What do you think?
Rate this book
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
A group of men set sail to solve the mystery of a sea monster in this amazing underwater adventure.
176 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 2006
5 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 14, 2008
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)
The CCLaP 100: In which I read a hundred so-called "classic" novels, then write reports on whether or not I think they deserve the label
Book #8: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne (1870)
The story in a nutshell:
Writing in the same Victorian time period that first saw the rise of "weird" fiction (leading to such modern genres as horror and fantasy), French author Jules Verne is along with HG Wells considered one of the founders of the "science fiction" genre, whereby the latest discoveries from the world of science are elegantly enfolded into action-based or contemplative story plots. And indeed, of the hundreds of novels, stories and essays that Verne published over the course of his life, what he is easily most known for are the 54 books making up the "Extraordinary Voyages" series he wrote for publisher Jules Hetzel, all of them prototypical sci-fi tales that in one way or another told grand science-laced sagas about giant treks across the earth or into the planet's core or into space or underwater or whatever. (In fact, Verne started his career writing mostly HG Wells-style short stories on specific subjects, before quickly discovering that weighty epic novels were more his style.) The majority of Verne's most well-known work*, frankly, is part of this Extraordinary Voyages series, including Journey to the Center of the Earth and Around the World in Eighty Days; today's title, for example, was the sixth book in the series, written near the beginning of his career and really setting the template for a lot of the books that came afterwards.
It is ultimately the story of a mysterious and brilliant Indian** sea captain known only as "Nemo" (the Latin word for "no one"), whose family was killed by the British in the 1850s Raj uprising, who is now permanently angry at the world and has declared himself his own autonomous nation; and to that end, he has built a beyond-cutting-edge submarine called the Nautilus for himself and the fellow rogues that make up his crew, one that can do things no other ship at that time could even contemplate (like reach the ocean floor, run entirely off electricity, house a small army of deep-sea divers, etc), leaving him pretty much a half-ghost, half-legend in the eyes of landlocked "civilized" society. In fact, this civilized society has recently formed an opinion that it is a giant sea monster that has been terrorizing their oceans recently; Pierre Aronnax, the narrator of our story, is a French professor and sea-creature expert, who has been invited to join an American whaling crew about to go out and attempt tracking down the creature.
But alas, after a direct confrontation, Aronnax and a few of his buddies learn the truth, and are swept aboard the Nautilus with the daunting instructions from Nemo that they are never again to leave the ship. And thus does the traditional plot of Twenty Thousand Leagues pretty much end; the rest of the 400-page book is simply a series of action set pieces set in various locales around the world, such as squid-fighting in underwater forests, encountering schools of phosphorescent fish, finding secret tunnels connecting the Red and Mediterranean Seas, and more. Oh yeah, and making a side trip to the sunken ruins of the lost city of Atlantis, which turns out is right off the western edge of Spain. Oh yeah, and being the first human beings to set foot on the south pole too. You know, your basic ten-month voyage on an impossibly slick and inventive submersible vessel, essentially circling the planet about a half-dozen times altogether.
The argument for it being a classic:
I think almost anyone would argue anymore that Twenty Thousand Leagues' main strength is in its historical significance; it is one of the first books to usher in the entire genre of science-fiction in general (a genre now enjoyed by millions of people and that generates billions of dollars in revenue), and is specifically one of the primary source projects to inspire the entire contemporary subgenre of "steampunk," largely based on the fantastically ornate 1954 Disney film adaptation. It is the book, fans say, that has set a million young boys' minds racing over the last century and a half; one of the books that inspired Hollywood to become what it did, basically a fantasy factory churning out one jaw-dropping visual image after another. But at the same time, the argument goes, this is also a nice historical document of the Victorian Age in particular, and especially the way that Verne explores the subject of the "Victorian Gentleman" here -- how not a single one of the men on display here fully live up to the male ideal of the age, even with each of them possessing a few of the Victorian virtues. (And as a matter of fact, speculation continues to this day over whether or not Verne was actually gay, and whether his entire ouevre can actually be seen as a sneaky examination of male-on-male relationships.)
The argument against:
Like many Victorian novels at this particular moment in history (see, for example, my previous review of Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables), the main argument against this being a classic is simply that it is not aging well, not aging well at all. I mean, sheesh, say its critics, if all you do is remove just Verne's detailed descriptions of fish they encounter along their journeys, that alone cuts 75 freakin' pages out of the total book; and this is not to mention the dozens of other pages devoted to underwater plant life, the physics behind what could possibly make a long-term submarine like this work, and all the other endless pseudo-science babble that unfortunately constituted the bulk of most Victorian fantastical novels. No one is denying that the book is important, its critics say, and full credit should be given for all the historical precedents mentioned above; it's just that this novel anymore is of main interest to scholars and historians only, and that it would be difficult for most modern readers to see this as an actual thrilling escapist adventure anymore.
