Welcome

“Let us read, and let us dance;
these two amusements will never do any harm to the world.”

Friday 5 April 2013

Lainibop Challenge - Book 24 - From the Earth to the Moon - Jules Verne

I made this: Unknown at 8:00 am


READ!TO GO!
23107


The LainiBop Challenge

FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON
JULES VERNE

* * * * *
* * * * * SPOILERS * * * * *
* * * * *

I love a bit of Jules Verne, I love the fact that he wrote so long ago, but his novels still shock and surprise me despite the fact that I'm surrounded by technology he couldn't have dreamed of. What he wrote about, would have been considered implausible at the time, but now that we can look back, he was very accurate in what he imagined.

From the Earth to the Moon is a fabulous example of this for many reasons. It tells the story of the Baltimore Gun Club and a few of it's members, who having realized that there was no longer much need for innovation in the field of guns and cannons, decided to put their energies into something quite different, a trip to the moon. Using their experiences with gun powder they put forward the idea of launching a projectile into space with a giant cannon. The novel was written in 1865 and set a few years after that, after the end of the American Civil War, but this novel about man's first voyage to the moon has many parallels with the actual first trip there. Vernes launch site was Tampa Bay, Florida, which is along the same latitude as Cape Canaveral. The shape of the rocket was very similar as was the height weight and speed. It's amazing to think that one man could plan out such an epic voyage which would take another 100 years to materialize.

As for the story itself, similar to other Verne novels, it is quite heavy on the science and facts and figures. Even more so in this than in other novels I have read, there is much talk of number and measurements, in fact there are chapters devoted to the size and shape of the projectile in relation to the distance it needed to travel and the force needed to launch it. Despite the fact that I enjoyed it, at times, it was very difficult to read through all of this to try to get to the story behind it.

Because of this, I have to admit this is probably my least favourite Verne novel. Probably because of the fact that it is quite short, but most of it is taken up with long drawn out explanations and measurements that I felt there was not quite as much actual story as I would have liked.

For any fans of Jules Verne, definitely give it a go, if just to remind yourself of what a marvelous brain this man had to envision so much, but I wouldn't recommend this as starting point for his works, he has written far more interesting stories.



SCORE       4/10



* * * * *
Say Hello to @Lainibop

Her To Be Read Challenge - The Countdown Begins!



Book 30 - ?
Book 29 - ?
Book 28 - Sexing the Cherries by Jeanette Winterson
Book 27 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Book 26 - Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer
Book 25 - Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Book 24 - From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne
Book 23 - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Book 22 - Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffery Archer


Find more reviews HERE



If we've used any videos, you'll find them on the LeedsBookClub YouTube Channel - 

Visit LainiBop's playlist HERE 
Visit Fizzy Elephants HERE
The 10 Things I Hate About You playlist is HERE!
* * * * *
Table of Contents - Guest Stars

* * * * *
Table of Contents - Laini's Book Shelf

* * * * *

0 comments :

 

Leeds Book Club Copyright © 2010 Designed by Ipietoon Blogger Template Sponsored by Online Shop Vector by Artshare