Heather Wilkinson, supplementary materials, Jules Verne, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Simon & Schuster (2008), 321-2

 

Butcher, William. Jules Verne: The Definitive Biography. New York: Thunder’s Mouth Press, 2006.

The dust jacket says it all: “... behind all the success was a tormented man: a sexual misfit, a plagiarist, and a sad and lonely recluse.” Butcher’s authoritative, revelatory, and controversial biography sheds light on the darker corners of the author's personal life, covering everything from his appearance to who he talked to and slept with. At more than 400 stunningly well-researched pages, Butcher displays a commanding knowledge of existing and new material, including the discovery of an unknown contemporary biography as well as an early volume by Verne.