Synopses & Reviews
The Self-Propelled Island is the first unabridged English translation of Jules Vernes original story featuring a famous French string quartet that is abducted by an American businessman and taken to Standard Island to perform for its millionaire inhabitants. The quartet soon discovers that Standard Island is not an island at all, but an immense, futuristic ship possessing all the features of an idyllic haven. Equipped with the most opulent amenities, Standard Island travels the Pacific Ocean, traversing the south archipelagos and stopping at many “sister” islands for the pleasure of its well-heeled inhabitants. These inhabitants soon meet with the danger, in its various forms, that is inherent in ocean travel. Meanwhile, the French quartet is witness to the rivalry that exists between the two most powerful families onboard, a rivalry that keeps the future of the island balancing on the edge of a knife.
First published in English in 1896, the novel was originally censored in translation. Dozens of pages were cut from the story because English translators felt they were too critical of Americans as well as the British. Here, for the first time, readers have the pleasure of reading The Self-Propelled Island as Verne intended it.
Review
“The Secret of Wilhelm Storitz is one of Jules Verne’s most surprising stories and is largely unknown in the English-speaking world. The novel investigates one of the most compelling themes in science fiction, invisibility. This translation is faithful, literal, and expert, a model of the translator’s art.”—Brian Taves, editor of The Jules Verne Encyclopedia and Jules Verne’s Adventures of the Rat Family --Brian Taves
Review
"Staying lavishly true to the original text, Schulman provides notes on colloquialisms and does not shy away from Vernes anti-German sentiment. No Verne collection will be complete without this volume, which includes the original haunting ending."—Publishers Weekly --Publishers Weekly
Review
http://nebraskapress.typepad.com/university_of_nebraska_pr/2011/03/off-the-shelf-the-secret-of-wilhelm-storitz-by-jules-verne.html --Publishers Weekly
Review
“Were in the midst of a marvelous Verne renaissance. . . . The Self-Propelled Island is a novel of great appeal, especially to Americans: by sending northern and southern aristocrats to sea in literally the same boat, it not only features one of Vernes fabulous futuristic vehicles but also unfolds one of his shrewdest, wittiest political satires.”—Frederick Paul Walter, Verne translator and former vice president of the North American Jules Verne Society
Synopsis
Widely rumored to exist, then circulated in a corrupt form, Jules Vernes final and arguably most daring and hauntingly beautiful novel—his own “invisible man”—appears here for the first time in a faithful translation. Readers of English can rediscover the pleasures of Vernes storytelling in its original splendor and enjoy a virtually unknown gem of action, adventure, and style from a master of French literature.
Wilhelm Storitz, the son of a famous Prussian scientist (and possessor of his fathers secrets—even, perhaps, a formula that confers invisibility), vows revenge on the family that has denied him the love of his life, Myra Roderich. Wilhelms actions on the eve of Myras wedding unfold in a surprising and sinister way, leading to an ending that will astonish the reader. Like many works left unpublished when Jules Verne died, The Secret of Wilhelm Storitz was prepared and edited by his son, Michel. After a century of obscurity, this unique work in Vernes oeuvre is finally in the hands of readers, in a fine, authentic translation.
Synopsis
Widely rumored to exist, then circulated in a corrupt form, Jules Verne's final and arguably most daring and hauntingly beautiful novel-his own "invisible man"-appears here for the first time in a faithful translation. Readers of English can rediscover the pleasures of Verne's storytelling in its original splendor and enjoy a virtually unknown gem of action, adventure, and style from a master of French literature. Wilhelm Storitz, the son of a famous Prussian scientist (and possessor of his father's secrets-even, perhaps, a formula that confers invisibility), vows revenge on the family that has denied him the love of his life, Myra Roderich. Wilhelm's actions on the eve of Myra's wedding unfold in a surprising and sinister way, leading to an ending that will astonish the reader. Like many works left unpublished when Jules Verne died, The Secret of Wilhelm Storitz was prepared and edited by his son, Michel. After a century of obscurity, this unique work in Verne's oeuvre is finally in the hands of readers, in a fine, authentic translation. Jules Verne (1828-1905) is the author of many classics of science fiction and adventure, including The Meteor Hunt, Lighthouse at the End of the World, and The Golden Volcano, all available in Bison Books editions. Peter Schulman is a professor of French literature at Old Dominion University. He is a trustee of the North American Jules Verne Society and editor of Verne's The Begum's Millions.
About the Author
Jules Verne (1828-1905), the worlds most translated author, wrote numerous classics of adventure and science fiction, including
The Meteor Hunt,
Lighthouse at the End of the World,
The Golden Volcano, and
Magellania, which are all available from the University of Nebraska Press. Marie-Thérèse Noiset is a professor emerita of French and translation at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has also translated
Caught in the Storm by Seydou Badian. Volker Dehs is a German literary critic and leading Jules Verne specialist and biographer.