Joan Kessler
From the Earth to the Moon / Around the Moon
I was looking forward to this read. Here's what I liked: chuckle-worthy sarcasm and well-defined characters. Verne doesn't shy away from caricatures of the Gun Club members or the Frenchman Ardan. The over-the-top characters are a perfect complement to the fantastical idea of traveling to the moon in 1865. Verne is certainly imaginative, and I like getting a past perspective of what would become future events, even, or especially, if they are wildly off the mark.
However, Verne leans far too heavily on science and math in an effort to make his fantasy believable. He describes feats of engineering in such detail, as well as mathematical calculations and lists of longitudes and latitudes, that story becomes secondary, and reading becomes tedious. In the words of Michel Ardan (in the accompanying story, 'Around the Moon'), "Ouf! …Speak plainly, you algebraic man!" I admit to much skimming. But high marks for imagination and enthusiasm.
I was looking forward to this read. Here's what I liked: chuckle-worthy sarcasm and well-defined characters. Verne doesn't shy away from caricatures of the Gun Club members or the Frenchman Ardan. The over-the-top characters are a perfect complement to the fantastical idea of traveling to the moon in 1865. Verne is certainly imaginative, and I like getting a past perspective of what would become future events, even, or especially, if they are wildly off the mark.
However, Verne leans far too heavily on science and math in an effort to make his fantasy believable. He describes feats of engineering in such detail, as well as mathematical calculations and lists of longitudes and latitudes, that story becomes secondary, and reading becomes tedious. In the words of Michel Ardan (in the accompanying story, 'Around the Moon'), "Ouf! …Speak plainly, you algebraic man!" I admit to much skimming. But high marks for imagination and enthusiasm.