For those who want to know everything about Jules Verne. Not essential.

A dark futuristic novel, which points just when it comes to show how technology, which invades the whole social and cultural space in the twentieth century, can threaten cultural forms "classic" and also transform individuals into " Machinery "devoid of any artistic sense, only attracted by the beauty of science.
Otherwise, on the literary level, Hetzel was right: it is well below what Jules Verne used to write. There has long copyright enumerations that seem made to please the editor (a waste). The whole, although interesting, sometimes mysterious. To read for those who want to perfect their culture Verne.