My verdict:
After reading the book myself now, I have to admit that I fall quickly and firmly on the side of its critics; after all, the main thrill of this book is in supposing technological advances that have in reality actually been part of our lives for a century or more now, making them profoundly lose their original thrill in our modern age. ("My God, Captain, are you telling me that this entire ship runs off...electricity?" "Yes, professor -- off electricity!" Yawn.) I mean, it's definitely fascinating to see how the science-fiction genre got its start, and how in many ways you can even see such contemporary authors as Michael Crichton heavily reflected in this book; but it's also true that giant sections of this novel, just huge 50-page sections at a time, are basically the equivalent of sitting in an IMAX theatre blindfolded while someone sitting next to you explains what's going on. ("Okay, now they've sailed somewhere else and are looking at a bunch of pretty crap. Okay, now they've sailed somewhere else and are looking at even more pretty crap.")
Reading this book will be an interesting intellectual exercise to a lot of genre fans, to see where exactly such cutting-edge genres as steampunk get their original inspirations; otherwise, though, most general audience members are actually better off tackling those steampunk projects themselves, which duplicate all the ornate visual richness of these original Victorian tales but now with much smarter, much more complex storylines, to reflect a much more sophisticated modern audience. Like many Victorian novels, I think it's time to finally take Twenty Thousand Leagues off the canon lists and required-reading syllabi for good, and to let it take its rightful historical place in the literary arts instead.
Is it a classic? No
*And by the way, if you want to have some fun, sit around one afternoon at Wikipedia and read through some of the crazier titles from the Extraordinary Voyages series: books such as 1879's The Steam House (in which a group of British colonists take a tour of Raj India via giant steam-powered mechanical elephant) or 1895's Propeller Island (about a string quartet who provide entertainment for an entire floating city in the middle of the ocean, owned and completely inhabited by eccentric corporate millionaires).
**Technically we don't learn of Nemo's Indian heritage and background until this book's sequel, 1875's The Mysterious Island. And actually, Verne's original plan was to make Nemo Polish, his family the victims of a Russian massacre; but given that the French were official allies of Tsarist Russia at the time, Verne's publisher thought it financially prudent to change the villains to the British, not exactly an unpopular thing to do in France at the time.
The CCLaP 100: In which I read a hundred so-called "classic" novels, then write reports on whether or not I think they deserve the label
Book #8: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, by Jules Verne (1870)
The story in a nutshell:
Writing in the same Victorian time period that first saw the rise of "weird" fiction (leading to such modern genres as horror and fantasy), French author Jules Verne is along with HG Wells considered one of the founders of the "science fiction" genre, whereby the latest discoveries from the world of science are elegantly enfolded into action-based or contemplative story plots. And indeed, of the hundreds of novels, stories and essays that Verne published over the course of his life, what he is easily most known for are the 54 books making up the "Extraordinary Voyages" series he wrote for publisher Jules Hetzel, all of them prototypical sci-fi tales that in one way or another told grand science-laced sagas about giant treks across the earth or into the planet's core or into space or underwater or whatever. (In fact, Verne started his career writing mostly HG Wells-style short stories on specific subjects, before quickly discovering that weighty epic novels were more his style.) The majority of Verne's most well-known work*, frankly, is part of this Extraordinary Voyages series, including Journey to the Center of the Earth and Around the World in Eighty Days; today's title, for example, was the sixth book in the series, written near the beginning of his career and really setting the template for a lot of the books that came afterwards.
It is ultimately the story of a mysterious and brilliant Indian** sea captain known only as "Nemo" (the Latin word for "no one"), whose family was killed by the British in the 1850s Raj uprising, who is now permanently angry at the world and has declared himself his own autonomous nation; and to that end, he has built a beyond-cutting-edge submarine called the Nautilus for himself and the fellow rogues that make up his crew, one that can do things no other ship at that time could even contemplate (like reach the ocean floor, run entirely off electricity, house a small army of deep-sea divers, etc), leaving him pretty much a half-ghost, half-legend in the eyes of landlocked "civilized" society. In fact, this civilized society has recently formed an opinion that it is a giant sea monster that has been terrorizing their oceans recently; Pierre Aronnax, the narrator of our story, is a French professor and sea-creature expert, who has been invited to join an American whaling crew about to go out and attempt tracking down the creature.
But alas, after a direct confrontation, Aronnax and a few of his buddies learn the truth, and are swept aboard the Nautilus with the daunting instructions from Nemo that they are never again to leave the ship. And thus does the traditional plot of Twenty Thousand Leagues pretty much end; the rest of the 400-page book is simply a series of action set pieces set in various locales around the world, such as squid-fighting in underwater forests, encountering schools of phosphorescent fish, finding secret tunnels connecting the Red and Mediterranean Seas, and more. Oh yeah, and making a side trip to the sunken ruins of the lost city of Atlantis, which turns out is right off the western edge of Spain. Oh yeah, and being the first human beings to set foot on the south pole too. You know, your basic ten-month voyage on an impossibly slick and inventive submersible vessel, essentially circling the planet about a half-dozen times altogether.
The argument for it being a classic:
I think almost anyone would argue anymore that Twenty Thousand Leagues' main strength is in its historical significance; it is one of the first books to usher in the entire genre of science-fiction in general (a genre now enjoyed by millions of people and that generates billions of dollars in revenue), and is specifically one of the primary source projects to inspire the entire contemporary subgenre of "steampunk," largely based on the fantastically ornate 1954 Disney film adaptation. It is the book, fans say, that has set a million young boys' minds racing over the last century and a half; one of the books that inspired Hollywood to become what it did, basically a fantasy factory churning out one jaw-dropping visual image after another. But at the same time, the argument goes, this is also a nice historical document of the Victorian Age in particular, and especially the way that Verne explores the subject of the "Victorian Gentleman" here -- how not a single one of the men on display here fully live up to the male ideal of the age, even with each of them possessing a few of the Victorian virtues. (And as a matter of fact, speculation continues to this day over whether or not Verne was actually gay, and whether his entire ouevre can actually be seen as a sneaky examination of male-on-male relationships.)
The argument against:
Like many Victorian novels at this particular moment in history (see, for example, my previous review of Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables), the main argument against this being a classic is simply that it is not aging well, not aging well at all. I mean, sheesh, say its critics, if all you do is remove just Verne's detailed descriptions of fish they encounter along their journeys, that alone cuts 75 freakin' pages out of the total book; and this is not to mention the dozens of other pages devoted to underwater plant life, the physics behind what could possibly make a long-term submarine like this work, and all the other endless pseudo-science babble that unfortunately constituted the bulk of most Victorian fantastical novels. No one is denying that the book is important, its critics say, and full credit should be given for all the historical precedents mentioned above; it's just that this novel anymore is of main interest to scholars and historians only, and that it would be difficult for most modern readers to see this as an actual thrilling escapist adventure anymore.
My verdict:
After reading the book myself now, I have to admit that I fall quickly and firmly on the side of its critics; after all, the main thrill of this book is in supposing technological advances that have in reality actually been part of our lives for a century or more now, making them profoundly lose their original thrill in our modern age. ("My God, Captain, are you telling me that this entire ship runs off...electricity?" "Yes, professor -- off electricity!" Yawn.) I mean, it's definitely fascinating to see how the science-fiction genre got its start, and how in many ways you can even see such contemporary authors as Michael Crichton heavily reflected in this book; but it's also true that giant sections of this novel, just huge 50-page sections at a time, are basically the equivalent of sitting in an IMAX theatre blindfolded while someone sitting next to you explains what's going on. ("Okay, now they've sailed somewhere else and are looking at a bunch of pretty crap. Okay, now they've sailed somewhere else and are looking at even more pretty crap.")
Reading this book will be an interesting intellectual exercise to a lot of genre fans, to see where exactly such cutting-edge genres as steampunk get their original inspirations; otherwise, though, most general audience members are actually better off tackling those steampunk projects themselves, which duplicate all the ornate visual richness of these original Victorian tales but now with much smarter, much more complex storylines, to reflect a much more sophisticated modern audience. Like many Victorian novels, I think it's time to finally take Twenty Thousand Leagues off the canon lists and required-reading syllabi for good, and to let it take its rightful historical place in the literary arts instead.
Is it a classic? No
*And by the way, if you want to have some fun, sit around one afternoon at Wikipedia and read through some of the crazier titles from the Extraordinary Voyages series: books such as 1879's The Steam House (in which a group of British colonists take a tour of Raj India via giant steam-powered mechanical elephant) or 1895's Propeller Island (about a string quartet who provide entertainment for an entire floating city in the middle of the ocean, owned and completely inhabited by eccentric corporate millionaires).
**Technically we don't learn of Nemo's Indian heritage and background until this book's sequel, 1875's The Mysterious Island. And actually, Verne's original plan was to make Nemo Polish, his family the victims of a Russian massacre; but given that the French were official allies of Tsarist Russia at the time, Verne's publisher thought it financially prudent to change the villains to the British, not exactly an unpopular thing to do in France at the time.
Read
April 22, 2008ناگهان توجه جهان به اعماق آبها جلب میشود. مردم جهان متوجه موجود ناشناسی میشوند که در اعماق آبها زندگی میکند. عدهای گمان میکنند او یک کوسه بزرگ است، عده دیگری هستند که معتقدند، او نوعی هیولای دریایی ناشناخته است. اما کمتر کسی میتواند تصورش را بکند که آن موجود، وسیلهایست ساخته دست بشر
پروفسور آروناکس به همراه ندلند که صیاد نهنگ است، و یک دوست دیگر، با یک کشتی تحقیقاتی به جستجوی این هیولای زیر آب میروند. اما کشتی در اثر برخورد با آن موجود آسیب میبیند و پروفسور آروناکس و همراهانش،از یک زیردریایی سر در میآورند. چیزی که تا کنون مانندش را ندیدن و حتا تصورش را هم نکردهاند
آنها با ناتیلوس سفر میکنند و شگفتیهای دنیای آب را میبینند، ودر همین حین با کاپیتان نمو، ناخدا و مالک ناتیلوس آشنا میشوند. پرفسور در عین حال که کاپیتان را تحسین میکند، اخلاقیات او را رد میکند، و فکر میکند برخورد او با مسائل دنیا درست نیست. پرفسور و همراهانش متوجه میشوند، چون از راز ناخدا نمو آگاه گشتهاند، در واقع در ناتیلوس اسیر شدهاند و دیگر نمیتوانند به دنیای روی آب باز گردند، اما آنها حاضر نیستند، تا آخر عمر در ناتیلوس بمانند
در این داستان ناخدا نمو را بیشتر از زاویه دید و قضاوت پرفسور آروناکس و همراهانش میبینیم. آنها کاپیتان نمو را مردی کمابیش دیوانه و دنیا گریز میبینند
پروفسور آروناکس به همراه ندلند که صیاد نهنگ است، و یک دوست دیگر، با یک کشتی تحقیقاتی به جستجوی این هیولای زیر آب میروند. اما کشتی در اثر برخورد با آن موجود آسیب میبیند و پروفسور آروناکس و همراهانش،از یک زیردریایی سر در میآورند. چیزی که تا کنون مانندش را ندیدن و حتا تصورش را هم نکردهاند
آنها با ناتیلوس سفر میکنند و شگفتیهای دنیای آب را میبینند، ودر همین حین با کاپیتان نمو، ناخدا و مالک ناتیلوس آشنا میشوند. پرفسور در عین حال که کاپیتان را تحسین میکند، اخلاقیات او را رد میکند، و فکر میکند برخورد او با مسائل دنیا درست نیست. پرفسور و همراهانش متوجه میشوند، چون از راز ناخدا نمو آگاه گشتهاند، در واقع در ناتیلوس اسیر شدهاند و دیگر نمیتوانند به دنیای روی آب باز گردند، اما آنها حاضر نیستند، تا آخر عمر در ناتیلوس بمانند
در این داستان ناخدا نمو را بیشتر از زاویه دید و قضاوت پرفسور آروناکس و همراهانش میبینیم. آنها کاپیتان نمو را مردی کمابیش دیوانه و دنیا گریز میبینند
August 10, 2016
Intriguing even for modern day people! However, the level of detailing might seem painful to some but it is due to the fact that the book belongs to a different area than theirs. Science, Knowledge, history, fiction, nature are the various elements that constitute this book. The only thing I felt that several questions have been left unanswered. While for some such questions, the decision looks wise; there are some others which leave the story incomplete.
The time period for the story is 19th century and we find abundant mention of colonization; even though we realize that there had been many wrongdoings with nature carried out by men. This fact is an eye opener.
The time period for the story is 19th century and we find abundant mention of colonization; even though we realize that there had been many wrongdoings with nature carried out by men. This fact is an eye opener.
February 17, 2016
Writing in the same Victorian time period that first saw the rise of "weird" fiction (leading to such modern genres as horror and fantasy), French author Jules Verne is along with HG Wells considered one of the founders of the "science fiction" genre, whereby the latest discoveries from the world of science are elegantly enfolded into action-based or contemplative story plots. And indeed, of the hundreds of novels, stories and essays that Verne published over the course of his life, what he is easily most known for are the 54 books making up the "Extraordinary Voyages" series he wrote for publisher Jules Hetzel, all of them prototypical sci-fi tales that in one way or another told grand science-laced sagas about giant treks across the earth or into the planet's core or into space or underwater or whatever. (In fact, Verne started his career writing mostly HG Wells-style short stories on specific subjects, before quickly discovering that weighty epic novels were more his style.) The majority of Verne's most well-known work*, frankly, is part of this Extraordinary Voyages series, including Journey to the Center of the Earth and Around the World in Eighty Days; today's title, for example, was the sixth book in the series, written near the beginning of his career and really setting the template for a lot of the books that came afterwards.
It is ultimately the story of a mysterious and brilliant Indian** sea captain known only as "Nemo" (the Latin word for "no one"), whose family was killed by the British in the 1850s Raj uprising, who is now permanently angry at the world and has declared himself his own autonomous nation; and to that end, he has built a beyond-cutting-edge submarine called the Nautilus for himself and the fellow rogues that make up his crew, one that can do things no other ship at that time could even contemplate (like reach the ocean floor, run entirely off electricity, house a small army of deep-sea divers, etc), leaving him pretty much a half-ghost, half-legend in the eyes of landlocked "civilized" society. In fact, this civilized society has recently formed an opinion that it is a giant sea monster that has been terrorizing their oceans recently; Pierre Aronnax, the narrator of our story, is a French professor and sea-creature expert, who has been invited to join an American whaling crew about to go out and attempt tracking down the creature.
But alas, after a direct confrontation, Aronnax and a few of his buddies learn the truth, and are swept aboard the Nautilus with the daunting instructions from Nemo that they are never again to leave the ship. And thus does the traditional plot of Twenty Thousand Leagues pretty much end; the rest of the 400-page book is simply a series of action set pieces set in various locales around the world, such as squid-fighting in underwater forests, encountering schools of phosphorescent fish, finding secret tunnels connecting the Red and Mediterranean Seas, and more. Oh yeah, and making a side trip to the sunken ruins of the lost city of Atlantis, which turns out is right off the western edge of Spain. Oh yeah, and being the first human beings to set foot on the south pole too. You know, your basic ten-month voyage on an impossibly slick and inventive submersible vessel, essentially circling the planet about a half-dozen
The argument against:
Like many Victorian novels at this particular moment in history (see, for example, my previous review of Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables), the main argument against this being a classic is simply that it is not aging well, not aging well at all. I mean, sheesh, say its critics, if all you do is remove just Verne's detailed descriptions of fish they encounter along their journeys, that alone cuts 75 freakin' pages out of the total book; and this is not to mention the dozens of other pages devoted to underwater plant life, the physics behind what could possibly make a long-term submarine like this work, and all the other endless pseudo-science babble that unfortunately constituted the bulk of most Victorian fantastical novels. No one is denying that the book is important, its critics say, and full credit should be given for all the historical precedents mentioned above; it's just that this novel anymore is of main interest to scholars and historians only, and that it would be difficult for most modern readers to see this as an actual thrilling escapist adventure anymore.
My verdict:
After reading the book myself now, I have to admit that I fall quickly and firmly on the side of its critics; after all, the main thrill of this book is in supposing technological advances that have in reality actually been part of our lives for a century or more now, making them profoundly lose their original thrill in our modern age. ("My God, Captain, are you telling me that this entire ship runs off...electricity?" "Yes, professor -- off electricity!" Yawn.) I mean, it's definitely fascinating to see how the science-fiction genre got its start, and how in many ways you can even see such contemporary authors as Michael Crichton heavily reflected in this book; but it's also true that giant sections of this novel, just huge 50-page sections at a time, are basically the equivalent of sitting in an IMAX theatre blindfolded while someone sitting next to you explains what's going on.
Reading this book will be an interesting intellectual exercise to a lot of genre fans, to see where exactly such cutting-edge genres as steampunk get their original inspirations; otherwise, though, most general audience members are actually better off tackling those steampunk projects themselves, which duplicate all the ornate visual richness of these original Victorian tales but now with much smarter, much more complex storylines, to reflect a much more sophisticated modern audience. Like many Victorian novels, I think it's time to finally take Twenty Thousand Leagues off the canon lists and required-reading syllabi for good, and to let it take its rightful historical place in the literary arts instead.
Is it a classic? No
*And by the way, if you want to have some fun, sit around one afternoon at Wikipedia and read through some of the crazier titles from the Extraordinary Voyages series: books such as 1879's The Steam House (in which a group of British colonists take a tour of Raj India via giant steam-powered mechanical elephant) or 1895's Propeller Island (about a string quartet who provide entertainment for an entire floating city in the middle of the ocean, owned and completely inhabited by eccentric corporate millionaires).
**Technically we don't learn of Nemo's Indian heritage and background until this book's sequel, 1875's The Mysterious Island. And actually, Verne's original plan was to make Nemo Polish, his family the victims of a Russian massacre; but given that the French were official allies of Tsarist Russia at the time, Verne's publisher thought it financially prudent to change the villains to the British, not exactly an unpopular thing to do in France at the time.
It is ultimately the story of a mysterious and brilliant Indian** sea captain known only as "Nemo" (the Latin word for "no one"), whose family was killed by the British in the 1850s Raj uprising, who is now permanently angry at the world and has declared himself his own autonomous nation; and to that end, he has built a beyond-cutting-edge submarine called the Nautilus for himself and the fellow rogues that make up his crew, one that can do things no other ship at that time could even contemplate (like reach the ocean floor, run entirely off electricity, house a small army of deep-sea divers, etc), leaving him pretty much a half-ghost, half-legend in the eyes of landlocked "civilized" society. In fact, this civilized society has recently formed an opinion that it is a giant sea monster that has been terrorizing their oceans recently; Pierre Aronnax, the narrator of our story, is a French professor and sea-creature expert, who has been invited to join an American whaling crew about to go out and attempt tracking down the creature.
But alas, after a direct confrontation, Aronnax and a few of his buddies learn the truth, and are swept aboard the Nautilus with the daunting instructions from Nemo that they are never again to leave the ship. And thus does the traditional plot of Twenty Thousand Leagues pretty much end; the rest of the 400-page book is simply a series of action set pieces set in various locales around the world, such as squid-fighting in underwater forests, encountering schools of phosphorescent fish, finding secret tunnels connecting the Red and Mediterranean Seas, and more. Oh yeah, and making a side trip to the sunken ruins of the lost city of Atlantis, which turns out is right off the western edge of Spain. Oh yeah, and being the first human beings to set foot on the south pole too. You know, your basic ten-month voyage on an impossibly slick and inventive submersible vessel, essentially circling the planet about a half-dozen
The argument against:
Like many Victorian novels at this particular moment in history (see, for example, my previous review of Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables), the main argument against this being a classic is simply that it is not aging well, not aging well at all. I mean, sheesh, say its critics, if all you do is remove just Verne's detailed descriptions of fish they encounter along their journeys, that alone cuts 75 freakin' pages out of the total book; and this is not to mention the dozens of other pages devoted to underwater plant life, the physics behind what could possibly make a long-term submarine like this work, and all the other endless pseudo-science babble that unfortunately constituted the bulk of most Victorian fantastical novels. No one is denying that the book is important, its critics say, and full credit should be given for all the historical precedents mentioned above; it's just that this novel anymore is of main interest to scholars and historians only, and that it would be difficult for most modern readers to see this as an actual thrilling escapist adventure anymore.
My verdict:
After reading the book myself now, I have to admit that I fall quickly and firmly on the side of its critics; after all, the main thrill of this book is in supposing technological advances that have in reality actually been part of our lives for a century or more now, making them profoundly lose their original thrill in our modern age. ("My God, Captain, are you telling me that this entire ship runs off...electricity?" "Yes, professor -- off electricity!" Yawn.) I mean, it's definitely fascinating to see how the science-fiction genre got its start, and how in many ways you can even see such contemporary authors as Michael Crichton heavily reflected in this book; but it's also true that giant sections of this novel, just huge 50-page sections at a time, are basically the equivalent of sitting in an IMAX theatre blindfolded while someone sitting next to you explains what's going on.
Reading this book will be an interesting intellectual exercise to a lot of genre fans, to see where exactly such cutting-edge genres as steampunk get their original inspirations; otherwise, though, most general audience members are actually better off tackling those steampunk projects themselves, which duplicate all the ornate visual richness of these original Victorian tales but now with much smarter, much more complex storylines, to reflect a much more sophisticated modern audience. Like many Victorian novels, I think it's time to finally take Twenty Thousand Leagues off the canon lists and required-reading syllabi for good, and to let it take its rightful historical place in the literary arts instead.
Is it a classic? No
*And by the way, if you want to have some fun, sit around one afternoon at Wikipedia and read through some of the crazier titles from the Extraordinary Voyages series: books such as 1879's The Steam House (in which a group of British colonists take a tour of Raj India via giant steam-powered mechanical elephant) or 1895's Propeller Island (about a string quartet who provide entertainment for an entire floating city in the middle of the ocean, owned and completely inhabited by eccentric corporate millionaires).
