believe this, but it’s interesting for sure!
July 24, 2025
This is a hard book to rate, but I throughly enjoyed this academic and very thorough investigation into the 1901 ‘An Adventure’ Versailles event. I’m very interested in time slip and paranormal events, so it was fun to read such a thorough approach.
February 10, 2019
I found The Adventure very tedious. Was never able to finish even though I tried several times.
December 8, 2022
Libro muy bueno , lo recomiendo
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2023
the women in fact did time travel! a bit repetitive in some parts but the research is valid
January 6, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews