000 Leagues Under the Sea (Wordsworth Classics), 20

A sorry example of the laziness and irresponsibility of many trade editors today -- and it's especially shameful in a publication targeted to students and youngsters.

First, the basic text is dreadful: though unidentified, it's the long-discredited translation signed by "Mercier Lewis" and rushed into print in 1872 by the London firm of Sampson, Low. As modern scholars have documented on numerous occasions, Verne's original French was politically censored, drastically abridged, couched in stilted Victorian prose, and riddled with hundreds of inane translating errors. Its clunky, antiquated English is something no American student could possibly enjoy ("I own my heart beat," says the narrator, who actually means, "I admit my heart was pounding"). As for the translating blunders, some are asinine beyond belief -- Verne's characters start a fire with a lentil (Verne: lens) . . . loosen bolts with a key (Verne: wrench) . . . and claim iron is lighter than water (Verne: the opposite, of course).

Are these obscure facts? Anything but. Over the past four decades, this translation's inadequacy has been bemoaned repeatedly in basic reference works (Taves & Michaluk's JULES VERNE ENCYCLOPEDIA), online (the Jules Verne Forum at jv.gilead.org.il), and in readily available MODERN translations of this novel (e.g., the paperback editions from Signet, Oxford, and the U.S. Naval Institute). What's more, not only has Simon & Schuster's current editorial staff shirked the most rudimentary homework, they're apparently too lazy even to double-check their OWN publishing files: as long ago as 1966, S & S issued a revised edition of the Mercier Lewis translation; they hired NYU expert Walter James Miller to correct and reword Lewis's text -- which, in a specially written preface, Miller denounced as a "botched up translation . . . slashed and slapdash." Lewis's renderings, he said, "bristle with technical errors and omit whole passages vital to the technical integrity, the character development, even the humor of the story."

In short, Simon & Schuster could easily have reprinted their own 1966 version, not ideal but vastly better than Lewis's original. Or, alternatively, they could have reprinted either of the other two English translations in the public domain, both superior in accuracy and completeness. But, these days, indolence and ignorance apparently rule in the halls of S & S.

So, though this Enriched Classics series boasts on its back covers about its "practical scholarship," the said scholarship, not surprisingly, often works out to be dismally unreliable. The "helpful notes" and "insightful commentary" can range from the useless to the ridiculous. On p. 425, the explanatory notes can only tell us that such sea creatures as tubipores, gorgones, and spondyles are "various kinds of marine life." Big help. (They're corals, sea fans, and oysters, folks.) On the other hand, when the notes attempt more, they're often worse: on p. 426, for instance, I was amazed to learn that porphitae and asterophytons are "igneous outcrops." Nooo!!! These aren't rocks, people, they're animals! (Jellyfish and starfish, for Lord's sake.)

If you're as astonished as I am that such bluff and nonsense is being palmed off on our kids as "scholarship," write S & S this week.

Meantime, what edition of 20,000 LEAGUES should you acquire? First, in addition to this Enriched Classics version, also avoid those other student editions (!) published by Scholastic, Tor, and Apple -- they don't identify it either, but they all blindly reprint this same hopeless 1872 Mercier Lewis translation. Fortunately, however, there are four sound paperback texts of 20,000 LEAGUES, all readily available, all immeasurably superior in accuracy, completeness, and readablility. For general readers the Bonner (Bantam) and Brunetti (Signet) translations are both worthwhile. For readers wanting an annotated edition, there are two good ones: Butcher's (Oxford), which is strong on the novel's genesis and manuscript record, and Miller's own illustrated retranslation (U.S. Naval Institute), which is strong on the marine biology -- and on which I myself collaborated. All are competitively priced, so there's no need to settle for something inferior.

By the way, the above-cited deficiencies may well be typical of this Enriched Classics collection as a whole -- I note that their edition of Dumas' MONTE CRISTO also features a seriously inadequate text. Students, parents, and teachers are warned to proceed with caution vis-à-vis the entire series.

This review is specifically for the English - Spanish version of the book. While the content may be fine, the book does not work on my Kindle (the first time that has happened out of hundreds of books) and completely locked my phone up when I tried to read it there. It does, however, seem to work OK on my PC Kindle app, so I'll keep it. Just a word of warning to others who may want to buy it.

I loved the old movie but the book was less impressive. the translation does not flow very well plus the frequently interjections of the in depth biological explanations ruin the pace of the story. .....don't get me started on the abrupt ending.