**Technically we don't learn of Nemo's Indian heritage and background until this book's sequel, 1875's The Mysterious Island. And actually, Verne's original plan was to make Nemo Polish, his family the victims of a Russian massacre; but given that the French were official allies of Tsarist Russia at the time, Verne's publisher thought it financially prudent to change the villains to the British, not exactly an unpopular thing to do in France at the time.
September 11, 2021
As I am on the constant look out for books for my students, I have rediscovered my love for illustrations in books. This one is an awesome example! The paintings are magnificent and clearly deserving of the huge format of this book!
The text of course is just a round-up of the whole book. But it still grasps the tension of the book. I felt a little it like reading a short story version of 20.000 Leagues.
I also liked the extra story that6was added in the book. Today, of course no one is afraid of the deep sea anymore, cause we think we have explored its depths. But I believe we have yet to discover more about the abyss in the deep blue dark and both stories in the book are there to remind you of the fear and excitement the whole exploration brings.
The text of course is just a round-up of the whole book. But it still grasps the tension of the book. I felt a little it like reading a short story version of 20.000 Leagues.
I also liked the extra story that6was added in the book. Today, of course no one is afraid of the deep sea anymore, cause we think we have explored its depths. But I believe we have yet to discover more about the abyss in the deep blue dark and both stories in the book are there to remind you of the fear and excitement the whole exploration brings.
March 17, 2018
First book to jerk my tears
May 6, 2008
Jules Verne
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
New York: Bantoms Books, 1962
p.p. 371 $ 7.21
0-553-21063-7
A book that can captivate it's reader so much that they do not know when they are approaching the end, is a very special thing. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne a one of those books. This classic novel covers adventure, mystery, and even a very powerful message of how you cannot fight change, even when change is worth stopping.
As the title, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea suggests, the story mainly takes place under the mwater. The story follows a scientist, Dr. Aronnax who is also our narrator and Ned, a brutish whaler. Our two main protagonists are captured by the antagonist of the story Captain Nemo and brought on board of his personal submarine, The Natalus. This is where much of the mystery element comes into play. The reader does not know what Nemo is going to do with his prisoners or how he even obtained such an incredible submarine. The reader soon learns that Nemo is an incredible rich man. Nemo has gone slightly mad and in an attempt to hide from society built a multi-million dollar submarine. Verne does a very good job of explaining the many nautical terms used in the text, since he used to be a sailor himself. The plot develops quickly from this point making the book very exciting page turner.
Nemo takes, the doctor and Ned on a world tour covering over 20,000 leagues (about 60,000 miles). As the story progresses Dr. Aronnax learns that Nemo has a slightly demented habit of sinking ships for pleasure. He does this because of his fear of change. This is where a slightly sad sympathetic tone is introduced into the writing. Verne does a great job of showing how Nemo's soul is tortured from the many tragic events of his past life. The book takes many sharp, unexpected turns before the end leading the reader to have many guesses on the final resolution. Nemo wants escape the change in society and knows in his heart that the change in the morals of society is for the worst. Nemo desperately tries to stop change at all costs, but soon learns change happens, even if it for the worst.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a great book. It has adventure, mystery and even a very powerful message that everyone can learn from. The theme carries a very powerful punch that not every reader can sympathize with. Either way 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea will still continue to go down in history as one of the most powerful and interesting books ever written.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
New York: Bantoms Books, 1962
p.p. 371 $ 7.21
0-553-21063-7
A book that can captivate it's reader so much that they do not know when they are approaching the end, is a very special thing. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne a one of those books. This classic novel covers adventure, mystery, and even a very powerful message of how you cannot fight change, even when change is worth stopping.
As the title, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea suggests, the story mainly takes place under the mwater. The story follows a scientist, Dr. Aronnax who is also our narrator and Ned, a brutish whaler. Our two main protagonists are captured by the antagonist of the story Captain Nemo and brought on board of his personal submarine, The Natalus. This is where much of the mystery element comes into play. The reader does not know what Nemo is going to do with his prisoners or how he even obtained such an incredible submarine. The reader soon learns that Nemo is an incredible rich man. Nemo has gone slightly mad and in an attempt to hide from society built a multi-million dollar submarine. Verne does a very good job of explaining the many nautical terms used in the text, since he used to be a sailor himself. The plot develops quickly from this point making the book very exciting page turner.
