Scotiana’s Books for Christmas: Jules Verne’s Scotland

Wigtown quotation in The Bookshop © 2006 Scotiana

‘A mind amongst books, like fire in the heather’

Books ! Books ! Books !

Wigtown, the famous Scottish book town situated in Dumfries & Galloway,

is certainly one of our favourite places in Scotland !

Dear readers,

You know how fond we are of books on Scotiana. Janice finds it harder and harder to cope with her books at home but she regularly goes to book sales and comes back with lots of them. Iain and Margaret have books from floor to ceiling in their beautiful old house in Kirkconnel and, here, we must add shelves regularly to shelter the new arrivals. We’re making a new bookshelf in our attic but will it be enough ? I wonder 😉

Jules Verne’s Scotland Ian B. Thompson 1st published Luath Press 2011

In my personal library, as you may guess, a privileged place is given to Scottish books and I’m pretty sure new literary gems will soon arrive ;-). The first to have been put with love under the Christmas tree is Jules Verne’s Scotland by Ian Thompson, the very book I’m introducing today on Scotiana. I’ve already downloaded it on my kindle but, of course, a paper edition is much better for a favourite book! This hardback volume has a very beautiful cover and contains a lot of very interesting illustrations and maps.

Jules Verne Voyage à reculons 1859-1860 Cherche-Midi 1989

Mr Thompson’s book reads like a novel. As a fan of Jules Verne and of Scotland I couldn’t have received a more appropriate gift for Christmas!

Of course a privileged place has been given in my library to Jules Verne’s books in French and in English, related to Scotland: Voyage à Reculons en Angleterre et en Écosse (Backwards to Britain) written in the fall and winter of 1859–1860, not long after Jules Verne’s first journey to Scotland, but not published until 1989, Les Forceurs de Blocus, 1st published in 1865, (The Blocade Runners), Les Indes Noires, 1st published in 1877, (The Underground City), Le rayon vert, 1st published in 1882, (The Green Ray). Jules Verne’s Scotland was first published in 2011. How is it that I did not discover it sooner !

It is interesting to note that Sir Walter Scott, one of the most popular Scottish writers of the 19th century (beginning of the century) invented the “historical novel” and that Jules Verne, one of the most popular French writers of the 19 th century (end of the century) and a great admirer of Sir Walter Scott, claimed to have invented the geographical novel.

Jules Verne Le rayon vert 1882 Syros Jeunesse 2004

Jules Verne is an expert in geographical descriptions. Take The Green Ray for exemple. We went several times to Iona and Staffa and I have found no better description of these fabulous places than in Jules Verne’s novel.

https://youtu.be/uMQzATj6mTM

Staffa is a magical place. No wonder it has inspired generations of artists and writers !

Just have a look on the following reviews of Jules Verne’s Scotland and on the short biography of its author. I’m sure that it will make you want not only to read the book but also to discover or rediscover the books of Jules Verne. Jean, our grandson who is aged 9, and who has just finished the famous Harry Potter series is going to read Jules Verne’s books very soon.

Jules Verne Monument at the Jardin des Plantes in Nantes

Jules Verne portrait by Félix Nadar

Jules Verne aspired to be a geographer and claimed to have defined the “geographical” novel.
He also had an emotional bond with Scotland and situated three of his novels there.

(‘Jules Verne, Geography and Nineteenth Century Scotland’ by Ian Thompson – Department of Geography and Geomatics – University of Glasgow – Scotland)

An 1889 Hetzel poster advertising Jules Verne’s works

Editorial Reviews

‘The reason Verne is still read by millions today is simply that he was one of the best storytellers who ever lived.’ –Arthur C ClarkeThomson’s book tells the never-less-than-interesting story of one of Scotland s greatest fans –Newsnet ScotlandThompson points to no less than 40 generally admirable Scottish characters throughout his stories. It s perhaps significant that, six years after that momentous first visit to Scotland, in Verne’s debut novel, Five Weeks in a Balloon , one of the main characters is a typically idealised ScotVerne’s imagination may have taken him and us to the centre of the Earth and the bottom of the ocean; but it was to Scotland that it returned, over and over again. –The Scotsman

