Autour de la Lune: The light and shadows of a beginning

One of the mysteries of Verne’s lunar diptych is the four-year interval (1865–1869) between the publication of the two parts. The aim here is to subject this space to critical reflection and to highlight the uniqueness of this bipartite work. It presents the arguments that lead to the assumption there is continuity in the writing between the two sections, and endeavors to weigh the motives that led to the delayed publication of a conclusion requested by “many readers throughout the world.”