Nemo takes, the doctor and Ned on a world tour covering over 20,000 leagues (about 60,000 miles). As the story progresses Dr. Aronnax learns that Nemo has a slightly demented habit of sinking ships for pleasure. He does this because of his fear of change. This is where a slightly sad sympathetic tone is introduced into the writing. Verne does a great job of showing how Nemo's soul is tortured from the many tragic events of his past life. The book takes many sharp, unexpected turns before the end leading the reader to have many guesses on the final resolution. Nemo wants escape the change in society and knows in his heart that the change in the morals of society is for the worst. Nemo desperately tries to stop change at all costs, but soon learns change happens, even if it for the worst.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a great book. It has adventure, mystery and even a very powerful message that everyone can learn from. The theme carries a very powerful punch that not every reader can sympathize with. Either way 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea will still continue to go down in history as one of the most powerful and interesting books ever written.
August 1, 2008
I'm glad I read this book, and I almost want to give it four stars. Overall, it just wasn't very gripping (although it certainly had some gripping scenes), and it was rather slow (but not difficult) reading.
There were many pages describing various marine animals in great detail, which kind of interrupted the flow of the main storyline. Still, I think Jules Verne gets away with this because M. Aronnax, the narrator, is a professor of natural science, and the book is based on the notes he took while on board the Nautilus. I think it adds an air of authenticity to the narrative, in addition to excusing the lack of poetic flair in recounting some of the more dramatic scenes.
Captain Nemo is such an intriguing character that I almost want to read The Mysterious Island , in which Captain Nemo plays a role, just to find out more about him.
There were many pages describing various marine animals in great detail, which kind of interrupted the flow of the main storyline. Still, I think Jules Verne gets away with this because M. Aronnax, the narrator, is a professor of natural science, and the book is based on the notes he took while on board the Nautilus. I think it adds an air of authenticity to the narrative, in addition to excusing the lack of poetic flair in recounting some of the more dramatic scenes.
Captain Nemo is such an intriguing character that I almost want to read The Mysterious Island , in which Captain Nemo plays a role, just to find out more about him.
March 28, 2008
I don't remember reading an entire Jules Verne book before. Matt and I read this together before bed, in a condensed version. He loved it so much he took out the unabridged version! I think it was one of the books that started him wanting to read. The science behind this book is quite fascinating. We looked into some of the real developments that Jules Verne actually inspired (like the submarine). This was a very good read, albeit a little difficult.
March 19, 2008
Plot was steady and somewhat predictable, leaving the reader with just enough suspense to continue.
The reason I stopped reading this book half-way through was because someone broke into my car and stole it, along with the leftovers from a barbecue joint and my SLR camera. Well, I didn't exactly have working door locks at the time.
The reason I stopped reading this book half-way through was because someone broke into my car and stole it, along with the leftovers from a barbecue joint and my SLR camera. Well, I didn't exactly have working door locks at the time.
December 15, 2014
I almost feel asleep the first chapter although I read the full unedited version. My teacher said I would like the book but it was so boring I stopped reading it and didn't count any of the pages. You can either read the whole book and count all the pages or stop part way and count no pages in my English class.
January 14, 2008
When Jen is in China, I'm gonna build myself a Nautilus, and cruise through the Yarra, just so I can scare the hell out of the dude with the megaphone.
I loved this book when I was a kid, although I did tend to skip through all the scientific names of plants and stuff...
I loved this book when I was a kid, although I did tend to skip through all the scientific names of plants and stuff...
March 27, 2008
I liked the story, but it bogs itself down with pages and pages of listing various fish and underwater species by their family, class and species. It gets quite tedious, and by the end I figured Verne had only written the book to show off his vast knowledge of the sea.
September 12, 2007
I just learned so much about fish. Also, new hero: Captain Nemo. He's SO dreamy.
January 4, 2008
One of the first books I read, actually my mother read it to me. One chapter each night. I was fascinated. Made me a Sci Fi Addict.
March 11, 2008
It was novel and exciting, but there was a lot of filler in the form of long lists of scientific names. Still, it spoke to the spirit of exploration.
March 12, 2008
A fantastic adventure!
March 12, 2008
Better than the movie. I loved reading it, though I skipped all the scientific paragraphs about all of the fish they were finding. All the names are in latin...
March 18, 2008
The best of all of his novels, Captain Nemo is a most intriguin character.
March 24, 2008
i want to be Captain Nemo
March 24, 2008
Okay, so maybe something good did come out of France. Jules Verne is definitely worth reading, and I'm adding this to my short list of classics that deserve to be considered classics.
February 26, 2014
Wonderfully written. Obviously the language is not 'modern', but that's ok by me.
April 25, 2014
A good read but gets a bit long with all of the long descriptions or science of underwater life that can sometimes really not be that relevant to the book.
March 22, 2017
It was a unique and interesting story. Action packed but perfectly paced, and not at a hard reading level.
January 28, 2024
very great book
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews