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A Carteira do Repórter
Claudius Bombarnac, a reporter is assigned by the Twentieth Century to cover the travels of the Grand Transasiatic Railway which runs between Uzun Ada, Turkestan and Peking, China. Accompanying him on this journey is an interesting collection of characters, including one who is trying to beat the round the world record and another who is a stowaway. Claudius hopes one of them will become the hero of his piece, so his story won't be just a boring travelogue. He is not disappointed when a special car guarded by troops is added to the train, said to be carrying the remains of a great Mandarin. The great Mandarin actually turns out to be a large consignment being returned to China from Persia. Unfortunately the train must travel through a large part of China that is controlled by unscrupulous robber-chiefs. Before the journey is over, Claudius finds his hero.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1892
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About the author
Jules Verne
6,528 books12.1k followersNovels of French writer Jules Gabriel Verne, considered the founder of modern science fiction, include
Journey to the Center of the Earth
(1864) and
Around the World in Eighty Days
(1873).
This author who pioneered the genre. People best know him for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870).
Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before people invented navigable aircraft and practical submarines and devised any means of spacecraft. He ranks behind Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie as the second most translated author of all time. People made his prominent films. People often refer to Verne alongside Herbert George Wells as the "father of science fiction."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_V...
This author who pioneered the genre. People best know him for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870).
Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before people invented navigable aircraft and practical submarines and devised any means of spacecraft. He ranks behind Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie as the second most translated author of all time. People made his prominent films. People often refer to Verne alongside Herbert George Wells as the "father of science fiction."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_V...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 19, 2023
This is the first Jules Verne book I’ve actually read. I know some of his popular stories because of the movies that came from them. That includes a very early silent where a rocket goes to the moon and crashes into the man in the moon face. A reader could spend years reading Verne books—he was extremely prolific. He’s remembered mostly as a writer of fantasy, science fiction and adventure and this book touches lightly on all of these, just don’t expect rockets or adventures to the center of the earth.
Verne manages to cover history, geography, ethnography, science, technology and current (turn of twentieth century) affairs here. The narrator is a journalist working for a French paper who has been sent on a fact finding mission on the new Transasiatic Railway (fictitious). He’s full of information and more than a bit full of himself and his Frenchness and is cringingly insensitive to other cultures. Something can be learned about Verne’s time here.
It is light, fairly humorous and has a bit of adventure and mystery. All is resolved satisfactorily in the end. My feeling is the joke goes on too long but it is certainly readable and lightly entertaining.
Verne manages to cover history, geography, ethnography, science, technology and current (turn of twentieth century) affairs here. The narrator is a journalist working for a French paper who has been sent on a fact finding mission on the new Transasiatic Railway (fictitious). He’s full of information and more than a bit full of himself and his Frenchness and is cringingly insensitive to other cultures. Something can be learned about Verne’s time here.
It is light, fairly humorous and has a bit of adventure and mystery. All is resolved satisfactorily in the end. My feeling is the joke goes on too long but it is certainly readable and lightly entertaining.
June 15, 2017
Βαθμολογία: 3 ½ ★
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Το review αυτό είναι μέρος της ανάρτησής μου που βρίσκεται εδώ
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Ίσως να μην ήταν το πιο ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο που έχω διαβάσει, αλλά... Ιούλιος Βερν είναι αυτός, με το πάθος του να γνωρίσει τις μακρινότερες περιοχές του και τα πιο συγκινητικά φινάλε, και αυτό το γεγονός από μόνο του κατατάσσει την ιστορία του Κλωντ Μπομπαρνιάκ σε ένα από τα κλασικότερα έργα.
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Το review αυτό είναι μέρος της ανάρτησής μου που βρίσκεται εδώ
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Ίσως να μην ήταν το πιο ενδιαφέρον βιβλίο που έχω διαβάσει, αλλά... Ιούλιος Βερν είναι αυτός, με το πάθος του να γνωρίσει τις μακρινότερες περιοχές του και τα πιο συγκινητικά φινάλε, και αυτό το γεγονός από μόνο του κατατάσσει την ιστορία του Κλωντ Μπομπαρνιάκ σε ένα από τα κλασικότερα έργα.
