But please continue with the story. Miss Campbell falls in love with Mr. Sinclair joins the girl's party, and together they go in search of le rayon vert.
But time after time, they fail to see it, due to various mishaps. I could give you examples - - No, no, M. Verne, I am too impatient to learn the end. I imagine they finally see it and know the truth of their mutual feelings? Proust, there you are wrong! The ray does indeed finally produce itself. But the two lovers are so intent on looking into each other's eyes that they miss the moment. None the less, they are not dissatisfied.
I try to suggest that, in matters of the heart, it is undesirable and indeed impossible to know absolute truth. Proust, I do. Verne, I am afraid I have misjudged you.
Our novels are not as dissimilar as I believed. Maybe I will read yours after all. View all 6 comments. May 19, C. Bonham rated it really liked it Recommends it for: Verne Fans. From Master storyteller Jules Verne comes a little known Romantic comedy set on the coast of Scotland. Miss Helena Campbell is getting Married. Only she is the last one to find out and what's more is the she utterly detests the man. So as a delay she insists she can not marry until she has seen "The Green Ray" that last flash of green light emmited by the sun as it slips over the horizon and into the sea.
Her uncles readily agree and it's off to the west coast, of scotland, for the perfecct view o From Master storyteller Jules Verne comes a little known Romantic comedy set on the coast of Scotland. Her uncles readily agree and it's off to the west coast, of scotland, for the perfecct view of that most unusual of Phenomonons.
Little does Helena know that her Betrothed is eagerly awaiting their arrival at the resort. And little do her uncles count on Miss Campbell meeting a young artist there and falling quite in love with him. Which young man will Helena marry? Will she ever see The Green Ray? All this and more are waiting for you inside. One of Verne's sillier books. Love, superstition, the Highlands and Islands and a good dose of romanticised Scotland. I've never encountered a novel that quotes Ossian as much as this one - not even "Werther".
An enjoyable, if silly, quick read. I heard about this book at a conference on Scottish tourism, where its editor recommended it. Jan 17, Anfenwick rated it it was ok Shelves: read-in Honestly, Green Ray is boring, and this is the fault of a society that rigidly limited the possibilities for female central characters. Helena Campbell has got everything Verne's great heroes had: a domineering, determined, rather visionary personality, an adventurous spirit, intense curiosity When I saw the original illustrations for the book, it really brought home to me the fact that dressed like that, Helena Campbell has very little chance of being a kickass heroine.
I thought this was a delightful book. It is a light romance with characters I liked spending time with despite their eccentricities -- or maybe it was actually because of them. However, the reason I would recommend this book is the descriptions of Scotland. They are written with love and wonder. I especially loved how Verne writes about the geological formations of Staffa. In truth, I read this book b I thought this was a delightful book. I was not disappointed. Cross-posted from my blog: quietandbusy.
Something about starting a new year off with a spectacular adventure just feels right to me. My pick for was The Green Ray, one of Verne's lesser-known works Cross-posted from my blog: quietandbusy. My pick for was The Green Ray, one of Verne's lesser-known works.
This one appealed to me because it featured a female protagonist, which was something I hadn't encountered in any of his novels so far. So, on the morning of January 1, I curled up with my cup of coffee and dove in. The plot of the novel follows Helena Campbell, a young Scottish woman with a romantic mind and a keen sense of adventure. Both of her parents died when she was a baby, and she has been raised by her uncles, Samuel and Sebastian Melville.
Helena's uncles love her devotedly, and want nothing but the best for her. Accordingly, they are anxious to secure her a husband now that she has come of age.
Unfortunately, they are rather oblivious when it comes to matchmaking, and the settle on a hopelessly arrogant and joyless academic named Aristobulus Ursiclos the world's best name. Helena, in an effort to buy herself some time, insists on putting off marriage until she observes a scientific phenomenon known as the Green Ray. The Green Ray is a quick, bright green flash that appears on the horizon just as the sun is setting over an ocean view. Legend says that viewing the Green Ray allows you to know your own heart's desires, including your true love.
Unable to deny Helena anything, her uncles agree to travel to a place with a clear view of the ocean so they they can see the Ray. Thus begins a grand adventure all throughout Argyll and the Inner Hebrides as the little family rushes from one place to another trying to catch the perfect view of the sunset. Along the way, they run into Aristobulus, who attaches himself to the group much to Helena's dismay and an adventurous young artist named Oliver Sinclair.
