15 Lesser-Known Facts About Jules Verne

Jules Verne, often hailed as a pioneer of science fiction, authored some of the most iconic adventure novels in literary history, such as Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in 80 Days. Beyond his contributions to literature, Verne led a fascinating life—he traveled the globe, worked as a stockbroker, fell for his cousin, and even survived a shooting by his nephew. Discover 15 intriguing facts about this legendary writer.

1. HIS CHILDHOOD WAS FILLED WITH SHIPS.

Born on February 8, 1828, in Nantes, France, Jules Gabriel Verne was the first child of Pierre and Sophie Verne. His birthplace, a bustling port city, played a significant role in shaping his imagination. Growing up on Ile Feydeau, a small artificial island in the Loire River, young Jules spent his days observing ships and dreaming of adventures at sea. These early experiences deeply influenced his later works, as he often drew inspiration from the maritime world he knew so well [PDF].

2. HE DEVELOPED FEELINGS FOR HIS COUSIN.

At the age of 12, Verne started composing poetry. During his teenage years, he channeled his romantic emotions into his verses. He became infatuated with his cousin, Caroline Tronson, who was slightly older than him. Verne penned poems in her honor, gifted her tokens of affection, and accompanied her to dances. Sadly, Tronson did not share his feelings. In 1847, when Verne was 19 and Tronson was 20, she married a man much older than her, leaving Verne devastated.

3. HIS FATHER INSISTED HE BECOME A LAWYER.

Although Verne had a deep passion for writing from a young age, his father was determined for him to pursue a career in law. Following Tronson's marriage, Verne's father took advantage of his son's emotional state and persuaded him to relocate to Paris to study law.

Verne earned his law degree in 1851. However, he continued to write fiction during this time and frequently disagreed with his father about his future. In 1852, his father secured a legal position for him in Nantes, but Verne chose to dedicate himself to writing instead.

4. HE RESIDED IN PARIS DURING A TIME OF TURMOIL.

Verne's stay in Paris overlapped with a phase of significant political unrest. Shortly after he arrived to study law, the French Revolution of 1848 erupted. While he didn't actively engage in the conflict, he witnessed its chaos firsthand, including the coup d'état that dissolved France's Second Republic. In a letter to his mother during the December 1851 uprising, he described the intense fighting near his residence, with cannon fire destroying houses. Although Verne avoided direct involvement, his later works often delved into themes of political strife. For instance, his 1864 novella The Count of Chanteleine: A Tale of the French Revolution depicted the hardships faced by both commoners and aristocrats during the French Revolutionary Wars, while The Flight to France narrated the wartime exploits of a captain in 1792.

5. HE TURNED TO STOCKBROKING TO MAKE ENDS MEET.

In May 1856, Verne attended his best friend's wedding in Amiens, where he stayed with the bride's family and met Honorine de Viane Morel, the bride's sister. A 26-year-old widow with two children, Morel captured Verne's heart. With her family's approval, the couple married in January 1857.

However, Verne faced a significant challenge. His work as a playwright for Parisian theaters wasn't financially sustainable. To support Morel and her daughters, he needed a stable income. Morel's brother offered him a position at a brokerage firm, prompting Verne to leave his theater job and become a stockbroker at the Paris Bourse. Despite this career shift, Verne remained dedicated to writing, rising early each day to dedicate several hours to his craft before heading to work.

6. HIS ADVENTURE NOVELS BELONGED TO A SERIES …

While many readers today view Verne's most renowned works as standalone stories, they were actually part of a larger collection. In the early 1860s, Verne connected with Pierre-Jules Hetzel, a prominent publisher and magazine editor, who helped him release his debut novel, Five Weeks in a Balloon. This book marked the start of the Voyages Extraordinaires series, which included dozens of Verne's works published by Hetzel. Many of these novels, including classics like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, were first serialized in Hetzel's magazine before being released as complete books.

7. … WHICH SECURED HIM A RELIABLE INCOME.

Beginning in 1863, Verne committed to writing two volumes annually for Hetzel, a deal that ensured a consistent income for years. From 1863 to 1905, he produced 54 novels for the Voyages Extraordinaires series, covering themes of travel, adventure, history, science, and technology. Verne collaborated closely with Hetzel on character development, structure, and plotlines until Hetzel's passing in 1886. Beyond this series, Verne authored a total of 65 novels in his lifetime, some of which were published posthumously.