Many years ago I saw this book at a grocery store I believe they were commonly sold there. Seeing as I had never heard of this book at that age I picked up more titles I was familiar with from this series. I have regretted this decision until now this book had eluded me for years until I happend upon this seller I couldn't have been happier

The book contents appears fine; however, the size of the book is odd. It is not the size of a typical paperback. It is a strange, larger size and this makes it more cumbersome for my son to carry to and from school.

I know this is supposed to be a classic, but boy was I let down. This thing has pages and pages and pages of lists of coral, fish, and who knows what else I've never heard of, and can barely pronounce. The story was just ok, so that couldn't even save it. It made a 400 page book feel like 800 pages and I had to constantly take breaks because of the constant lists of plants, fish, and coral. I am very surprised it's considered a classic, and now I am very hesitant to read another book by Jules Verne. This thing just dragged out like nothing I've read before, with a few parts here and there that pulled me in.

Please note that this is an ADAPTATION. I mistakenly ordered this for my high school student. Unfortunately we did not crack it open until well past the return date. A clearer description from the store would have been helpful.

It may seem a little strange to give a classic like 20,000 leagues Under the Sea only two stars, but I found the book disappointing as a novel. More on that later.

Of course the book is most significant for its virtual creation of the new literary genre of science fiction—specifically, its anticipation of future submarine travel. Captain Nemo says it will be a hundred years before there will be another Nautilus, but in fact an even more advanced nuclear-powered submarine—also called the Nautilus—was in existence sooner, albeit without such amenities as a pipe organ, or a picture window able to open onto the deep (thereby making the Nautilus a kind of reverse aquarium, with the people inside the glass and the marine creatures outside).

The other interesting aspect of the book is as a travelogue/geographer, as the Nautilus circles the globe. However Jules Verne includes in this many long, and to me rather boring, lists of the marine flora and fauna encountered, mostly using their Latin names.

Now as to my disappointment in the book as a novel—the so-called “plot”. Professor Aronnax and his two companions find themselves unwilling guests on the Nautilus after being rescued at sea. Captain Nemo and his crew are deeply alienated from a world to which they can never return. From time to time there are vague hints as to the mystery of why, but no real answers. At the climax of the book the mystery seems about to be revealed following a fight with a mysterious surface ship which is subsequently rammed and mercilessly sunk with a loss of all hands. Still, there is no hint as to who this conflict is with or why. Following the sinking of the other ship, in what has to the lamest deus ex machina ever, the Nautilus is suddenly caught in a whirlpool and Professor Aronnax and his companions are violently expelled from both the whirlpool and the Nautilus. The Professor then wakes up on dry land, having somehow been rescued (again), and there the novel abruptly ends.

I paid promptly...no item...I wrote them...no response...now I have to figure out how to get my money back. Terrible seller through the store...I cannot believe they allow him to do this to so many people. Really would've liked my book. Unfortunately, I cannot leave zero stars...BLAH!

This was a very good book. I enjoyed it a lot. It was very detailed. It is about 3 men, one in particular who are taken aboard a submarine and join the mysterious Captain Nemo on a cruise of the seven seas, an adventure they will never forget. It was a great book!!! As for me, I love the blue ocean, and enjoyed the book very much!!

this is William Robson's translation, which was published around 1853. I spot-checked it against a few contemporary translations, as well as Richard Pevear's 2006 version, and it looks like it's pretty accurate--which is to say, not absurdly bowdlerized.

I am not commenting on Jules Verne's writing, but rather the format of this particular edition. From the outside, this edition is very nice; as other reviewers have noted, it's great to have the map on the front cover. However, the print inside the book is VERY small. I'm not sure what the publisher was thinking; I've never seen a published book with type this tiny before. The pages are also larger than the average paperback, and the combination of big pages and tiny type gives me an instant headache. Avoid eye strain and buy another edition.

This book was very boring. very few moments in the book are actually exciting and they are few and far between. The beginning of the book is the best part. It spent too much time explaining and describing images; i felt like the whole book could be cut in half and you would still get the majority of the story across to the readers

Somebody wanting to take advantage of the fact that this book is public domain has copy/pasted the original public domain text, then uploaded it to the store. This means that any images will be of inconsistent quality or missing altogether, the print quality may be impacted negatively, and there are likely layout and editing errors due to the copy/paste process.

If you buy the kindle version, you are paying money for what you could get for free on Project Gutenberg, and more importantly, you are supporting what amounts to a thief who is charging money for someone Else's work.

