Jules Verne´s Life Trivia Quiz

Answer: Because he made predictions of scientific developments in his books

Jules Verne was considered an extraordinary man for the times in which he lived. When he began a new book, he tried to read and study as much as he could about the subject he was about to write in order to make it convincing to the readers. He is also considered the forerunner of science fiction.

Some critics called him the "father" of this literary genre, while many consider this an exaggeration. Verne was a very curious man when it came to the scientific facts and researched extensively in order to make his books credible.

Answer: Living near the sea and the docks

Jules Verne lived in the French city of Nantes and spent his life with his family. Living by the sea and the dock, he was probably brought to develop his imagination and create many books about sea life and travels to far away and unknown lands.

Answer: A lawyer

His father, as a lawyer, wanted his son to become a lawyer as well. Jules Verne was sent to Paris, after finishing high school . Nevertheless, Jules showed interest in the theater and began writing short plays. When his father found out about it, he cut off all of Jules' financial support, which forced the young author to find work at the stockmarket in order to earn a living.

Answer: When he began to work with Pierre-Jules Hetzel

His career began to take off when he worked with Pierre-Jules Hetzel, who was a very experienced publisher the books of great writers from that epoch.

Answer: Cinq semaines en ballon

Hetzel published Jules Verne's first bestseller in 1863, which was the story of a trip to Africa in a balloon, called "Cinq semaines en ballon". This story was amazingly narrated, full of details about animals, cultures and geographical coordinates. Readers often found themselves asking if they were reading fiction or a true story. All of the information for writing the story came from his research and fertile imagination, as Jules Verne had never been to Africa and had never been in a balloon.

Answer: True

Jules Verne married a widow named Honorine de Viane Morel and, with her, had a son named Michel Jean Pierre Verne in 1861.

Answer: His great-grandson

Jules Verne's great-grandson found the manuscript of "Paris au XXe siècle" in the 1980s and published it in 1989. Hetzel did not publish this book as he considered it too depressing and very different from all of the other books Verne had ever written.

Hetzel felt that "Paris au XXe siècle" would have a negative impact on Verne since his career had centered on scientific stories and his readers wanted more of the same.

Answer: True

Jules Verne wrote more than 70 books and, according to UNESCO statistics, his books have been translated into 148 different languages.

Answer: His nephew

In Amiens, his nephew Gaston shot him twice when Jules Verne was returning home. One bullet hit his shoulder and the other hit his ankle, causing him to limp for the rest of his life. No one knows the cause of this incident, but his nephew was considered a mentally disturbed and was sent to an asylum for the remainder of his life.

Answer: The misuse of technology and its environmental impacts

In his last years, Jules Verne dedicated his time to writing about the erroneous usage of technology and its environmental impacts. As a competent researcher, having discussed much about nature in his books, he wanted to present some constructive ideas with regard to these problems.