April 19, 2020
Claudio Bombarnac debe ser el libro de cabecera del responsable de los ferrocarriles en Extremadura.
Julio Verne, en un alarde de anticipación poco estudiado hasta ahora, es capaz de hacernos sentir con esta novela lo tedioso y aburrido que es viajar en tren por Extremadura en pleno siglo XXI. Nuestras vías nada tienen que envidiar a las del ficticio tren Transasiático de su obra (de hecho, son de la misma época) que viaja a una velocidad media de 60-80 km/h y que, al igual que los trenes extremeños, alcanzando los 100 descarrila. Impresiona comprobar una vez más como Verne se anticipa a su tiempo.
La descripción del paisaje y de las innumerables ciudades en las que para el Transaiático es la tónica general de esta desconocida novela en la que la poca acción que hay se desarrolla en las últimas 70 páginas. El resto del relato es una descripción interminable de la estepa rusa, imposible de seguir si no se lee con un mapa al lado.
Como curiosidad me ha gustado el guiño hace el autor a sus obras anteriores a través de sus personajes. Nos presenta por ejemplo a un barón alemán que no es más que una parodia de Phileas Fogg pretendiendo dar la vuelta al mundo en 66 días, un militar ruso con aires de Miguel Strogoff y al mismo protagonista, que parece ser el alter ego de Julio Verne.
Julio Verne, en un alarde de anticipación poco estudiado hasta ahora, es capaz de hacernos sentir con esta novela lo tedioso y aburrido que es viajar en tren por Extremadura en pleno siglo XXI. Nuestras vías nada tienen que envidiar a las del ficticio tren Transasiático de su obra (de hecho, son de la misma época) que viaja a una velocidad media de 60-80 km/h y que, al igual que los trenes extremeños, alcanzando los 100 descarrila. Impresiona comprobar una vez más como Verne se anticipa a su tiempo.
La descripción del paisaje y de las innumerables ciudades en las que para el Transaiático es la tónica general de esta desconocida novela en la que la poca acción que hay se desarrolla en las últimas 70 páginas. El resto del relato es una descripción interminable de la estepa rusa, imposible de seguir si no se lee con un mapa al lado.
Como curiosidad me ha gustado el guiño hace el autor a sus obras anteriores a través de sus personajes. Nos presenta por ejemplo a un barón alemán que no es más que una parodia de Phileas Fogg pretendiendo dar la vuelta al mundo en 66 días, un militar ruso con aires de Miguel Strogoff y al mismo protagonista, que parece ser el alter ego de Julio Verne.
March 22, 2016
It's not often I find a Jules Verne novel I've never read before, so this was one I anticipated enjoying - and did. There's considerably more humor in it than in most of his books, fueled by the clever characters he creates. It's the story of a train journey from Russia to China in the 19th century, across what were then unknown lands. There are plenty of mysteries, a fair amount of action, and even romance. While it may not be as imaginative as his science fiction, it's certainly a most enjoyable book.
November 4, 2012
Una novela bastante divertida en en donde se describen parajes de Asia en un recorrido en tren de 5.000 km. Es curioso observar el conjunto de personajes que acompañan a nuestro protagonista en su búsqueda de aventuras y donde podemos observar las fobias y filias de las que hace habitualmente uso Julio Verne en relación con las nacionalidades de los personajes.
Como suele ocurrir en estos casos se suceden las aventuras pero al final todo se resuelve satisfactoriamente para nuestro corresponsal.
Como suele ocurrir en estos casos se suceden las aventuras pero al final todo se resuelve satisfactoriamente para nuestro corresponsal.
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January 8, 2020στα ελληνικά: από τον Καύκασο στο Πεκίνο
January 15, 2025
2025 in ilk kitabı hayırlı olsun 💪🏼💪🏼 orta asyayı ve çini merak eden herkese tavsiye ederim gitmiş kadar oldum🤓🤓 bu sene gidip görmek nasip olsun vaktiyle inş ✈️✈️✈️
March 1, 2010
One of the curses of being a popular author is becoming pigeon holed as a writer. Although best know as a science fiction writer, most of his novels did not contain elements of science fiction. Around the World in 80 Days and Micheal Strogoff are among the well known ones that are strictly adventures.
Despite the inclusion of the word 'adventures' in the title, when the titular character, a special correspondent for a Parisian newspaper, prays to the gods of journalism that they might not spare him adventures their answer is generally "No." This novel is mostly a combination of social satire and travelogue.
The narrative covers Claudius Bombarnac's assignment to travel from the Caspian sea to Peking on the Transasiatic railroad. Ever watchful for some newsworthy tidbit he can telegraph to Paris at the next train station, he encounters national prejudices, romance in three different flavors, a wee bit of intrigue and even gives a tip of the hat to himself by including a globetrotting German hoping to travel around the world in only 63 days.
The narrative style of Mr. Bombarnac consistantly portraying his love of reveling in his own turn of phrase. That this voice is quite different from the voice we find in much of Verne's other writing, is a testament of his versatility as a writer.
The weakness in this novel is demonstrated in his travelogue sections. They read like just so many lists. It is enough to drive the reader to keep his google.com open at his side as he reads.
Though not one of his greater work, Claudius Bombarnac is still a pleasant read for those who can see beyond the pigeon hole.
Despite the inclusion of the word 'adventures' in the title, when the titular character, a special correspondent for a Parisian newspaper, prays to the gods of journalism that they might not spare him adventures their answer is generally "No." This novel is mostly a combination of social satire and travelogue.
The narrative covers Claudius Bombarnac's assignment to travel from the Caspian sea to Peking on the Transasiatic railroad. Ever watchful for some newsworthy tidbit he can telegraph to Paris at the next train station, he encounters national prejudices, romance in three different flavors, a wee bit of intrigue and even gives a tip of the hat to himself by including a globetrotting German hoping to travel around the world in only 63 days.
The narrative style of Mr. Bombarnac consistantly portraying his love of reveling in his own turn of phrase. That this voice is quite different from the voice we find in much of Verne's other writing, is a testament of his versatility as a writer.
The weakness in this novel is demonstrated in his travelogue sections. They read like just so many lists. It is enough to drive the reader to keep his google.com open at his side as he reads.
Though not one of his greater work, Claudius Bombarnac is still a pleasant read for those who can see beyond the pigeon hole.
July 22, 2011
We think that traveling is easier today than in the past. This book shows us that it is just quicker.
The book is essentially a travelogue of a journey undertaken almost on the spur of the moment, to make the same journey today would take weeks of preparation with no guarantee that it would happen.
Some interesting descriptions of towns and cities across Asia combined with an insight into the ethnic prejudices of previous generations - there is also a pretty good story line.
The book is essentially a travelogue of a journey undertaken almost on the spur of the moment, to make the same journey today would take weeks of preparation with no guarantee that it would happen.
Some interesting descriptions of towns and cities across Asia combined with an insight into the ethnic prejudices of previous generations - there is also a pretty good story line.
October 21, 2020
an adventure story set on the Transcaspian railway from Baku to Beijing, set at around year 1900. Part of the enjoyment is tracking the trip on a map and figuring out the modern spelling for the towns. Verne is an entertaining writer and the story has a surprising number of unexpected (mostly) twists.
March 6, 2013
Claudius Bombarnac, special correspondent for the Twentieth Century travels on the Grand Transasiatic Railway from Turkestan to China, recording his adventures along the way...
April 13, 2017
Seyehat eden bir gazeteci olan Cladius Bombarnac, haber yazmak için Asya Postası trenine biniyor ve Çin' e yolculuk yapıyor. Güzel macera dolu bir kitap. Tavsiye ederim.
January 24, 2019
Entretenida y dinámica historia.
April 26, 2020
Julio Verne continúa sin decepcionarme. Siempre es un placer viajar por el mundo de la mano de este talentoso autor y de sus entrañables personajes.
May 29, 2020
One of the best book i have ever read. One of the best of Verne 👍
June 2, 2024
Bir Jules Verne kitabını daha bitirdik..
Jules Verne benim en sevdiğim yazarlardan birisi. Kendisinin bir sürü kitabını okudum ve de "Bir Gazetecinin Yolculuk Notları" ismi altında çevirisi yapılmış asıl ismi "Claudius Bombarnak" olan bu kitabı adeta bir macera şöleni..
Claudius Bombarnak "Yirminci Yüzyıl" isimli bir gazetenin muhabiri olarak Tiflis'den Çin İmparatorluğunun başkenti Pekin'e demiryolu ile seyahet yapıyor. Kendisi yolculuk boyunca geçtiği bölegelerin kısa biyografisini de sunuyor ki, aslında Verne'nin sunmuş olduğu bu bilgiler adı geçen coğrafyanın bir çeyrek asır öncesini öğrenmek için adeta bir belgesel. Zira Verne'nin kitabı yazmış olduğu dönemde Claudius Bombarnak'ın geçmiş olduğu coğrafyanın büyük çoğunluğu Rusya İmparatorluğunun topraklarına dahil olmuştur. Claudius Bombarnak yolculuk boyunca kendisi ile seyahet eden insanları da nitelikli şekilde tasvir eder ve onları kendisine göre sıralama olarak notlandırır. Yolculuk boyunca aslında Fransızlarda diğer halklara karşı mevcut olan önyargıları da rahatlıkla sezmek mümkündür. Mesela Verne Bombarnak'ın dilinden amerikalıların fazlasıyla ticarete düşkün olduğunu, ingilizlerin ise her zamankı gibi kibirli ve soğuk olduğunu ama rusların yardımsever olduğunu belirtir. Bunların gerçekte ne kadar objektif fikirler olduğu tartışıl��r elbette ama kesin olan şu ki en azından kitapda Claudius Bombarnak gözlemleri ile diğer halklara karşı stereotip önyargılarını pratikden yararlanarak bizlere iletmiş olur.
Her ne kadar yukarıda belitrmiş olduğum önyargıları barındırıyorsa bile (ki, yazarı eleştiremem zira döneminin yazarı ve de döneminin gözlemlerini belirtir yalnızca) bu kitap Verne'nin yazmış olduğu kesinlikle en iyi kitaplardan biri. Verne severlere açıkyüreklilikle tavsiye ederim..
Jules Verne benim en sevdiğim yazarlardan birisi. Kendisinin bir sürü kitabını okudum ve de "Bir Gazetecinin Yolculuk Notları" ismi altında çevirisi yapılmış asıl ismi "Claudius Bombarnak" olan bu kitabı adeta bir macera şöleni..
Claudius Bombarnak "Yirminci Yüzyıl" isimli bir gazetenin muhabiri olarak Tiflis'den Çin İmparatorluğunun başkenti Pekin'e demiryolu ile seyahet yapıyor. Kendisi yolculuk boyunca geçtiği bölegelerin kısa biyografisini de sunuyor ki, aslında Verne'nin sunmuş olduğu bu bilgiler adı geçen coğrafyanın bir çeyrek asır öncesini öğrenmek için adeta bir belgesel. Zira Verne'nin kitabı yazmış olduğu dönemde Claudius Bombarnak'ın geçmiş olduğu coğrafyanın büyük çoğunluğu Rusya İmparatorluğunun topraklarına dahil olmuştur. Claudius Bombarnak yolculuk boyunca kendisi ile seyahet eden insanları da nitelikli şekilde tasvir eder ve onları kendisine göre sıralama olarak notlandırır. Yolculuk boyunca aslında Fransızlarda diğer halklara karşı mevcut olan önyargıları da rahatlıkla sezmek mümkündür. Mesela Verne Bombarnak'ın dilinden amerikalıların fazlasıyla ticarete düşkün olduğunu, ingilizlerin ise her zamankı gibi kibirli ve soğuk olduğunu ama rusların yardımsever olduğunu belirtir. Bunların gerçekte ne kadar objektif fikirler olduğu tartışıl��r elbette ama kesin olan şu ki en azından kitapda Claudius Bombarnak gözlemleri ile diğer halklara karşı stereotip önyargılarını pratikden yararlanarak bizlere iletmiş olur.
Her ne kadar yukarıda belitrmiş olduğum önyargıları barındırıyorsa bile (ki, yazarı eleştiremem zira döneminin yazarı ve de döneminin gözlemlerini belirtir yalnızca) bu kitap Verne'nin yazmış olduğu kesinlikle en iyi kitaplardan biri. Verne severlere açıkyüreklilikle tavsiye ederim..
August 22, 2022
(38) Claudius Bombarnac (Claudius Bombarnac, aka The Adventures of a Special Correspondent, 1892) (1 volume) 70K words
The 38th Extraordinary Voyage takes us back to Asia, crossing the whole length of it like we had done in "Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar", although that was more to the north through Siberia, and also in "Cesar Cascabel", which took place even further north near the arctic circle. This time we go through the Russian Turkestan and China. The complete trip is done by train, which is a first, although that means of transportation had been used extensively in "Around the World in Eighty Days".
First read or reread?: First read for me.
What is it about?: Claudius Bombarnac, a reporter, is assigned by a French newspaper to cover the travels of the recently inaugurated Grand Transasiatic Railway which runs between Uzun Ada, by the coast of the Caspian Sea, to Peking, China, by the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Accompanying him on this journey is an interesting collection of characters, including one who is trying to beat the round the world record and another who is a stowaway hidden within the luggage. Claudius hopes one of them will become the hero of his piece, so his story won't be just a boring travelogue. He is not disappointed when a special car guarded by troops is added to the train, said to be carrying the remains of a great Mandarin. Before the journey is over, Claudius will find his hero.
So this is another travel story. As always with Verne's books, I enjoy following the characters' progress on the map provided.
During Verne's live, the world was getting smaller. The unexplored regions were shrinking and public transportation was improving. This was reflected in "Around the World in Eighty Days", where a trip that until then would have been much longer and difficult is done using public transportation, placing it within the reach of tourists rather than explorers or adventurers. From that book, progress continued, and here Verne's characters travel using a newly inaugurated railroad line that had not existed at the time of Phileas Fogg's travel around the world. In fact, in real life, several travelers inspired by Verne's story had comfortably bested the eighty days deadline. Here, one of Claudius Bombarnac's travel mates is a caricature of Phileas Fogg, a bad-tempered German baron who is attempting to break the record for a trip around the world.
The trouble with having the whole journey done by train is that this fits better a travelogue than an adventure story. And in fact, between the first half and the first two thirds of the novel feel like a travelogue. The story is told in the first person by the titular character, a reporter. He addresses the reader in a very colloquial manner, reminding me in that sense of "The Flight to France". We are given the character's impressions about his travel mates and the incidents of the trip, along with descriptions of the landscape and the cities where they make stops. The saving grace here is that the first person narrative is quite readable and Claudius' travel mates are a colorful bunch, but some readers will be bored by these descriptions.
Since this is still a Verne novel, things do speed up eventually and, by the time the trip finishes, the characters have gone through an adventure and Claudius Bombarnac has found the hero for his story.
The novel will work better for readers who appreciate a travelogue and who are entertained by the social satire and the contrasting characters of the travelers. I was amused by how Verne's national prejudices are reflected in the way the characters are depicted. Verne liked the Russians, and Major Noltitz, an experienced Russian army doctor, is an agreeable companion. The same can't be said of Sir Francis Trevellyan, one of the British representatives, who is a superscilious snob who barely deigns to exchange a word with his companions. Or about Baron Weissschnitzerdörfer, the irascible German whose list of travels is longer than his name and who is used as the comic relief of the story. We have Fulk Ephrinell, the American sales broker who has a rather unromantic romance with Mrs. Horacia Bluett, a British businesswoman with a similarly practical way of thinking; Kinko, the young Romanian stowaway who travels hidden within a luggage box because he has no money but hopes to reunite with his girlfriend who works as a milliner in Peking; Adolphe and Caroline Caterna, a happily married couple of French actors who reminded me of Mr. and Mrs. Cascabel from "Cesar Cascabel"; Pan-Chao, the young and fun-loving Chinese student who is returning home accompanied by his sedate and elderly chaperone; Popof, the Russian train conductor who is the only member of the staff who will make the whole trip with the travelers; Faruskiar, a proud and enigmatic Mongol lord...
Enjoyment factor: I enjoyed it, but I found the first part a bit uneventful, particularly when it came to describing the cities where they stop. Because of that, it's not the Verne book I would recommend to someone who is not already a fan of the writer. However, Verne can be relied on to include a good adventure story, even when it takes it a while to get moving. Even during the slow part, I just like the way he tells a story, and the idiosyncratic characters worked for me. It was interesting traveling through this part of the world, seeing it from the eyes of a 19th century writer.
Next up: Foundling Mick
See all my Verne reviews here: https://www.sffworld.com/forum/thread...
The 38th Extraordinary Voyage takes us back to Asia, crossing the whole length of it like we had done in "Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar", although that was more to the north through Siberia, and also in "Cesar Cascabel", which took place even further north near the arctic circle. This time we go through the Russian Turkestan and China. The complete trip is done by train, which is a first, although that means of transportation had been used extensively in "Around the World in Eighty Days".
First read or reread?: First read for me.
What is it about?: Claudius Bombarnac, a reporter, is assigned by a French newspaper to cover the travels of the recently inaugurated Grand Transasiatic Railway which runs between Uzun Ada, by the coast of the Caspian Sea, to Peking, China, by the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Accompanying him on this journey is an interesting collection of characters, including one who is trying to beat the round the world record and another who is a stowaway hidden within the luggage. Claudius hopes one of them will become the hero of his piece, so his story won't be just a boring travelogue. He is not disappointed when a special car guarded by troops is added to the train, said to be carrying the remains of a great Mandarin. Before the journey is over, Claudius will find his hero.
So this is another travel story. As always with Verne's books, I enjoy following the characters' progress on the map provided.
During Verne's live, the world was getting smaller. The unexplored regions were shrinking and public transportation was improving. This was reflected in "Around the World in Eighty Days", where a trip that until then would have been much longer and difficult is done using public transportation, placing it within the reach of tourists rather than explorers or adventurers. From that book, progress continued, and here Verne's characters travel using a newly inaugurated railroad line that had not existed at the time of Phileas Fogg's travel around the world. In fact, in real life, several travelers inspired by Verne's story had comfortably bested the eighty days deadline. Here, one of Claudius Bombarnac's travel mates is a caricature of Phileas Fogg, a bad-tempered German baron who is attempting to break the record for a trip around the world.
The trouble with having the whole journey done by train is that this fits better a travelogue than an adventure story. And in fact, between the first half and the first two thirds of the novel feel like a travelogue. The story is told in the first person by the titular character, a reporter. He addresses the reader in a very colloquial manner, reminding me in that sense of "The Flight to France". We are given the character's impressions about his travel mates and the incidents of the trip, along with descriptions of the landscape and the cities where they make stops. The saving grace here is that the first person narrative is quite readable and Claudius' travel mates are a colorful bunch, but some readers will be bored by these descriptions.
