Jules Verne was French. He trained in law, his works were in French but the stories were so good that he ended up being one of the world's most translated novelists.
Around the World in 80 Days is a novel which could potentially be used for introducing
world geography to students in classes 4 or 5. It is a travel based story in which the protagonist Phileas Fogg, and his valet Passepartout, attempt to travel the world,
because of a wager. It describes his journey from London to the Suez in Egypt and then to Bombay in India. He travels from Bombay to Calcutta by rail. On the way, he meets and
rescues his wife-to-be, who was going to be sacrificed in "Sati". He then travels to Hong Kong via Singapore. The book has a vivid description of his adventures at the port of
Hong Kong. He travels in a steamer, to Japan and then crosses the Pacific to reach San Francisco in yet another steamer. He travels by train from San Francisco to New York and then
again by steamer from New York to London, crossing the Atlantic. The book has vivid descriptions of his co-passengers as well as his experiences and observations, during the journey.
One can safely conclude that Jules Verne had excellent knowledge about places in different parts of the world - as well as transportation networks of that era. He also
had a good understanding of local culture and customs prevalent at the time given his description of the way in which Mr Fogg intrudes into an Indian temple in a disrespectful manner, without taking off his shoes - and Vernes' knowledge of customs such as "Sati" (bride burning) and the regions where it was practiced.
A Journey to the Interior of the Earth is a science fiction novel in which a German Professor and his nephew, go deep inside the other and go through the interiors. It describes all that the duo experiences under the surface of the earth - the rocks, the subterranean water and the prehistoric plant and animal lifeforms that they see on the way. The book is full of geological terms and technical names. Ultimately, the duo emerges by getting
thrown out through a volcano. The professor and his nephew face several terrifying experiences in their extraordinary trip towards the core of the earth. The book has vivid descriptions of the harrowing moments they face on various occasions. For instance, not having water to drink. Vernes' scientific knowledge also makes the story more interesting.
At the end of the journey, the professor and his nephew realize that their compass was misleading them, because its magnetization had been damaged by an electric fireball.
Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea is another of his famous science-fiction novels.
This is the book from where the character Captain Nemo emerged! The book is well recognized for having a lot of details about underwater plants and their scientific names, similar to the way in which Vernes describes the geological formations and minerals under the surface of the earth in his book "A Journey to the Interior of the Earty".