Editor’s introduction

This book weaves in all the reasons why the residents of Scotland love to live here; landscape, beautiful scenery, an air of mystery and the great history of the land. Thompson conveys Verne’s deep fascination with Scotland and takes the reader on a journey with Verne from his beloved Heart of Midlothian’ to exploring in the Highlands. This book also explains how Verne’s love for Scotland flooded into his literature. Jules Verne, pioneer in the science fiction genre, wrote world- famous books including Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Around the World in 80 Days. His literary legacy is still celebrated today, his books have scarcely been out of print and have spawned a host of films and TV adaptations.BACK COVER I still see, as in a vision, beautiful picturesque Edinburgh, with its Heart of Midlothian, and many entrancing memories; the Highlands, world-forgotten Iona, and the wild Hebrides. JULES VERNE, 1895Jules Verne’s first visit to Scotland lasted a mere five days, but that was enough to instil within him a lifelong passion for the small country; a passion which had a profound impact on his literary work and fuelled his creative imagination. Two journeys, 20 years apart, and five novels set partly or wholly in Scotland, show how the influence of the country rippled all the way through his life.Jules Verne’s Scotland guides the reader through Verne’s journeys, first in 1859 and again in 1879, where he witnessed the majesty of Edinburgh and the industrial buzz of Glasgow together with the unspoilt beauty of the Highlands and Islands. As well as providing insights into Verne’s travels in Scotland, Ian Thompson provides analysis of novels such as The Underground City and The Green Ray that immortalise Scotland in their pages. Thompson evokes the history of the land, the rugged scenery and the enduring spirit of Scotland, which remained in Verne’s memory all his life and was evoked with passion in his storytelling. (From Amazon.com)

Jules Verne The Underground City Luath Press 2005

A reader’s comment on Amazon***** ‘A French Writer’s Scotland’ 21 novembre 2011

Par Brian Taves

The Edinburgh publisher, Luath Press, has given much for which devotees of Jules Verne may be grateful over recent years. There have been several expert new translations of Verne classics with Scottish settings, The Underground City and The Green Ray. The most recent, The Blockade Runners, involves a trip to Charleston during the Civil War so will have added interest for American readers. All of these novels have benefitted from scholarly introductions by Ian Thompson, Emeritus Professor of Geography at the University of Glasgow.As the subscribers to the Jules Verne listserv have long been aware, Thompson has been investigating Verne’s travels to Scotland, unearthing truly incredible primary documentation. His book, compiling all the information discussed over the years, has been long awaited. Having myself visited the delightful island of Iona, and the breathtaking Staffa, scene of The Green Ray, as well as the Trossachs, setting of The Underground City, on a trip to Scotland in 2002, I shared Thompson’s enthusiasm. His book turns out to have been more than worth the wait. It is a scholarly and elegant volume, beautifully illustrated with original maps and vintage engravings. Thompson not only explores Verne’s journeys, but the subsequent novels that derived from these travels. And he looks at the regions as they are now.Although less remembered than Robert Louis Stevenson, Scotland had nearly as powerful an impact on the father of science fiction. Verne’s stories set there span a range of genres, and the glimpses he provides of Scotland are nearly as evocative and breathtaking as Stevenson’s. Verne traced an important part of his family tree to Scottish ancestry. Thompson’s book brings this facet of Verne’s life and writing to light, providing an invaluable service to all those who revere Scotland, and Verne. This volume will make you, too, want to walk in Verne’s footsteps in Scotland, his fiction of the country in one hand and Thompson’s guide in the other.

Ian Thompson writer and emeritus professor of geography at Glasgow University

Many thanks to Mr Thomson for his work about Jules Verne !

Had I been a student at Glasgow University at the time of Professor Ian B. Thompson, I would certainly not have missed his teaching!

About the Author

Ian Thompson graduated from the Universities of Durham and Indiana . He has held lecturing posts in the universities of Leeds, Southampton and Miami University Ohio before being appointed to the Chair of Geography at Glasgow University in 1976. He is now a Professor at the University of Glasgow, and a leading expert on Jules Verne. He was made an Honorary Life Fellow of La Societe de Geographie (Paris) in 2003 and promoted to the rank of Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Palmes Academiques by the French Government in 2005. He was for many years President of the Alliance Francaise de Glasgow.

http://www.ifecosse.org.uk/Jules-Verne-s-Scotland-In-Fact-and.html?lang=en

http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/interview-ian-thompson-jules-verne-scholar-1-1794117

Jules Verne aspired to be a geographer and claimed to have defined the “geographical” novel. He also had an emotional bond with Scotland and situated three of his novels there. This paper examines the validity of his geographical credentials by analysing the content of his three very contrasted Scottish novels. The conclusion is reached that although Verne depicts geographical settings authentically, and the elaborate itineraries are generally accurate, Verne’s fascination with Scottish culture tends to dominate the narrative. The paper draws on field research and newly available archival evidence to cast new light on Verne’s travels in Scotland.

http://jv.gilead.org.il/ithompson/geography.html

Enjoy !

A bientôt for our next selection of books for Christmas 😉

Mairiuna.

Jules Verne’s tomb in Amiens, North of France

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Scotiana’s Books for Christmas: Jules Verne’s Scotland