I read Le Sphinix des Glaces immediately after the novel to which it is a sequel, that-is-to-say Edgar Allen Poe’s “Adverntures of Arthur Gordon Pym”. I believe that this is the best if not the only way to enjoy “Le Sphinx des Glaces.” Certainly I strongly advise against reading “Le Sphinix” to anyone who has not read “Pym” within the previous five years. “Le Sphinx” is more strongly coupled to “”Pym” that “Wide Saragosa Sea” is to “Jane Eyre.” In both cases, one needs to read the book that inspired the second first.I would also advise against reading “Le Sphinix” to anyone who is not a fan of Jules Verne. From what I can see from the other reviews on GoodReads, the Poe fans who were not also Verne fans were incensed by what Verne did in his sequel.I am a fan of Jules Verne and essentially agree with what he did. “The Adventures Arthur Gordon Pym” is a great book but a botched novel. It is Poe’s first work of fiction and possesses all the delights that one encounters in a collection of his short stories. Bizarre and grotesque scenes arrive one after another dazzling the reader. Poe in fact almost succeeds in converting a series of short stories into a novel. Pym is a complex character and his relations with several of the other characters acquire great depth and complexity. The problem is the plot. Poe writes his hero into a cul-de-sac and then abruptly ends the book in a completely incompetent manner telling the reader that three chapters are missing from Pym’s manuscript which may possibly re-appear to properly explain how Pym’s adventures finally ended.To explain his decision to write a sequel, Verne writes. “This is a truly bizarre novel written by the greatest author of the New World. The ending is utterly clumsy. In truth there is no ending. After having written a wonderful sequence of extraordinary adventures, Poe suddenly found himself in a position from which he could not exit. Thus he simply stopped writing stating the Pym had died and that three chapters had been lost from his manuscript.”("Tel est ce bizarre roman, enfanté par le génie ultrahumain du plus grand poète du Nouveau Monde. C'est ainsi qu'il se termine, .. ou plutot qu'il se termine pas. À mon avis, dans l'impuissance d'imaginer un dénouement à de si extraordinaires aventures, on comprend qu'Edgar Poe ait interrompu leur récit par la mort soudaine de son héros tout en laissant esperer qui si l'on retrouve jamais les deux ou trois chapitres qui manquent, ils seront livrés au public.")Verne succeeds in writing a credible sequel to Pym. He recreates the same mood as in Poe’s novel and also presents an interesting string of mysterious or fantastic events. However, unlike Poe who ended his novel on a tragic note, Verne gives the reader what might be considered a happy ending. In both books, the death count is very high and the human suffering is great. Personally I found reading “The Adventures of Arthur Gordon Pym” and “Le Sphinx des Glaces” to have been great fun. Verne’s fans should consider reading the two books together. Poe’s fans are much less likely to enjoy the game.My four star rating is for the complete set (Pym and Sphinx). There is no point to reading Sphinx on its own.
In 1864 Jules Verne wrote an essay on Edgar Allan Poe and his works, in the fourth chapter he covers Poe’s only novel “The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket.” In this chapter Verne talks about Poe’s ending of the novel, which left the reader wondering what happened to Pym. Pym dies before giving the editor (Poe) the final chapters of his story. Verne asks “Who will ever take it up again? Somebody more daring than I am,....” Thirty-three years later Verne himself rose to the challenge with the publication of this tale. As Verne was a fan of Poe’s works, having read only the French translations , such as Charles Baudelaire’s translation of Pym, it only seemed natural that he himself would do it. This might be one of the earliest examples of “fanfic” (fan fiction). The story itself is good, Verne plausibly brings a conclusion to the story in his own style.The edition that contains this story is excellent. The translator and editor Frederick Paul Walter has provided a fresh and complete translation of Verne’s story and also included is Poe’s original tale, so if one hasn’t read it before now they have the opportunity. Also included is a fresh translation of chapter 4 of Verne’s essay on a Poe, a piece on translating Verne, recommend readings and textual notes to satisfy any scholar.
What do You think about An Antarctic Mystery (2006)?
In theory, this sounds kind of neat. Huh, so Jules Verne wrote a sequel to a story by Edgar Allen Poe? Sounds interesting, especially given the bizarre, Lovecraftian ending of Poe's novella. But where Lovecraft was obviously influenced by Poe's work (just look at the abrupt ending dealing with a surreal, potentially god-like entity, or the fact that Lovecraft took a similar plot for his At the Mountains of Madness and even directly borrowed the cry of "tekeli-li" in that story from Poe), Verne seems to have read Pym's adventures and thought, "you know, that was fine and all, but wouldn't it be better without all that mystery and weirdness? And it takes place in the Antarctic? It sure could use some more ice."
—Lane
This is an unofficial sequel to Edgar Allan Poe's only novel,1838's, "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket".Jules Verne was a great admirer of the American writer. Mr.Jeorling is an geological researcher(mineralogist), and believes that book was factual! He's serious and roams the seas of the Earth to find Pym.Reaching the remote Indian Ocean's, Kerguelen Islands and stranded there for many weeks ,after finishing a job.He meets Captain Len Guy of the Halbrane.The captain's brother has vanished in the southern seas. Jeorling persuades him that his brother might still be alive and is taken on board. The Halbrane always sails south at the researcher's urging . Day after day the endless voyage continues. Will they travel all the way to the Antarctic?The crew is frightened, who wouldn't be ? Led by an ambitious sailor named Hearne,the kind of man that doesn't mind killing.He's constantly threatening mutiny.Inevitability the ship strikes an iceberg and slowly sinks! Marooned on the ice,Hearne and his men steal their only skiff.And head for the nearby Antarctic coast but don't quite make it. A great shame.Incredibly soon after a drifting small boat is spotted and guess what?Inside is the captain's brother... alive!At last the mariners get to the shore and discover an Ice Sphinx.A strange structure but very interesting !Will the survivors get back home or die in this desolate land.And where is Pym? You'll have to read the book.I have and enjoyed it too...
—Henry Avila
Not a fan of fiction, I was intrigued by a comment that it was from his darker period. Readingfurther, this came about because his nephew shot him!"On 9 March 1886, Verne was coming home when his twenty-five year old nephew, Gaston, shot at him twice with a pistol. The first bullet missed, but the second one entered Verne's left leg, giving him a permanent limp he did not overcome. This incident was hushed up in the media, but Gaston spent the rest of his life in a mental asylum."Who can resist that?He wrote the Antarctic novel after the death of both his mother and publisher which wouldn't have improved his mood :-) Set in 1839, it follows the adventures of the narrator, a wealthy American who has entertained himself with private studies of the wildlife on the remote Antarctic archipelago of the Kerguelen Islands and is looking for a passage back to the USA.You now have to know what happens to him next. By the way, Verne neverwent to Antarctica.http://www.archive.org/details/cu3192...
—Sandra E. Thompson
