Jules Verne and ADHD

It was when I first read Captain Grant's Children (also titled In Search of the Castaways), that I began to wonder if Jules Verne, like me, had some form of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 

ADHD encompasses an array of symptoms. Common traits in adults include difficulty paying attention, distractability, a tendency towards losing or forgetting things and a high need for stimulation. On the positive side, people with ADHD also are prone to being quick-witted, amiable, easy-going and adaptable. (NHS) (I suppose that’s why I’m such a charmer.)

By the time I read Captain Grant’s Children, I was already acquainted with some of Verne’s prolific “absent-minded professors,” such as Professor Aronnax from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Professor Lidenbrock from Journey to the Center of the Earth. They’re intelligent and tenderhearted, as well as impulsive and accident-prone — typical traits of ADHD. I noticed that these types of characters typically acted as something of a self-insert for Verne. He even modelled for the illustrations of Professor Aronnax by artists Édouard Riou and Alphonse de Neuville.

Captain Grant’s Children introduced the quirky and loveable geography professor, Jacques Paganel, who is first seen when he inattentively boards the wrong ship — a mistake he’s unaware of making until he’s far out at sea, headed to the other side of the world. However, when he discovers the crew is searching for the missing father of two struggling youths, he decides to stay and help. His knowledge of language and geography end up making him invaluable to the adventurers, and his optimism and sense of humor prove dauntless in the face of hardship. His value to his friends is not diminished by the humorous mistakes he’s prone to. And somehow, he emerges from his adventures with no greater injury than an embarrassing pectoral tattoo.

Although Paganel is an adult, he bonds with twelve-year-old Robert Grant, their friendship eliciting jokes from the crew about now “having two children” on their voyage. It’s interesting to note that children and adolescents with ADHD often prefer the company of younger friends. (ADDitude Editors) Hence, it would seem that Jaques Paganel is a textbook case of ADHD.

Why did Verne connect to his stories through the absent-minded professor archetype? If Verne had ADHD, it would explain why many of his significant characters have neurodivergent characteristics. While it’s not possible to retroactively diagnose someone who has passed away — that too, before neurodivergencies were even recognised conditions, there’s compelling historical evidence that Verne had ADHD based on records of his personal life. 

One scholar who believes Jules Verne had ADHD is psychiatry Professor Michael Fitzgerald, MD, of Dublin’s Trinity College. Professor Fitzgerald “has examined the lives of notable achievers including Thomas Edison, Kurt Cobain, Oscar Wilde, Lord Byron, Jules Verne, Che Guevara, James Dean, Clark Gable, Pablo Picasso, Mark Twain and Sir Walter Raleigh. Based on his research, the professor believes all these high achievers had or displayed symptoms of ADHD." (Press Committee)

When Jules Verne was a child, he struggled to complete assignments in school, although he seemed to have done well otherwise in his early education. As a person, Verne was shy, introverted and experienced bouts of depression. Yet he could also be very lively, and was fond of practical jokes.

At a Royal College of Psychiatrists' meeting at Keele University, Professor Fitzgerald stated,“People with ADHD have symptoms of inattentiveness, but they often also have a capacity to hyper-focus on a narrow area that is of particular interest to them. Clearly ADHD is not a guarantee of genius, but the focused work rate that it produces may enable creative genius to flourish.” (Press Committee)

Verne’s study methods speak of someone capable of hyperfocus. When he decided he wanted to be a writer, he applied himself with remarkable tenacity. He was a notorious information hound, spending a great deal of his spare time in France’s national library, where he claimed to enjoy himself immensely. He went out of his way to find knowledgeable people, question them, and ask them to critique his work. (Encyclopedia of World Biography)

While every neurodivergent person’s experience is unique, I think it may be encouraging for many to hear that Jules Verne, among others, became a renowned genius not “in spite of” his ADHD, but rather because it helped him cultivate his creativity. Verne is widely considered the father of science fiction, and is the second-most translated author in the world after Agatha Christie, who incidentally is also believed by some scholars to have had ADHD. Evidence shows Christie had dysgraphia, which often accompanies ADHD, causing her trouble in spelling and arithmetic. (Siegel) In light of her career, it’s sadly ironic that at least for much of her life she did not view herself as being particularly intelligent.

I believe the way Jules Verne poured qualities of his own personality into his characters brings life and depth to his stories. Jacques Paganel remains one of my favorite literary characters because I can look at him and say, “He’s just like me!”

From personal observation I have seen that many fans of Jules Verne have attention deficit issues or other neurodivergencies. For a neurodivergent person, I think it’s incredibly satisfying to open a book and tap into a stream of consciousness which harmonises with one’s own.

The legacy of Jules Verne stands as a reminder that people with ADHD shouldn’t sell themselves short. What sometimes may seem like a frustration or a hindrance can also be the catalyst for great achievements. As Professor Fitsgerald observed, "There is a considerable stigma surrounding ADHD, and people tend to focus on the negatives of the disorder. But we should balance this by remembering that ADHD can, in the right circumstances, be a fertiliser helping to generate a seed of untapped potential in a person." (BelfastTelegraph.co.uk)

        Sources

NHS “Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).” National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd

ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association. “ADHD Hyperfocus: The Secret Weapon to Unleashing Productivity and Creativity.” ADDA - Attention Deficit Disorder Association, 17 Apr. 2025, add.org/adhd-hyperfocus

“ADHD and Friendships - Children’s ADHD Intervention Team - Connect NHS.” Connect NHS - Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire, 21 Oct. 2024, connect.humber.nhs.uk/service/childrens-adhd-intervention-team/adhd-friendships/

ADDitude Editors. “‘My Child’s Friends Are All Younger — and That’s Okay.’” ADDitude, 9 May 2025, www.additudemag.com/social-interaction-younger-friends-children-adhd/

Press Committee. Press Committee. 21 May 2014, www.unicist.org/talents/author/press-committee

‌“Jules Verne | Encyclopedia.com.” n.d. Www.encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/french-literature-biographies/jules-verne

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Brown, Benjamin. 2021. “ADHD and Creative Genius | Human Givens.” Human Givens. March 22, 2021. https://www.humangivens.com/2021/03/22/adhd-and-creative-genius/?srsltid=AfmBOopY26aoR6BRFyEcaHo3OuAiUTVEZc1O8e3cjIDCyJSLIkIMNpfn

Emma Morton. “Geniuses Boosted by ADHD Says Prof.” Sun, The (London, England), 4 Feb. 2010, p. 24. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=be2a28a2-321f-3354-b6da-89649dc11f33

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“BBC News - Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Link to Genius.” BBC, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8496955.stm

BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. “Famous Names ‘flourished With ADHD.’” BelfastTelegraph.co.uk, 4 Feb. 2010, www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/famous-names-flourished-with-adhd/28515702.html

Siegel, Linda S. “Agatha Christie’s Learning Disability.” Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne, vol. 29, no. 2, Apr. 1988, pp. 213–16. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0084531

“Famous Authors with ADHD–Lessons from Historical Celebrities • Passionate Writer Coaching.” 2024. Passionate Writer Coaching. April 26, 2024.

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