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pelle_stoker's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
missdlebeau's review against another edition
5.0
Júlio verne com certeza fez meu cérebro trabalha nos números e proporções nesse livro, E do começo ao fim fico aquela ideia de Loucura total!!! Porém uma loucura Maravilhosa. Sinto que vai ser difícil me recupera desse final... principalmente porque me apeguei aos membros do Gun Club.
nykolas1981's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sraev19's review against another edition
2.0
What a difference a translator makes. The previous Verne novel I read, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, translated by William Butcher, was alive with action, excitement, and suspense. This edition of From the Earth to the Moon & Around the Moon, translated by T.K. Linklater, was dull, drab, and flat. Under the hands of different translators, Verne’s novels take on different authors.
T.K. Linklater exterminates the energy in Verne’s ideas. Linklater’s translation is literal and technical. The novel reads as if Linklater translated Verne on a word-by-word basis in order to convey Verne’s meaning as accurately as possible. In the process, however, Linklater loses Verne’s authorial touch. No poetics and artistry here; proper grammar rules.
The scientific content of the novel doesn’t help Linklater’s translation, either. Verne wields the knowledge and ideas of his time to explain the novel’s plot. Discussions of mathematics, probabilities, propulsion, gravitation, lunar mapping, and so on bounce between the characters like repartee.
Although such discussions are interesting, providing a glimpse into the scientific thought of Verne’s day, they are dry. Combined with the stiff vocabulary, word usage, and syntax of the surrounding narrative, the scientific digressions encourage skim reading. Sadly, my own interest in astronomy could not keep my mind from leaving the pages. I must have read the book over four times in my first reading.
I feel bad for Verne. From the Earth to the Moon & Around the Moon is probably a really good book in its native language. A good translation, such as one done by William Butcher, might have been able to capture more of Verne’s artistry than this Wordsworth edition did.
I could not get my hands on a Butcher or Miller or Walter translation, however. Thus, my review is for this specific translation of Verne’s work. I hope in the future I can find a better version and amend my opinion.
T.K. Linklater exterminates the energy in Verne’s ideas. Linklater’s translation is literal and technical. The novel reads as if Linklater translated Verne on a word-by-word basis in order to convey Verne’s meaning as accurately as possible. In the process, however, Linklater loses Verne’s authorial touch. No poetics and artistry here; proper grammar rules.
The scientific content of the novel doesn’t help Linklater’s translation, either. Verne wields the knowledge and ideas of his time to explain the novel’s plot. Discussions of mathematics, probabilities, propulsion, gravitation, lunar mapping, and so on bounce between the characters like repartee.
Although such discussions are interesting, providing a glimpse into the scientific thought of Verne’s day, they are dry. Combined with the stiff vocabulary, word usage, and syntax of the surrounding narrative, the scientific digressions encourage skim reading. Sadly, my own interest in astronomy could not keep my mind from leaving the pages. I must have read the book over four times in my first reading.
I feel bad for Verne. From the Earth to the Moon & Around the Moon is probably a really good book in its native language. A good translation, such as one done by William Butcher, might have been able to capture more of Verne’s artistry than this Wordsworth edition did.
I could not get my hands on a Butcher or Miller or Walter translation, however. Thus, my review is for this specific translation of Verne’s work. I hope in the future I can find a better version and amend my opinion.
jnavbar's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
ghaalibking's review against another edition
5.0
I don't even know where to begin with this insane peice of writing.
The book itself is fairly technical, as to the mechanics of accomplishing the journey to the moon, but I cannot stress how fantastically scary, fun and mind-boggling it is to see how close he got to how it would truly play out almost a century after he wrote this.
Keep in mind that when he wrote this, there wasn't even such a thing as an airforce, let alone a space program! However, he predicted or guessed mostly all the major aspects.
Compared to the actually moon launch, he got the location of the launch right, he got the cost of the project right (accounting for inflation), he got the size of the crew correct...he even got the material of the shuttle correct! He predicted that the capsule would be made of aluminium!!!! A meterial that is still used today for very much the same reasons as we're stated by him in the book.
It's all so fantastical. Almost seems like he's traveled back in time just to give us something to scratch our heads over.
Great read!
The book itself is fairly technical, as to the mechanics of accomplishing the journey to the moon, but I cannot stress how fantastically scary, fun and mind-boggling it is to see how close he got to how it would truly play out almost a century after he wrote this.
Keep in mind that when he wrote this, there wasn't even such a thing as an airforce, let alone a space program! However, he predicted or guessed mostly all the major aspects.
Compared to the actually moon launch, he got the location of the launch right, he got the cost of the project right (accounting for inflation), he got the size of the crew correct...he even got the material of the shuttle correct! He predicted that the capsule would be made of aluminium!!!! A meterial that is still used today for very much the same reasons as we're stated by him in the book.
It's all so fantastical. Almost seems like he's traveled back in time just to give us something to scratch our heads over.
Great read!
akaur007's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75