Accordingly at the appointed hour, I presented myself at Le Meurice, one of the most famous restaurants in Paris, France. It has a gorgeous mosaic floor, its ceiling was filled with crystal chandeliers, and the heavy damask curtains at the windows were overlooking the Tuileries Gardens across the street. There I sat, anxiously waiting for the arrival of Jules Verne, a French novelist, poet, and playwright best known for his adventure novels and his profound influence on the literary genre of science fiction.
After a few moments Mr. Jules Verne entered. He was a man of good build, somewhat below medium height, with kindly blue eyes and a
short silvery beard and he dressed in a modest, loose-fitting suit of
black. We gave each other a few courteous words of welcome and commenced the conversation.
"A pleasant morning to you Mr. Verne. My name is Sophia Sanders and I just want to say that I am very honored to have you here today. " I said.
"Don't worry about it madame. I am also thankful to you for inviting me here today. But if I may ask, why did you choose me for this interview?" He asked.
"Ever since I was a little girl, I always liked going on adventures with my father. We would explore the woods near our house everyday and we would always have fun. But as time goes by, we didn't have any chance to explore anymore because my father was always busy with work and I was always busy with school. One day, my dad gave me a gift in order to make up for all the time that we weren't able to spend together. Inside that gift was a book entitled Five Weeks in a Balloon, your first novel. That book made my life more fun, filled with adventure and it gave me a glimpse on the beauty of the world and how the world works. Ever since that day, I have always read your works and I loved them more than anything else." I explained.
I looked at Mr. Verne and I saw him smiling happily and his eyes were filled with excitement.
"It is really nice to hear those kind words from other people. It makes me feel happy and it relieves me to know that all my hard work paid off." He replied.
I smiled back at him and I started to ask my first question.
"When did your career as an author begin?" I asked.
“As early as twelve or fourteen I was never without a pen in my hand, and during my school days I was always writing, my tasks being chiefly poetical. During the whole of my life I have always had a great passion for poetical and dramatic work, and in my later youth I published a considerable number of pieces, some of which met with a fair amount of success. My second and principal career did not commence till I was over thirty, and was brought about by a sudden impulse. It struck me one day that perhaps I might utilize with advantage my scientific education to blend together science and romance into a work of an advantageous description that might appeal to the public taste." He replied.
"Mr. Verne, your works are mostly about adventure and science-fiction, why is that?" I asked.
"Well as you know, I lived with my family within the town of Nantes. My father is an attorney and he always wanted me to study law just like him. But just like what I told you earlier, I was always fascinated with writing, poetry, and rhetoric. I also had an interest in geography, philosophy, and adventures. Because I wanted to pursue my love for literature and adventure, I decided to quit law school and I decided to write for magazines and the stage." He explained.
"It must have been hard but I am happy that you decided follow your dreams and the things that you love. Now let's move on to the next. For you Mr Verne, what is Science?" I asked.
"I do not in any way pose a scientist but for me, Science is made up of mistakes but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth." He replied.
I was really amazed about how he remarkably answered that question. I continued to ask him questions and this time, I asked him about his works.
"Out of all your works, what are the top 3 novels you like the most and why?" I asked.
"I love all my works but if I were to choose 3, I would say Journey to the Center of the Earth, The Mysterious Island, and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. I like Journey to the Center of the Earth because most of its ideas are about the interiors of the Earth and its characters encountered prehistoric animals and natural hazards. I like The Mysterious Island because it is about the adventure of the characters on an uncharted island. I like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea because it is about the sea. The sea is everything. It covers seven
tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an
immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all
sides. The sea is only the embodiment of a supernatural and wonderful existence.
It is nothing but love and emotion; it is the Living Infinite."
"A very nice answer. Now for the last question, what is your favorite quote from your books and why?" I asked.
"My favorite quote would be from my novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth ''While there is life, there is hope. I beg to assert...that as long as a man's heart beats, as long as a man's flesh quivers, I do not allow that a being gifted with thought and will can allow himself to despair.'' This is my favorite quote because I can relate myself to it. I have always faced a lot of struggles throughout my life and without hope, I would never have made it this far." He answered.
"All of your answers are very good and I agree with you completely. I would like to thank you again Mr. Verne for giving some of your time for this meeting. I hope we get to meet and talk to each other again." I said.
"I want to thank you too for sharing your experiences with me. Don't worry we can still keep in touch and I am always here if you need me. Goodbye see you again next time" He said.
It was a great experience to spend some time with one of the best authors of all time. I will never forget everything he taught me today and I will always remember never to give up no matter how hard life gets.
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