clueless
New Member
Verne’s books are for entertainment only. Nobody would expect interesting writing or character development. In this respects, The Begum’s Five Hundred is not different from his other books – run of the mill writing and national, professional or class stereotypes rather than characters. What makes it unusual is that, instead of the light-hearted adventure characteristic of Verne, this book presents the fight between utopia – France-Ville – and dystopia – Stahlstadt. The book, written in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian war, shows the influence of the conflict in Verne’s thinking, of his fear of the ideology of the supremacy of the Aryan race, but also his ultimate hope in its defeat.
France-Ville and Stahlstadt are built thanks to a fabulous inheritance – the 500 millions in the title – shared by two scientists, Dr. Sarrasin and Dr. Shultze. Dr. Shultze vows to destroy France-Ville and conquer the world and to that end, he concentrates on designing chemical weapons. One of Sarrasin’s supporters, Marcel will infiltrate Stahlstadt to uncover Shultze’s secrets and foil his plans. Marcel has some incredible, sometimes implausible, strokes of luck to help him through.
It’s also the only Verne’s novel with literary references: Dr. Sarrasin’s name and many of his ideas can be found in Balzac’s The Country Doctor, and there is also a explicit allusion to Dickens’ Bleak House.
All in all, a purely escapist read, but an enjoyable one.
France-Ville and Stahlstadt are built thanks to a fabulous inheritance – the 500 millions in the title – shared by two scientists, Dr. Sarrasin and Dr. Shultze. Dr. Shultze vows to destroy France-Ville and conquer the world and to that end, he concentrates on designing chemical weapons. One of Sarrasin’s supporters, Marcel will infiltrate Stahlstadt to uncover Shultze’s secrets and foil his plans. Marcel has some incredible, sometimes implausible, strokes of luck to help him through.
It’s also the only Verne’s novel with literary references: Dr. Sarrasin’s name and many of his ideas can be found in Balzac’s The Country Doctor, and there is also a explicit allusion to Dickens’ Bleak House.
All in all, a purely escapist read, but an enjoyable one.