"Better to put things at the worst at first," replied the engineer, "and reserve the best for a surprise."
• Part I, ch. IX
• Part I, ch. IX
“
Mieux vaut mettre les choses au pis tout de suite, répondit l’ingénieur, et ne se réserver que la surprise du mieux.
— Jules Verne
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Mieux vaut mettre les choses au pis tout de suite, répondit l’ingénieur, et ne se réserver que la surprise du mieux." in the context of ""Better to put things at the worst at first," replied the engineer, "and reserve the best for a surprise."
• Part I, ch. IX" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Jules Verne" (Quotes, The Mysterious Island (1874): L’Île mystérieuse. French text here. English text here.)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
About Jules Verne
Jules Verne (8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French writer best known as a pioneering author in science fiction.
About Jules Verne
Jules Verne (8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French writer best known as a pioneering author in science fiction.
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