VERNE, Jules. Les Indes Noires. Paris: J. Hetzel et Cie, [n.d., 1877]

Jules Verne. Les Indes Noires, Paris: J. Hetzel et Cie, Charles Magnier, “Bibliothèque d’Éducation et de Récréation,” [1877-8]. Part of the Voyages Extraordinaires collection.

FIRST EDITION.(275 x 180 mm). pp. 173. Half-title page; 2 page frontispiece; 1 page colophon, 173 text & illustrated pages + 1 table of contents , 8 page catalogue. 43 additional illustrations addition. Engravings by Charles Barbant and 45 illustrations J. Ferat. Contemporary advertisements tipped in at the end for “Catalogue J” of Hetzel’s “Éducation et de Récréation”, including additional works by Verne and Victor Hugo.Printed for J. Hetzel, without impressed date, but known date of 1877-8 due to tipped in catalogue at the end of the book.  Binding Condition: Good. Vibrant red percaline over cardboard, with black and gold stamping of title, author, and publisher. Golden fore-edge leaves, well preserved. Foxing throughout; minor tears on bottom (pp. 3, 21, 141, pictured). One provenance mark (Ava Pasquier), written in top right hand margin of fly leaf. No further markings in book.

Though he wrote about travel and adventure, Jules Verne only left France a handful of times, notably to visit America in 1867 and Scotland in 1858. His visit to Scotland inspired several of his works, including Voyage à reculons en Angleterre et en Ecosse (Backwards through Britain), written in 1859-60, published posthumously, Le Rayon Vert (The Green Ray) published in 1882, and Les Indes Noires, first published in serial form in 1877 and immediately after by Verne's collaborators and publishers, Hetzel, father and son.

Perhaps because of his own Celtic-Breton background-- he was born in Nantes and raised by a Breton-speaking governess--, Verne was fascinated with the Hebrides and the Scottish folklore. Les Indes Noires presents a supernatural tale with a surprise, Vernian twist, marrying science and fiction to produce an innovative narrative.  

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