M.L. Brown (Author of The Trials of Lance Eliot)

M.L. Brown is now friends with Danielle Beers

M.L. Brown wrote The Trials of Lance Eliot: Chapter 3 - Lance Eliot’s Questions Are Answered

"I stepped up to the door and knocked. It was opened by an elderly servant with a gray mustache and the bushiest eyebrows I have ever seen. “You are Master Lance Eliot?” he inquired.
I nodded.
“Please come this way,” he said. “General Shoukan is expe..." Read more of this chapter »

M.L. Brown wrote The Trials of Lance Eliot: Chapter 2 - What Lance Eliot Finds There

"I awoke on a small cot. My head hurt and my throat was dry. If I get up, I thought drowsily, I might find something to drink. Simple. With an effort I lifted myself off the cot, stood for a moment and then collapsed onto the floor. It took four mo..." Read more of this chapter »

M.L. Brown wrote The Trials of Lance Eliot: Chapter 1 - Lance Eliot Travels to an Unfamiliar Place

"I’m afraid I’ll be dead by the time you read this. It’s a pity. I would have liked to have told you my tale in person, but the rider on the pale horse is catching up to me, and the only way for my story to be told is for me to write it down.
Where..." Read more of this chapter »

M.L. Brown rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
by Jules Verne

read in June, 2012

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a superb novel, blending adventure, fascinating themes and the intriguing characterization of the man who calls himself Nemo—Latin for Nobody.

Verne's novel is a gripping read for at least three reasons.

First, Verne pai...more 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a superb novel, blending adventure, fascinating themes and the intriguing characterization of the man who calls himself Nemo—Latin for Nobody.

Verne's novel is a gripping read for at least three reasons.

First, Verne paints a fantastic picture of the underwater world, a world teeming with wondrous creatures and marvelous landscapes—a world as strange as another planet, yet just beneath the surface of the ocean.

Second, the Nautilus, Nemo’s submarine, is fascinating. The reader is privileged along with Aronnax and his companions to discover the secrets of the submarine little by little, with Nemo patiently explaining each of its major components. How could such a machine be built in secret? How did Nemo assemble a crew, and who are his mysterious crewmembers? Why did Nemo build the Nautilus in the first place?

This brings us to the third element of suspense in the novel: Who in blazes is Captain Nemo?

Nemo’s characterization is amazing. The polite, brilliant, sardonic engineer to whom the reader is introduced early in the book is gradually revealed to be—well, I won’t say anymore here. As his motivations become clearer, he himself changes before the reader’s eyes. More than the wonders of the sea and the submarine, Nemo kept me interested in the novel.

Sadly, apart from Captain Nemo, there aren’t many engaging characters in the novel. In fact, there aren’t many characters at all.

Nemo, Aronnax, Counseil and Ned Land are pretty much the only people in the novel. One or two other characters are introduced in the early chapters before Aronnax and his companions board the Nautilus, but they’re forgettable. Nemo’s crew is faceless and voiceless; the only member who makes any lasting impression is Nemo’s second-in-command, a short, incomprehensible man who makes few appearances.

Aronnax is mildly interesting. Ned Land is more engaging, with a down-to-earth personality (as his surname implies) and a quick temper; he’s an excellent foil to the bookish Aronnax and idealistic Nemo. Counseil is disappointing: an impassive, unchanging, self-effacing manservant whose entire personality seems to consist of a compulsive tendency to classify biological specimens.

That brings us to my other objection to the novel: too many lists! Admittedly, part of the science fiction genre is to list facts and technical details; as Stephen Baxter observes in an introduction to my edition of the novel, “This veneer of plausible detail [is] a technique well-known in fantastic fiction.” However, Verne’s novel takes it to an extreme.

The first time I encountered one of Aronnax’s exhaustive lists of marine fauna, I found it interesting and even applauded Verne’s use of real-life detail to enhance his work. Halfway through the novel—about half a dozen lists later—I was becoming jaded. I didn’t want to read about every single species of fish in the Mediterranean—I wanted to read about Captain Nemo and the Nautilus!

Although it would have benefited from a larger cast of characters (and fewer lists), 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is an excellent book and a must-read for aficionados of science fiction, steampunk stories or adventure novels.(less)

M.L. Brown added Goodreads to his Facebook Timeline

Add your books to Timeline!
learn more

M.L. Brown rated a book 3 of 5 stars

The Giver
by Lois Lowry

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

M.L. Brown rated a book 2 of 5 stars

Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1)
by Frank Herbert

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

M.L. Brown rated a book 4 of 5 stars

Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1)
by Orson Scott Card

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

M.L. Brown rated a book 3 of 5 stars

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1)
by Douglas Adams

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

M.L.'s Bookshelves

M.L.’s Friends (52)

M.L.'s Fans (2)

M.L. Brown

Goodreads author profile

12 posts
M.L. Brown's Blog

combine editions
M.L. Brown's Books

Upcoming Events

M.L.’s Writing

rss
M.L.'s Recent Updates

M.L.’s Friend Comments

Flag Abuse

M.L. Brown is now friends with Danielle Beers
Jun 16, 2013 08:43pm · like
M.L. Brown wrote The Trials of Lance Eliot: Chapter 3 - Lance Eliot’s Questions Are Answered "I stepped up to the door and knocked. It was opened by an elderly servant with a gray mustache and the bushiest eyebrows I have ever seen. “You are Master Lance Eliot?” he inquired. I nodded. “Please come this way,” he said. “General Shoukan is expe..." Read more of this chapter »
Jul 20, 2012 04:32pm · 1 like · like
M.L. Brown wrote The Trials of Lance Eliot: Chapter 2 - What Lance Eliot Finds There "I awoke on a small cot. My head hurt and my throat was dry. If I get up, I thought drowsily, I might find something to drink. Simple. With an effort I lifted myself off the cot, stood for a moment and then collapsed onto the floor. It took four mo..." Read more of this chapter »
Jun 18, 2012 08:58pm · like
M.L. Brown wrote The Trials of Lance Eliot: Chapter 1 - Lance Eliot Travels to an Unfamiliar Place "I’m afraid I’ll be dead by the time you read this. It’s a pity. I would have liked to have told you my tale in person, but the rider on the pale horse is catching up to me, and the only way for my story to be told is for me to write it down. Where..." Read more of this chapter »
Jun 18, 2012 08:56pm · like
M.L. Brown rated a book 4 of 5 stars Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne read in June, 2012	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a superb novel, blending adventure, fascinating themes and the intriguing characterization of the man who calls himself Nemo—Latin for Nobody. Verne's novel is a gripping read for at least three reasons. First, Verne pai...more
Jun 11, 2012 04:54pm · see review
M.L. Brown added Goodreads to his Facebook Timeline Add your books to Timeline! learn more
Jun 08, 2012 10:34am
M.L. Brown rated a book 3 of 5 stars The Giver by Lois Lowry	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 08, 2012 10:26am
M.L. Brown rated a book 2 of 5 stars Dune (Dune Chronicles, #1) by Frank Herbert	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 08, 2012 10:25am
M.L. Brown rated a book 4 of 5 stars Ender's Game (Ender's Saga, #1) by Orson Scott Card	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 08, 2012 10:25am
M.L. Brown rated a book 3 of 5 stars The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #1) by Douglas Adams	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 08, 2012 10:25am

M.L.'s Bookshelves

M.L.’s Friends (52)

M.L.'s Fans (2)

M.L. Brown

Goodreads author profile

12 postsM.L. Brown's Blog

combine editionsM.L. Brown's Books

Upcoming Events

M.L.’s Writing

rssM.L.'s Recent Updates

M.L.’s Friend Comments

Flag Abuse

12 posts
M.L. Brown's Blog

combine editions
M.L. Brown's Books

rss
M.L.'s Recent Updates