The Secret of Wilhelm Storitz: The First English Translation of Verne's Original Manuscript (Bison Frontiers of Imagination) - Hardcover

Verne, Jules

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0803246757 ISBN 13: 9780803246751

Publisher: University of Nebraska Press, 2011

Synopsis

Widely rumored to exist, then circulated in a corrupt form, Jules Verne’s final and arguably most daring and hauntingly beautiful novel—his own “invisible man”—appears here for the first time in a faithful translation. Readers of English can rediscover the pleasures of Verne’s storytelling in its original splendor and enjoy a virtually unknown gem of action, adventure, and style from a master of French literature.

Wilhelm Storitz, the son of a famous Prussian scientist (and possessor of his father’s secrets—even, perhaps, a formula that confers invisibility), vows revenge on the family that has denied him the love of his life, Myra Roderich. Wilhelm’s actions on the eve of Myra’s wedding unfold in a surprising and sinister way, leading to an ending that will astonish the reader.   Like many works left unpublished when Jules Verne died, The Secret of Wilhelm Storitz was prepared and edited by his son, Michel. After a century of obscurity, this unique work in Verne’s oeuvre is finally in the hands of readers, in a fine, authentic translation.

About this title

About the Author:

Jules Verne (1828–1905) is the author of many classics of science fiction and adventure, including The Meteor Hunt, Lighthouse at the End of the World, and The Golden Volcano, all available in Bison Books editions. Peter Schulman is a professor of French literature at Old Dominion University. He is a trustee of the North American Jules Verne Society and editor of Verne’s The Begum’s Millions. 

Review:

“The Secret of Wilhelm Storitz is a startling novelty in Verne’s output: not sci-fi but a spooky urban fantasy—a sinister, devious fable with an unprecedented ending that grows more and more astonishing the longer you think about it. Though the novel’s early pages are deceptively relaxed, it soon accelerates into an intense, high-speed thriller.”—Frederick Paul Walter, Verne translator and former vice president of the North American Jules Verne Society (Frederick Paul Walter 2010-07-02)

“The Secret of Wilhelm Storitz is one of Jules Verne’s most surprising stories and is largely unknown in the English-speaking world. The novel investigates one of the most compelling themes in science fiction, invisibility. This translation is faithful, literal, and expert, a model of the translator’s art.”—Brian Taves, editor of The Jules Verne Encyclopedia and Jules Verne’s Adventures of the Rat Family (Brian Taves 2010-07-02)

"Staying lavishly true to the original text, Schulman provides notes on colloquialisms and does not shy away from Verne's anti-German sentiment. No Verne collection will be complete without this volume, which includes the original haunting ending."—Publishers Weekly (Publishers Weekly 2011-02-21)

"Verne is a master of the eerie; the craggy landscape, the streets of Budapest and Ragzi, the cowering townsfolk are vivid displays of the skills of a writer in his later years, when landscape is imbued with more meaning than passion. . . . The experience of reading The Secret of Wilhelm Storitz is more like watching the original Dracula than any book you've ever read."—Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times (Susan Salter Reynolds Los Angeles Times 2011-05-02)

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0803246757
• ISBN 13: 9780803246751
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240
• Editor: Schulman Peter