The party is continually stymied in their mission by inclement weather, errant birds, wandering clouds, and boats sailing by at inconvenient moments. Every time they think they have the perfect sunset view, something come along to spoil it. Frustrated, Helena insists on traveling to a tiny uninhabited island to view the sunset without the risk of animals or tourists getting in the way. However, a when a powerful squall hits, everyone winds up in a fight for their lives.
The Green Ray is unlike any of the other Verne novels that I have tried so far. It's not science fiction, but it is an extremely sweet and funny adventure containing a lovable and eccentric cast of characters. There were several instances that made me laugh out loud and the quick pacing and copious illustrations kept me totally engaged while reading.
This is a shorter novel that just flies by. My version had just pages and it only took me two days to finish. The Scotland setting forms the backbone of the story, and Verne describes each location the characters visit in very specific detail. I learned from the afterword to my edition that he took a trip there in his real life a few years before writing this novel, and his own journey became the journey Helena and her family take, right down to the boat names and hotel names.
It is clear that he was quite moved by the Hebrides, as his descriptions of the islands' beauty go on at length. In fact, his praise was so effusive that it became tiring after a while. This was the one aspect of the novel that I didn't like so much, but Verne stories typically have over-long descriptions, whether it be of cities, nature, or scientific principles. It's part of his signature style and it comes with the territory.
Aside from the descriptive sections, everything else in The Green Ray was enjoyable. Aristobulus, especially, was the perfect heel, and watching him bumble his way into spoiling everyone's view of the ray over and over again was hilarious. Helena's uncles were funny characters as well. They were almost like twin brothers, in that they never did anything separate from each other, and their sweet, if imperfect, efforts to take care of their beloved niece were very sweet.
Helena herself was a bit bland, but I did appreciate that she had an adventurous soul and that she found a creative way to dodge her uncles' attempt to marry her off without hurting their feelings. My favorite part of the whole novel was definitely the ending.
I won't spoil whether the characters ever actually see the ray or not, but I will say that what ends up happening is incredibly heartwarming and adorable. This was definitely a lower-stakes adventure than the other Verne novels I have read. This book has pages in the PDF version, and was originally published in This translation by Mary de Hauteville was first published in The artwork used for the cover is 'The Sun' by Edvard Munch.
Last week, around 33, people downloaded books from my site - 9 people donated. I really need your help to keep this site running. You don't need a PayPal or Stripe account and it only takes a minute. The buttons below are set in British Pounds currency - click here if you would prefer to donate in USD. There is another problem, though: this young woman does not know what she wants out of life.
Is it really the green ray? What Delphine does know for sure is that a lot of men are chasing after her while she is chasing after her undefined goal, and she doubts that her goal is just another man, since she is sorely disappointed by all the mecs she meets in her soulful journeys from one picture-perfect place to another.
Then, in the final moments of the film, she meets a young man who seems to be different from all the others. She cannot be sure, though, whether this singularity means anything, anything at all. Will there be a sign?
A good place to start reading about such anecdotes, I think, is a piece written by Emanuel Levy on And then, for following up, I suggest this piece: Charles Taylor on I am particularly fond of this formulation by Taylor:. The marvel of Summer is how both Rohmer and his heroine get themselves back in tune with the world. Rohmer banked the entire movie on the off chance that he would be able to capture the green ray on film. He filmed sunsets for months. Rohmer brings Delphine to life, and she has the grace to return the favor.
Instead of delving into further anecdotes, however, I prefer to focus here on the epigraph that Rohmer himself chose to visualize at the very start of the film. The epigraph that Rohmer chose for Summer are these words of Arthur Rimbaud:. I bring this essay to a close with another sunset: I have in mind here the death of The Village Voice.
The sun had set for the last time on the Voice when it ceased publication toward the end of summer in But here too a green ray may be found—somewhere.
I end by quoting from the words of Sarris himself, who lived till The miracle of summer is how Rohmer has penetrated so deeply into the psyche of an ordinary person with none of the usual stigmata of high drama. His working methods have been described as quick, sequential, often improvisational, and scrupulously anti-expressionistic. Through Rohmer I felt my own summer passing inexorably before my eyes.
It is often funny, but in a way that makes it hurt too much to laugh. The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours. Cambridge, MA. Apollo and Marsyas Go. Go before I change my mind, Is all He would have thought, and said, If not…. Reverse Orpheus And saw his own death happen. But as a mending this time, a cleaning. They shoved his limbs…. The soul of swift-soled Achilles, hearing me Praise his son, silvered, and then was gone, His long strides causing him….
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