Verne’s love for exploration and scientific discovery is evident in his many science adventure novels, such as Around the World in Eighty Days, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Below, readers can explore some of the best quotes from Jules Verne’s personal life and his literary works.
Science and Truth
Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth.
This thoughtful and accurate quote can be found in Journey to the Center of the Earth. Although it is contained within a fictional novel, it reflects Verne’s attitude toward science and the attitude of his contemporaries. Through small mistakes and inaccuracies, one is led to the truth. It is this progression that inspires scientists like the characters in Verne’s novels.
Everything great in science and art is simple. What can be less complicated than the greatest discoveries of humanity – gravitation, the compass, the printing press, the steam engine, the electric telegraph?
Here again, readers can admire Verne’s love for the sciences. While marveling at the complexities of the natural world, Verne also addresses “everything great” in science and art as “simple.” The greatest discoveries in human history have turned out to be quite simple. So much so, they have become fundamental to humanity’s understanding of the world.
Nature
The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence. It is nothing but love and emotion; it is the Living Infinite.
In these lines, readers can enjoy one of the best quotes from Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. These lines are spoken by the infamous Captain Nemo as he attempts, in guarded details, to explain his life to Professor Aronnax.
I believe cats to be spirits come to earth. A cat, I am sure, could walk on a cloud without coming through.
This is one of the more using quotes attributed to Jules Verne. It is hyperbolic, meaning that it is intentionally exaggerated, and suggests his fondness for cats.
Reality provides us with facts so romantic that imagination itself could add nothing to them.
This memorable quote attributed to Jules Verne reflects his love for the many varied wonders of the natural world. So much so that the best writer’s imagination could not improve on them. His love of nature and science is evident in every work of literature he produced.
There is no more sagacious animal than the Icelandic horse. He is stopped by neither snow, nor storm, nor impassable roads, nor rocks, glaciers, or anything. He is courageous, sober, and surefooted. He never makes a false step, never shies. If there is a river or fjord to cross (and we shall meet with many) you will see him plunge in at once, just as if he were amphibious, and gain the opposite bank.
This interesting quote from Journey to the Center of the Earth expresses a character’s opinion of a specific horse breed. But, it also reflects what that character, and likely Verne himself, believed were good qualities in one’s life. Being courageous, surefooted, sober, and “sagacious” are things to be sought.
On the earth, even in the darkest night, the light never wholly abandons his rule. It is diffused and subtle, but little as may remain, the retina of the eye is sensible of it.
These lines from Journey to the Center of the Earth express the author’s belief in the light over darkness and hope when everything seems the least hopeful. He infuses the line with scientific language, something common to many of his best-known quotes.
Humanity and Courage
If there were no thunder, men would have little fear of lightning.
These lines can be found in Jules Verne’s fantastical Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. They suggest the nature of fear, the respect human beings should have for the natural world, and allude to facing the consequences of one’s actions. Here, readers might also interpret the fear that Nemo begins to strike in his captives as they learn of his quest for vengeance against those who wronged him.
There are no impossible obstacles; there are just stronger and weaker wills, that’s all!
This short quote can be found in Verne’s The Adventures of Captain Hatteras, published in 1866. This lesser-known novel describes the adventures of a polar explorer. The quote is similar to others on this list in that it promotes a strong will, courage, and the ability to conquer any obstacles in one’s path.
But what then? What had he really gained by all this trouble? What had he brought back from this long and weary journey? Nothing, say you? Perhaps so;…Truly, would you not for less than that go around the world?
These lines can be found in Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days. The novel asks readers, in these lines, to question the quest the characters embark on as well as any great feat human beings engage in. Why go to all the trouble of accomplishing something? What does one have to show for it?
FAQs
Who is the real Jules Verne?
Jules Verne was an author born on February 8, 1828, in France. Despite his father’s protestations, Verne pursued a career as an author, eventually publishing the first examples of science adventure writing. These solidified his career and were later translated into English, where they enjoyed an even wider readership.
What are Jules Verne’s most famous books?
Jules Verne’s best-known books are Around the World in Eighty Days, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, The Mysterious Island, and From the Earth to the Moon. These novels were published as part of the Voyages extraordinaires series, for which he’s best-known today.
What is the quote “one man can imagine another can do?”
The quote reads: “Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real.” It suggests that what one person can imagine doing, another can make a reality. It can be found in Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days, published in 1873.
What is a meaningful quote from Jules Verne?
There are numerous meaningful quotes from Jules Verne that one might cite. For example, “We are of opinion that instead of letting books grow moldy behind an iron grating, far from the vulgar gaze, it is better to let them wear out by being read.”
What language did Jules Verne write in?
Jules Verne wrote in French throughout his life. His works were later translated into English, beginning in 1852.
