LEGO Reviews Promotional40690

Tribute to Jules Verne's Books

Name: LEGO Tribute to Jules Verne's Books 40690
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 40690

77 · RECOMMENDEDINVESTMENT GRADE: BBB2024351 pcsHigh agreement · 90%

Expert reviews

5analyzed

Owner ratings

BrickScore

Recommended

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"With a BrickScore of 76.8 and a perfect 5-star owner rating, 40690 Tribute to Jules Verne's Books earns its Highly Recommended tier as an exceptionally well-designed GWP: both critics called it the best entry in the Historical Tribute series, and the only real knock is a recycled minifigure."

Both expert reviewers agree that 40690 Tribute to Jules Verne's Books is one of the finest GWPs LEGO has produced, with ingenious microscale dioramas of the Nautilus submarine, a steam train bridge, and a hot air balloon bursting from an open book. The format cleverly evokes the earlier 40291 Creative Personalities while introducing innovations like the A-piece book structure and brick-built bookmark. All three LEGO.com owner ratings give it a perfect 5 out of 5, with 100 percent recommending it, fully aligning with the expert consensus.

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LOVED (7)

01Ingenious open-book diorama format with A-piece used to hold the structure at an angle
02Three detailed microscale vehicles representing different Jules Verne novels (Nautilus, steam train, hot air balloon)
03Striking color schemes: pearl gold and dark tan for the Nautilus, dark green and trans-yellow for the train, orange and sand blue for the balloon

+4 more with Collector

CRITICIZED (5)

01Jules Verne minifigure is bland with recycled parts (Obi-Wan Kenobi face reused from Gustave Eiffel, Goblin Banker torso)
02No curved spine on the book exterior (though acknowledged as likely a stability decision)
03One small sticker used instead of a printed tile

+2 more with Collector

Build Facts what critics report

🎯 Audience

collectors

In Their Words most-used terms across every critic review

designbookjulesvernedisplaynautilussmalldarkstickericonictraincomparedvisualpartslimited2024dynamicopenballoondioramarepresentationfamiliartributeeiffelmodeldetailedcleverexcellent

What reviewers are saying

"40690 Tribute to Jules Verne's Books is one of the best gifts-with-purchase of 2024 and a unique entry into the ongoing tribute series."

Brick Fanatics

"This homage to the works of Jules Verne is a delight, using a clever diorama format"

Brickset Reviews

Ecosystem

40291 Creative Personalities 80 — The execution is much more successful here. By opting for the book to be partially open, the model is considerably more dynamic and has a small cloudy backdrop that adds to the diorama.

40291 Creative Personalities 80 — This diorama features three of Verne's novels in a similar open-book format to 40291 which pays homage to Hans Christian Andersen. 40690 lacks the curved spine found on 40291, though the reviewer notes this is likely for stability reasons.

76252 Batcave - Shadow Box 72 — The format jacket torso used for Jules Verne returns from this set and a couple of others.

40579 Eiffel's Apartment 62 — A similar torso and exactly the same head were previously used for Gustave Eiffel, showing LEGO's preferred way of portraying French people from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

PromotionalInvestment Grade

By Reviewer · 2

Avg score

Brick Fanatics 🇬🇧

Expert Video Source

BUY

"40690 Tribute to Jules Verne's Books is one of the best gifts-with-purchase of 2024 and a unique entry into the ongoing tribute series."

Key Pros

✓One of the best gifts-with-purchase of 2024
✓High-quality build and dynamic design
✓Partially open book design is considerably more dynamic than similar builds

Key Cons

✕Minifigure design is too familiar compared to other tribute sets (Galileo, Eiffel)
✕Nautilus is half-submerged, limiting its visual impact and potential as a standalone vehicle

JUMP TO REVIEW

Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

BUY

"This homage to the works of Jules Verne is a delight, using a clever diorama format"

Key Pros

✓Ingenious diorama format
✓Striking display model
✓Amazingly detailed mini-vehicles

Key Cons

✕Jules Verne minifigure is bland and uses existing pieces
✕No curved spine on the book (though reviewer acknowledges this may be for stability reasons)

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Critics discussed this set's investment case

Buy-now vs wait consensus, value drivers, exclusivity and resale outlook

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Minifigures & Standout Parts

In this set (1)

Jules Verne

Standout parts (per reviewers)

Nautilus submarine
Intricate design of the vehicle as frequently depicted in pop culture; brick-built representation of the iconic vessel from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas
Balloon vehicle
Represents Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863)
Train vehicle
Represents Around the World in 80 Days (1872)
Sand blue 1x1 quarter dome piece
Actually new
Orange 1x1 quarter dome piece
Has only appeared once before
Black flame (quill pen representation)
Fairly uncommon in black; normally appears in Monkie Kid sets