Tough-O-Meter

We've got your back. With the Tough-O-Meter, you'll know whether to bring extra layers or Swiss army knives as you summit the literary mountain. (10 = Toughest)

(6) Tree Line

We can see the forest for the trees, though it doesn't take a jungle expert to notice Jules Verne is pretty darn hard to read. But that's our point: He's hard to read. The high vocabulary and 1800s type language fly at you like an army of mosquitoes, but if you're an intrepid explorer bound on a mission, this shouldn't stop you from enjoying some of the best literature ever written.

Cut through the vocabulary vines and there's a virtual treasure trove of great ideas and a storyline that delivers action, drama, and adventure worth your weight in gold. What we're getting at is that it's not hard to understand Jules Verne if you can hack away at the vocabulary. Let a good dictionary be your guide, and with Shmoop by your side, there's a golden idol waiting at the end of this for sure.