8. HIS SAILING EXPERIENCES INSPIRED HIS WRITING.

In the 1860s, as Verne's career flourished and his income grew, he purchased a small yacht named the Saint Michel after his son, Michel. When not residing in Amiens, he sailed across Europe, exploring the Channel Islands, the English Coast, and the Bay of Biscay. These voyages provided him with tranquility and creative inspiration, as he penned much of Around the World in Eighty Days and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea aboard his yacht. As his wealth increased, he upgraded to larger vessels, first the Saint Michel II and later the Saint Michel III, a steam yacht manned by a crew of 10 for extended journeys to Scotland and the Mediterranean.

9. HE IS AMONG THE WORLD'S MOST TRANSLATED AUTHORS …

Although Verne wrote in French, his works have captivated a global audience. Since the 1850s, his novels have been translated into around 150 languages, securing his position as the second most translated author of all time. He surpasses even William Shakespeare in this regard, trailing only behind Agatha Christie, who holds the top spot.

10. … THOUGH SOME TRANSLATIONS ARE INACCURATE.

While Verne primarily wrote for adult readers, many English-language publishers viewed his science fiction as suitable for younger audiences and marketed his books to children. Translators often diluted his work, omitting complex passages, summarizing conversations, and removing content that could be seen as critical of the British Empire. Numerous translations also contain errors, such as incorrect measurement conversions.

11. HE FACED SIGNIFICANT HEALTH ISSUES.

From his twenties onward, Verne endured sudden, severe stomach pains. He described these agonizing cramps in letters to his family but never received a definitive diagnosis. To alleviate his discomfort, he tried various diets, including one restricted to eggs and dairy. Historians speculate that he may have suffered from colitis or a similar digestive condition.

In addition to stomach issues, Verne experienced five episodes of facial paralysis throughout his life. During these attacks, one side of his face would become temporarily paralyzed. After the first incident, doctors used electric stimulation to treat his facial nerve, but the condition recurred five years later and several times thereafter. Recently, experts have suggested he had Bell's palsy, a temporary facial paralysis caused by nerve damage, potentially linked to ear infections or inflammation, though the exact cause remains unclear.

In his fifties, Verne was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, and his health deteriorated significantly in his final years. He struggled with high blood pressure, chronic dizziness, tinnitus, and other ailments, eventually losing part of his vision.

12. HIS NEPHEW, SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS, SHOT HIM IN THE LEG …

In March 1886, a harrowing event left 58-year-old Verne permanently disabled. His nephew Gaston, who was in his twenties and battling mental illness, unexpectedly turned violent. As Verne arrived home one day, Gaston fired two shots at him with a pistol. Verne survived, but the second bullet struck his left leg, causing severe injury.

13. … RESULTING IN A LIFELONG LIMP.

Following the shooting, Gaston was committed to a mental asylum. While he was never formally diagnosed, historians speculate he may have had paranoia or schizophrenia.

Verne never fully healed from the attack. The bullet severely injured his left leg, and his diabetes hindered recovery. A subsequent infection left him with a permanent limp that lasted until his death in 1905.

14. HIS WORK INSPIRED THE STEAMPUNK GENRE.

Verne's literary creations have had a profound impact on steampunk, a science fiction subgenre rooted in 19th-century industrial aesthetics. Characters and inventions from his stories, such as Captain Nemo from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, have been featured in notable steampunk works. For instance, the TV series The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne suggested that Verne's tales were based on his own extraordinary experiences, while Captain Nemo appeared in the comic series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

15. MANY OF HIS FUTURISTIC PREDICTIONS CAME TRUE.

Verne's imaginative visions of technology often foreshadowed real-world innovations. The Nautilus, the electric submarine from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, became a reality decades after its literary debut. The first installment of the novel was published in 1869, and by the 1880s, battery-powered submarines were being developed. (Modern submarines still use similar designs.)

Verne's Paris In The Twentieth Century, written in 1863, also showcased his remarkable foresight. The novel depicted a futuristic Paris in 1960, complete with skyscrapers, elevators, cars powered by internal combustion engines, trains, electric streetlights, and suburban sprawl. He even envisioned mechanical calculators (early computers) communicating over a network, akin to the Internet. These predictions were astonishingly accurate for someone born in 1828.

Verne's impact extends far beyond science fiction, steampunk, or technological predictions. His works have influenced numerous writers across various genres, including poetry, travel, and adventure. As Ray Bradbury wrote, "We are all, in some way, the offspring of Jules Verne."