Classic Authors: Jules Verne
Long before airplanes or submarines were invented, a young man dreamed of this advanced technology. He sketched such machines in his notebook, confident that they would exist someday. Eventually, he brought similar inventions to life in the novels he wrote. Readers everywhere devoured his stories, making Jules Verne a very popular man.
Jules Verne was born on February 8, 1828, in Nantes, France. He was the first of five children born to Pierre and Sophie Verne. As a lawyer, Pierre brought in a steady income, providing his family with a comfortable home. Sophie, a fiery redhead, added laughter and a lively imagination to the household. Jules and his siblings led a happy existence.
Jules and Peter, the only male children in the family, spent their days by the sea. They watched ships come into port, fished, learned to sail, and sought out old sea captains who could tell them tales of adventure. At night, Pierre Verne read to them; Jules' favorite book was Robinson Crusoe. Although he preferred to spend all day by the sea, Jules also attended local grammar schools where he studied Latin, Greek, music, and other subjects.
As a young man (12 or 13 years old), Jules entered the Lycee Royal school, where he discovered books. He read voraciously, feasting on the words of Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Edgar Allen Poe and others. Often, Jules read a book instead of doing his homework. During this same period, Jules decided that he needed to have some adventures of his own. Stealing away in the middle of the night, he made his way to the docks, where he boarded the Coralie. He intended to work as a cabin boy as the ship traveled toward the West Indies. Unfortunately for Jules, his father intercepted his plans, before he had a chance to go very far. Distraught at his disappearance, his mother made him promise that he would only travel in his imagination. And that is exactly what he did.
Jules began writing in his teens, but became discouraged when several relatives laughed at his attempts. Still, he knew that he wanted to write. He believed in his own talent, and longed to move to Paris, where he could focus on his writing full-time. His father, however, had different plans for him. As the eldest son, Jules was required to learn his father's trade; thus, he began studying law. His studies bored him, but he persevered, especially when he learned that he would need to travel to Paris for his law exams. Jules barely passed his exams. However, he made great strides with his writing. Not only did he meet his hero, Alexandre Dumas, but the great author also became his mentor. At the time, Jules labored at writing plays, which Dumas produced and presented at the theater he owned in Paris. Dumas also got Jules a job as a secretary at the theater, at which he worked for 4 years. Although the law degree pleased Pierre Verne, he told his son he was wasting his time writing plays.
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