Since this is still a Verne novel, things do speed up eventually and, by the time the trip finishes, the characters have gone through an adventure and Claudius Bombarnac has found the hero for his story.
The novel will work better for readers who appreciate a travelogue and who are entertained by the social satire and the contrasting characters of the travelers. I was amused by how Verne's national prejudices are reflected in the way the characters are depicted. Verne liked the Russians, and Major Noltitz, an experienced Russian army doctor, is an agreeable companion. The same can't be said of Sir Francis Trevellyan, one of the British representatives, who is a superscilious snob who barely deigns to exchange a word with his companions. Or about Baron Weissschnitzerdörfer, the irascible German whose list of travels is longer than his name and who is used as the comic relief of the story. We have Fulk Ephrinell, the American sales broker who has a rather unromantic romance with Mrs. Horacia Bluett, a British businesswoman with a similarly practical way of thinking; Kinko, the young Romanian stowaway who travels hidden within a luggage box because he has no money but hopes to reunite with his girlfriend who works as a milliner in Peking; Adolphe and Caroline Caterna, a happily married couple of French actors who reminded me of Mr. and Mrs. Cascabel from "Cesar Cascabel"; Pan-Chao, the young and fun-loving Chinese student who is returning home accompanied by his sedate and elderly chaperone; Popof, the Russian train conductor who is the only member of the staff who will make the whole trip with the travelers; Faruskiar, a proud and enigmatic Mongol lord...
Enjoyment factor: I enjoyed it, but I found the first part a bit uneventful, particularly when it came to describing the cities where they stop. Because of that, it's not the Verne book I would recommend to someone who is not already a fan of the writer. However, Verne can be relied on to include a good adventure story, even when it takes it a while to get moving. Even during the slow part, I just like the way he tells a story, and the idiosyncratic characters worked for me. It was interesting traveling through this part of the world, seeing it from the eyes of a 19th century writer.
Next up: Foundling Mick
See all my Verne reviews here: https://www.sffworld.com/forum/thread...
November 19, 2025
Al principio no me estaba gustando, pero al final se me hizo un buen libro de Verne. No de los mejores pero creo que cumple. La historia básicamente es un reportero francés que toma el tren transasiático y viaja por Asia central hasta Beijin, China. El viaje lo inicia en Tbilisi, Georgia y de ahí va a Ozun Ada, Turkmenistán y ahí toma el tren transasiático. Conoce a varios personajes y hay algunos intentos de asalto al tren. Lo que no me gustó mucho del principio es que sentí que sólo describía un poco de las ciudades que visitaba pero no pasaba nada. Cuando ya llevaba un rato leyéndolo como que conecté con el formato y se me hizo más amena la lectura. Tal vez sólo sea cuestión de adentrarse en el estilo de cómo está escrito el libro, esto es, más como una crónica de viaje que una historia donde los personajes viven muchas cosas. Creo que es recomendable ir siguiendo el trayecto en un mapa para darse una idea de las diferentes culturas que se visitan y para tener una escala del viaje que están realizando. Esto también me ayudó a conectar mejor con el libro.
March 8, 2025
Having read, as a child and teen, every Jules Verne book I found in libraries, I was expecting an adventure story along the lines of _Around the World in Eighty Days_. This book, however, turns out to be more a travelogue, describing a railway journey from Tiflis (Tbilisi) to Peking. Its primary audience, I think, must have been people contemplating such a trip around 1900. The first half of the book is filled mainly with descriptions of scenery, customs, local history, etc.; nothing more exciting happens than that a man is discovered stowing away in a crate, and another man's hat blows away. However, the thirteen fellow travelers of M. Bombarnac add enough humor and human interest to make those pages passable, and the latter half of the story does not lack for adventure.
August 4, 2024
Published for the first time in 1893, this novel follows the usual pattern for Verne's stories: adventure and science fiction are mixed together, adding a little bit of romance. Not to forget that some parts may be seen as a travelogue.
Mr. Bombarnac is a reporter is assigned by the Twentieth Century to cover the travels of the Grand Transasiatic Railway which runs between Uzun Ada, a harbour on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, and Peking, China, so the narrative is quite interesting, as we are in the XIXth century.
Bad boys, robbers, good boys, a happy ending, so if you have some hours to spare, that's quite a choice...
Mr. Bombarnac is a reporter is assigned by the Twentieth Century to cover the travels of the Grand Transasiatic Railway which runs between Uzun Ada, a harbour on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, and Peking, China, so the narrative is quite interesting, as we are in the XIXth century.
Bad boys, robbers, good boys, a happy ending, so if you have some hours to spare, that's quite a choice...
March 26, 2022
In this extraordinary adventure, Claudius Barbanac is traveling on the railroad going from Turkestan to Peking. Claudius is a reporter for the French newspaper the Twentieth Century and hopes to find a great story to cover. He meets quite a few interesting travelers and they do have some challenging adventures. Again, Verne lets the reader know about the geography and plants and cities of the that part of the world. An interesting read.
March 22, 2020
Book 23/100: Claudius Bombarnac: The Adventures of a Special Correspondent (Extraordinary Voyages #38) by Jules Verne. I finally opened the compendium of Jules Verne containing 55 of his works. This is the first of fifty-five completed. Only about fifty-four to go now! ... only dented this at 3% with this one story completed. Oof.
April 2, 2022
Me resultó muy amena y entretenida las primeras 130 páginas, luego me empezó a resultar más aburrida y repetida, hasta que más adelante se retoma otra vez la intriga y acción del libro. Personaje principal evoluciona, el resto excepto el villano son planos, en resumen me gustó bastante, aunque es cierto que tiene algunos puntos más flojillos.
February 15, 2025
O livro descreve a viagem e as aventuras de um repórter de Tbilisi a Pequim por meio das ferrovias Transcáspio e Grande Transasiática.
Por meio da boca do repórter, Júlio Verne faz, como é usual em seus livros, uma minuciosa descrição dos acidentes geográficos, das cidades e dos povos do caminho, enquanto nos apresenta personagens exóticos e uma aventura com alguma emoção.
Por meio da boca do repórter, Júlio Verne faz, como é usual em seus livros, uma minuciosa descrição dos acidentes geográficos, das cidades e dos povos do caminho, enquanto nos apresenta personagens exóticos e uma aventura com alguma emoção.
February 1, 2021
Terminado, un libro corto de tan sólo 235 pag.
Quizás se me hizo algo lento, la mayor parte describe el paisaje por el que viaja en tren el señor Claudio Bombarnac. Pero acabó siendo de muy buen agrado.
No es una joya de Julio Verne, pero sí interesante.
Quizás se me hizo algo lento, la mayor parte describe el paisaje por el que viaja en tren el señor Claudio Bombarnac. Pero acabó siendo de muy buen agrado.
No es una joya de Julio Verne, pero sí interesante.
July 6, 2021
Maceralı ve gizemli. Bir gazetecinin Hazar Denizi'nden Pekin'e kadar 13 gün süren yolculuğunu, trende yaşanılanları okumak çok keyifliydi. Agatha Christie tadı aldım biraz, keşke daha uzun olsaydı. :)
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August 7, 2021Not one of Verne's best, by a long shot. And yet -- despite the racism and my knowledge of 20th century history, the utopian excitement about train travel is pretty enticing. Also, the mockery of the English and the Americans is hilarious.
February 9, 2023
No es seguramente uno de los mejores libros de Julio Vern, pero es bastante interesante con las clásicas detalladas descricpiones de Julio Vern a su estilo particular. Acción no hay mucha, pero termina siendo una lectura agradable.
September 17, 2017
A reporter covers a ling train ride from the middle east to Peking. He has plenty of opinions on his many fellow passengers.
September 8, 2021
Entretenido, pero me pareció curioso que en este libro Verne tuvo sumada a las otras, una visión acertada del futuro.
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