If you buy the print version, make sure it's from a reputable publisher, and not "Createspace" or "the store Digital" because you'll just be getting the printed copy of the copy/paste kindle version, which will likely be terrible. Generally, you will want the mass market paperback, or possibly the hardback version.

When the store releases an official kindle version of a public domain book, it's always free.

There's so denying it, I enjoyed reading Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. In some ways, this fact surprises me, as it does have some dry moments... but really? It is an amazing, thrilling seafaring adventure that you just can't get anywhere else. It's worth a read (and I could see myself reading it again one day).

Just listen to what Captain Nemo has to say in invitation to see the underwater sights...

“Let me tell you, professor, you won't regret the time you spend aboard my vessel. You're going to voyage through a land of wonders. Stunned amazement will probably be your habitual state of mind. It will be a long while before you tire of the sights constantly before your eyes. I'm going to make another underwater tour of the world....”

Reader, ask yourself what wouldn't you pay to be a part of this grand voyage? Now let's put it this way... Would you give up all rights to ever leave the ship again? To be trapped, not unlike a prisoner, on a submarine that will show you epic sights never beholden by any other eyes? Well, Professor Aronnax isn't given the opportunity of choice, but fate lands him (and his two companions) on the Nautilus, with strict instruction that they will never become landlubbers again.

To make it all the more worth the sacrifice of dry land (and the society of people), we soon arrive in the Captain's library... and it's gorgeous! Just you wait, dear reader, it's one of those gobsmackingly amazing libraries that just may be worth dying for.

For a book originally published back in 1869 (nigh upon 150 years ago), Jules Verne sure had a handle on our modern amenities. Whether the elements he included in this novel where from scientific knowledge, or just imagination... he hit the nail on the head many times. Verne fully understood the capabilities of a ship that runs on electricity (and all the 'little things' that electricity improves in our lives).

Also included in the story are a small handful of far-fetched ideas of sea creatures and some terrifying monsters. The sci-fi elements continue; it's pretty thrilling. There are even a few really scary moments where I was desperately scared for certain individuals' lives. Then there are moments of Victorian wittiness to relish in, and other unexpected fun bits... like taking a nap during an underwater 'hike', or just deciding willy-nilly that you're going to visit the South Pole tomorrow.

“'But the sun--'
'The sun isn't enough, Conseil. Can it restore heat to a corpse?'
'Not that I've heard.'”

Note to the discerning/Christian reader: The belief of Creationism is ignored. The scientific methods that are employed in this book disregard Biblical time periods. Also, I didn't find much of any foul language in the book, just once – it mentions the names of mother-of-pearl colors, two of which use a word I certainly didn't expect to see.

There is at least one epic battle (maybe two), where much slaughter takes place. It's a bit gruesome. So if you have to skim, I won't blame you.

Now then, yes... there is a lot of (what some readers may call) 'boring' content, where the science mode is turned on so brightly that it could feel like you're reading a textbook. Honestly, this didn't bother me in the least; I ate it up. I'm pretty sure I picked a few new facts about undersea life too!

Overall? Wow. What an expedition that was for me to experience through the pages of a book. I'd happily go through it all again too.

This review deals primarily with the quality - or I should say LACK OF - the formatting of this classic novel.

There are three English translations from the original French, the most common is by F.P. Walter; this edition is by Lewis Mercier. Which translator of this edition is not indicated anywhere on the title page. After doing a little research, I discovered that Chapter 1 of Mercier's translation is "A Shifting Reef" while in Walter's translation, Chapter 1 is "A Runaway Reef." Hope this helps.

Now for my major complaints. NO Active Table of Contents; in fact, no Table Of Contents at all. No Introduction, annotations, illustrations, or mini-biography. Nothing!! There are other editions at the same price that are far better. I'm glad I only downloaded the sample, to purchase this would have been a waste.

Finished reading this and in the process I learned I had two misconceptions about this book.
First, I always thought the name was a singular "Sea" but in the original French title, it is indeed a plural. This makes sense when seen in light of the second misconception I had ...which is that the 20,000 leagues speaks to horizontal travel around the seas of the world (2.7 times the circumference to be exact) rather than what I had assumed it to mean...20,000 leagues deep (or vertical distance).
Being a classic piece of work written in the late 1800's, the pacing is very different and that may be offputting to some readers. It can be slow and tedious, particularly because it contains detailed decriptions of categorizations of animals and sea life. However, if it's approached more like a travel guide than a break pace thriller, it can be very enjoyable. I enjoyed little revelations (I never knew Capt Nemo's name had an alternate meaning) and the characters are fully developed and interesting. Like some of the best novels, not every detail is explained and many questions are left unanswered about the ship, Captain Nemo and their demise but I'm actually ok with the mystery of it. In all, I'm glad I read it but it's definitely not for every one.

The following is a guest review from my eleven year old grandson, Kai O:

What happens when an expedition to kill a giant narwhal is shipwrecked and then saved by the same narwhal? But what if the sea monster is actually a giant submarine? This is what happens to Professor Pierre Aronnax in Jules Verne’s amazing book, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I never read anything like this great book. But early warning...don’t read the summary on the back of the book, it gives away too much of the story and nearly ruined it for me.

When Professor Pierre Aronnax is thrown overboard on the Abraham Lincoln, he is thrown into a undersea adventure with mystery and amazement. The adventure starts when the professor, a whaler named Ned Land and the professor’s assistant, Conseil, are saved by the submarine named The Nautilus commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Soon after they climb inside, they find themselves in a dark room. Later Captain Nemo comes into the room with his lieutenant and attempts to communicate unsuccessfully due to Captain Nemo speaking a wholly unknown language. After being served a meal and now sleeping in a lit room, Captain Nemo comes back now speaking the professor’s language. Captain Nemo explains that the world can not know of his existence, therefore he can’t let them go. On the flipside, Professor Aronnax and his friends are hurled into awe inspiring adventure, including undersea forests and sea monsters.

I really liked this book...it was like nothing that I ever read before. Conversely, this book does have various chapters centered around boring topics; such as, the descriptions of the fish surrounding the Nautilus and their classification. For this reason, I would only recommend this book to the dedicated readers, but it is still a great book to read. Finally, I would give the book four stars because of it’s various boring chapters.

Jules Verne published 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea in 1870, and I just got around to reading it. It felt like it could have been written in 1970 or 2015 -- the story and characters are rich and modern. This is a plot about mystery, about adventurousness, about the depths of the unknown, about escape, and about friendship and hatred. But that's all embedded in a science fiction tale describing the (then) future of technology (submarines and electricity), science (ecology, biology, and oceanography), and history (visiting the South Pole, national rivalries). Verne learned so much about his current state of science and was so creative in projecting forward. What a treat of novel.

I read the Signet Classic version of the 20,000 Leagues. It has a nice introduction and afterword that added a lot of context (I read the introduction after I finished the book). I recommend finding this version for the commentary.

As I write this review, I can't help think about the generations of kids and adults that have read and marveled at Verne's creations. I now feel like I'm part of this 150-year old club.

A timeless piece of science fiction by Jules Verne from 1870...many of us have seen the 1954 Disney movie or remakes of this classic.

As fate would have it, Professor Aronnax, his assistant Conseil and harpooner Ned Land find themselves as captives onboard the submarine the Nautilus commanded by Captain Nemo. The captain is a genius and mastermind but one who also despises humanity. His demeanor of arrogance and self-importance coupled with brilliance makes the reader either love him or hate him.

Adventures and bold undertakings are plentiful as they voyage around the globe under and on the seas. Battling monstrous sea creatures, thwarting brutal attacks by indigenous islanders, a journey to the lost continent of Atlantis, entrapped in an iceberg under the South Pole, navigating the unknown water passageway from the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea, observing long-ago sunken shipwrecks on the ocean floor, exploring a submerged volcano, the list goes on.

Although descriptions of natural sea life can be exhausting at times for some readers, still a talented and gifted adventure tale from a man well ahead of his time.

Side bar: A day after my review appeared, I noticed it was also under at least half a dozen other editions and renderings of which I have no idea how these are written or conveyed. This is in reference to the blue, flexibound cover from Canterbury Classics, published by Baker and Taylor.

A Book Review of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
By Roger, Grade 7, Yangon International School

Imagine traveling underwater to explore the sea for an entire life without even coming back to land! Who would live in an underwater world? What might be the hidden dangers? Are there hidden mysteries? The novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, one of the most translated authors in the world, also known as "Father of Science Fiction", is a science fiction book that contains adventures, undiscovered mysteries, and secrets to discover, from the underwater world!

The story begins with a transoceanic cruise, Abraham Lincoln, tries to hunt the mysterious monster threatening many people in the sea. However, the crew is unable to discover any clue about the monster. That is until the monster bumps into the ship, causes two people to go overboard. After the monster disappeared once again, the two survivors, Professor Aronnax and Counseil, wander around the surrounding area, and discover one more survivor, Ned. Unfortunately, with minimal hope, the three survivors consider themselves dead until: they are stepping on the monster, Nautilus, the futuristic submarine. Nautilus immediately rises above the surface of the water, subjugates the survivors under the control of Captain Nemo, the person that wishes to own his own mini world. His main goal is to explore the sea, the motherland of many dangerous and harmful creatures, along with the three survivors, with the new adventure waiting for them.

Verne's development of the plot was amusing and creative. Even though the story didn't have any critical theme, graphic and invigorating structure of the story line and the cordial usage of the sentences caused the story to became full of amazing entertainments. Verne also did a terrific job in creating a rare and unusual plot in an underwater. For the characters, Verne decided to add completely different attitudes and behaviors to each of the characters that made them unique and astonishing. As for Captain Nemo, a unique character with a strange attitude, can be both friendly and mean. Even though he wasn't pleased being hunted at the first place, he still treated the three survivors as if they were friends. On the other side, he feared that his secret would be spread, and decided to subjugate them and never let them leave the crew. His reaction forced the survivors to make an indeterminable decision, and also left them to be bewildered.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea was mainly designed for the teenage readers and some adults that love science fiction. From scale 1 (low) to 5 (high), I rate this a four because the entire story was filled with excitements described by detailed and cordial passages. Besides, the vocabulary usages of the words were not very difficult, so it is easier for young readers to enjoy.

One of the earliest works of science fiction and a classic that will always remain a classic. This book and Jules Verne's other books continue to be read more than 100 years after his death and in spite of the fact that the science in his books are all dated. That speaks volumes to how vital this story is the history of this genre. Verne achieved immortality with this book, and I have no doubt it will remain as popular in another 100 years as it is today. Really should be required reading for anyone that cares about science fiction at all.

There are three significant translations of this book, and the store's lacklustre book-sorting system creates nothing but chaos when searching for the correct format / translation of this book. I'm here to help!

note: (find the version you are looking for with the ISBN numbers I've provided at the bottom of this review, you can just copy and paste them into the the store search field and hit GO).

Here are excerpts from the three most common translations:

Paragraph one, translated by Mercier Lewis -
THE YEAR 1866 WAS signalized by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Not to mention rumors which agitated the maritime population, and excited the public mind, even in the interior of continents, seafaring men were particularly excited. Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, both of Europe and America, naval officers of all countries, and the governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter.

Paragraph one, translated by Walter James Miller and Frederick Paul Walter (1996) -
THE YEAR 1866 was marked by a bizarre development, an unexplained and downright inexplicable phenomenon that surely no one has forgotten. Without getting into those rumors that upset civilians in the seaports and deranged the public mind even far inland, it must be said that professional seamen were especially alarmed. Traders, shipowners, captains of vessels, skippers, and master mariners from Europe and America, naval officers from every country, and at their heels the various national governments on these two continents, were all extremely disturbed by the business.

Paragraph one, translated by William Butcher -
The year 1866 was marked by a strange event, an unexplained and inexplicable occurrence that doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Without mentioning the rumours which agitated the denizens of the ports and whipped up the public's imagination on every continent, seafaring men felt particularly disturbed. The merchants, shipowners, sea-captains, skippers, and master-mariners of Europe and America, the naval officers of every country, and eventually the various nationals governments on both continents--all became extremely worried about this matter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT a difference! And who to trust?

From wikipedia:
"Many of Mercier's errors were corrected in a from-the-ground-up re-examination of the sources and an entirely new translation by Walter James Miller and Frederick Paul Walter."

So, the modern translation to seek is either the Walter James Miller / Frederick Paul Walter edition, or the William Butcher edition, depending on your preference for the above excerpts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And here is how to find them:

USA - the store.com

Walter James Miller / Frederick Paul Walter
kindle edition ASIN: B004DNWRPQ
paper edition ISBN:1440414262

William Butcher
kindle edition ASIN: (appears to be unavailable at the moment)
paper edition ISBN: 0199539278

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UK - the store.co.uk

Walter James Miller / Frederick Paul Walter
kindle edition ASIN: B00BIFLLV8 or B00BSK24HI
paper edition ISBN: 1438446640

William Butcher
kindle edition ASIN: (appears to be unavailable at the moment)
paper edition ISBN: 0199539278

(This review is written by my 11 year old son. He read the translation by Anthony Bonner (translation C. 1962) in a hardcover edition of the book published in 2000 by HarperCollins and illustrated (beautiful plate illustrations) by the Dillons. We found this edition at the library and it may no longer be in print.)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is an action packed story full of excitement, peril, and humor. This story, set in 1866-1867, features Monsieur Arronax, the intelligent French naturalist, his faithful servant, Conseil, the dignified harpooner, Ned Land, and the mysterious Captain Nemo with his secret desire to avenge the oppressed with his way-ahead-of-it’s-time submarine.
I am eleven and it took me about two weeks to read it. On a scale with other books I read recently, I found it much more involving than
The Call of the Wild, but slightly harder than the third Harry Potter. I looked up the reading level and according to Scholastic it is eighth grade
Level. But I think Sci-Fi lovers older and younger will enjoy this book.
-HTM

A fun and imaginative classic of Victorian science-fiction. Author Jules Verne can sometimes get a bit didactic -- and I wish he would distinguish more between established scientific fact and his own rampant speculations, many of which are now hilariously dated and patently false -- but he still tells an action-packed story and paints a fascinating character in Captain Nemo. This novel has been hugely influential for good reason, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it.

The edition I read (Signet, Brunetti translation) captures the original story pretty well – read some of the other reviews for other translations, including which to avoid.

It is many years since I last read this book and it still amazes with the breadth of Verne’s imagination and his ability to conceptualize something so far ahead of its time. True, he has some details badly wrong – like the ability to design such a large submersible with the capability to reach the greatest depths of the ocean, advances in battery technology that even today are only really matched by a nuclear sub and the length of time it is possible to work in diving suit – but what is really amazing is how much detail of his Nautilus is not that far off reality, 70 years ahead of the major wave of submarine advances in World War II.

The air of mystery about Nemo, the unexplained details, the hints of a great injustice carry an air of suspense throughout.

Find yourself a good translation and enjoy a great classic. What Verne would do with today’s science is anyone’s guess, but a master story teller in the SF field is a rarity – and I can happily suspend disbelief reading something of this quality enough even knowing what he had wrong.

An ill-fated hunt for a giant “sea creature” ends with M. Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned Land being taken aboard that creature, Captain Nemo’s Nautilus, an amazing futuristic (for the late 1800s) submarine. The men are told they can do as they please on board, but they must never leave. During the course of their 20,000 league around the world oceanic adventure, they see sea creatures that had only thus far been dreamed about, hunt in an underwater forest, go through an unknown underground pass between the Red and Mediterranean Seas, visit the ruins of Atlantis, get stranded in an iceberg, fight gigantic cuttlefish, attack a ship, and much more.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne was published almost 150 years ago in 1870, but is still interesting today. The ocean floor still holds mysteries for us and the story is just believable enough to make most of it exciting. Verne let his imagination run wild while writing this book in the first person (from the point of view of M. Aronnax) in the style of a travelogue. On occasion it would get technical about the types of fishes and cetaceans. Sometimes the narrative moved extremely slowly and my mind would wander. The second part (each part is split into 23 relatively short chapters) was much more interesting and exciting than the first. The end is satisfactory, yet still leaves you with questions and things to think about.

There are three significant translations of this book, and the store's lacklustre book-sorting system creates nothing but chaos when searching for the correct format / translation of this book. I'm here to help!

note: (find the version you are looking for with the ISBN numbers I've provided at the bottom of this review, you can just copy and paste them into the the store search field and hit GO).

Here are excerpts from the three most common translations:

Paragraph one, translated by Mercier Lewis -
THE YEAR 1866 WAS signalized by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Not to mention rumors which agitated the maritime population, and excited the public mind, even in the interior of continents, seafaring men were particularly excited. Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, both of Europe and America, naval officers of all countries, and the governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter.

Paragraph one, translated by Walter James Miller and Frederick Paul Walter (1996) -
THE YEAR 1866 was marked by a bizarre development, an unexplained and downright inexplicable phenomenon that surely no one has forgotten. Without getting into those rumors that upset civilians in the seaports and deranged the public mind even far inland, it must be said that professional seamen were especially alarmed. Traders, shipowners, captains of vessels, skippers, and master mariners from Europe and America, naval officers from every country, and at their heels the various national governments on these two continents, were all extremely disturbed by the business.

Paragraph one, translated by William Butcher -
The year 1866 was marked by a strange event, an unexplained and inexplicable occurrence that doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Without mentioning the rumours which agitated the denizens of the ports and whipped up the public's imagination on every continent, seafaring men felt particularly disturbed. The merchants, shipowners, sea-captains, skippers, and master-mariners of Europe and America, the naval officers of every country, and eventually the various nationals governments on both continents--all became extremely worried about this matter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT a difference! And who to trust?

From wikipedia:
"Many of Mercier's errors were corrected in a from-the-ground-up re-examination of the sources and an entirely new translation by Walter James Miller and Frederick Paul Walter."

So, the modern translation to seek is either the Walter James Miller / Frederick Paul Walter edition, or the William Butcher edition, depending on your preference for the above excerpts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And here is how to find them:

USA - the store.com

Walter James Miller / Frederick Paul Walter
kindle edition ASIN: B004DNWRPQ
paper edition ISBN:1440414262

William Butcher
kindle edition ASIN: (appears to be unavailable at the moment)
paper edition ISBN: 0199539278

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UK - the store.co.uk

Walter James Miller / Frederick Paul Walter
kindle edition ASIN: B00BIFLLV8 or B00BSK24HI
paper edition ISBN: 1438446640

William Butcher
kindle edition ASIN: (appears to be unavailable at the moment)
paper edition ISBN: 0199539278

I was first introduced to this story as a child, some fifty years ago, and the fascination has never waned. Jules Verne was not only the first great science fiction author (there was no such thing as a mechanically powered submarine in his day) but among the first to challenge imperialism and colonialism. Readers will be fascinated by Captain Nemo's origin and motivation. I found myself debating with myself the rights and wrongs of his actions. Even today many people do not understand that is also characteristic of good science fiction. It is about people and what makes them tick, not just a catalog of "gee whiz" gadgetry.

Science Fiction is a difficult genre; the more accurate an author's imagination, the greater the chance that their once fantastical tale becomes our somewhat commonplace reality. Jules Verne is often credited as being one of the "Father of Science Fiction," and with good reason - so much of his work predicted aspects of the modern world. Lunar modules, holographs, and in the case of 20,00 Leagues, electrically propelled submarines and giant cephalopods. Still, a good story endures, regardless of how many of it's predictions come to pass (or are ultimately proven wrong). Is 20,000 Leagues a good story? It is an ok story. It is slightly bogged down by obsessive descriptions of marine biology - much in the same way that Moby Dick is bogged down by excessive nautical descriptions - and the scientific conversations between the enigmatic Captain Nemo and the Narrator can be a bit diverting. Like Moby Dick, the book can be forgiven for being a product of its time. In the 19th century, information was almost entirely transmitted through the medium of the written word, but in our current age, a time full of infinite distractions and "information at your fingertips," I fear the average reader will probably become somewhat distracted, as their is no significant plot, and only a handful of developed characters. Instead, the novel chooses to focus almost entirely on adventure, it's characters moving from one one incredible situation to the next, encountering whatever deep-sea anomalies Verne's imagination can conjure. But this is only half of the book's charm, as the aforementioned Captain Nemo is something of a philosophical sieve. Through Nemo, Verne pours of all of humanity, examining what is noble and admirable, as well as what is troublesome, dark, and brooding. Ultimately, this character study is a bit cursory, and would feel a incomplete if not for the framework in which it is set. Verne would go on to expound upon the character of Nemo in The Mysterious Island, but in 20,000 Leagues, the Captain remains a mystery, and that's ok. Would I recommend 20,000 Leagues? Certainly, it is something of a classic, and part of the scaffolding on which modern science fiction and fantasy is built. However, if one is seeking pure entertainment from their 19th century science fiction, I would tend to recommend a collection of H.G. Well's short stories and novels, as this classic Verne's tale can feel a bit lengthy and meandering by comparison.

In 1866, there are a number of sightings of an unexpected object in the ocean. Some of these sightings are far apart from one another. With no other logical answer, some fear that it might be a sea monster.

An expedition is established under Captain Farragut, with the U.S. Naval frigate, Abraham Lincoln. They are firm in their resolve to find this monster.

Professor Pierre Aronnax of the Museum of Paris had written articles about the phenomenon of a possible sea creature and he is asked to join the others, as is, his man, Conseil, and the Canadian harpooner, Ned Land.

Once they are out to sea and have traveled far in their search, something is sighted. Ned, Pierre and Conseil take a small boat from the Abraham Lincoln with Ned's harpoon. Ned tries to harpoon the object but their boat is overturned and they are picked up by the submarine, the Nautilus under Captain Nemo.

They are held in polite captivity as the Nautilus travels the world. Captain Nemo has constant proclamations of where they are and Pierre tells the reader the importance in history of what they are seeing, such as, a sunken ship with riches in it. The men are anxious to be free and have their escape at the earliest opportunity.

The writing style is dry and without much emotional comment. The style is so different from much of today's literature that it is challenging to get into the story line and become involved with the story.

It is interesting to see Jules Verne's ideas of deep sea diving equipment and his idea of 20,000 leagues under the sea-which is more than the circumference of the earth. It is also noteworthy to see where literature and adventure fiction has come to in the last one hundred years.

The early English translations of Jules Verne were butchered by translators who chopped out the passages that dealt with science or technology, as well as things that might offend readers, such as remarks about evolution. Of course, since Verne wrote science fiction, cutting out the science pulled the heart out of the stories. But his works have a lot more depth than one might conclude by reading those translations or watching B-rate movies. Walter James Miller's version restores the text to its original fullness and brilliance. The adventure is here, as is the philosophical speculation and the roots of steampunk.

Review by the author of A Draft of Moonlight.

Jules Verne is one of, if not the most famous science fiction writer in history with a slew of well known books. I love science fiction and classic novels so Verne should be perfect for me, right? Well... I can't say that Verne wasn't influential and his ideas are spectacular which is why so many movies have been based on his books but I have yet to read a Verne book that exceeded or even met my expectations.

First, all his characters, despite different names and motivations, are all the same; perfect English gentlemen. This is not uncommon for writers from this era but when a Canadian harpooner like Ned Land uses phrases like `By Jove' it rings false. Rudyard Kipling wrote Captains Courageous 27 years later and created sailors that felt absolutely authentic. Verne's characters seem to be created for a specific purpose. Captain Nemo is there to explain in detail the working of his Nautilus and other inventions while Professor Aronnax's role is to gush over Nemo's discoveries. I don't believe that any of the other members of Nemo's crew ever say a single word in the book and are simply window dressing.

The second big problem is that Verne's science is often dubious. I'm not talking about science that was still questionable in Verne's time but established science and physical facts going way back. Verne seems completely unaware of things like encumbrance or the effects of high elevation. In this book Verne's consistently and often dramatically increases the size of sea life. Also, it can be somewhat dull reading constant facts and figures about the speed, depth, volume of air etc of the Nautilus. The book just goes on and on with Nemo relaying fact after fact while M. Aronnax listens in rapt attention. It also spends a near eternity describing all of the flora and fauna and without an actual plot to pin it to it gets very dull. The layout of the Nautilus is very unrealistic with no apparent attempt to maximize the usage of space. Nemo has a full size organ in his spacious cabin. Actual submarines are very constrained spaces.

In order to create a compelling story Disney greatly expanded on Nemo's quest for revenge which is barely mentioned in the book. Disney also greatly expanded Ned Land's role to the improvement of the story and did a very nice bit of casting having him played by Kirk Douglas. The famous scene where the Nautilus is attacked by a giant squid (multiple squids in the book) only occupies a couple of pages. Mostly the book is just the Nautilus cruising all over the world occasionally getting stuck. That's about it. It's as if Verne couldn't come up with a plot to wrap around his idea of a mysterious captain and his incredible machine.

I have read quite a few of Verne's novels but this one may have the most anemic plot of them all. 20,000 is leagues is much more serious than "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and `In Search of the Castaways' (which I really didn't enjoy) but it's not particularly compelling. This is a rare occasion where I think the famous movie version was an improvement over the book.

Imagine brightly-coloured fish and giant whales swimming right past your face. If you like the
ocean and its mysteries, you will probably like 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. It is a science fiction book
set in the 1800s. Ships are reporting sightings of a very large creature roaming the seas at a rapid pace.
One week it is seen in the Pacific, and the next, the Arctic. Danger arises as ships are starting to be
damaged by the large thing. Is it a shifting reef? A floating wreck? After much debate, "There remained
only two solutions of the question, which created two distinct parties: on one side, those who were for a
monster of colossal strength; on the other, those who were for a submarine vessel of enormous motive
power."
A ship leaves an American port on a mission to annihilate the unidentified being. This ship is
carrying our main characters: M. Arronax - a French biologist who believes that it is a large animal,
Conseil - his devoted servant, and Ned Land - a Canadian harpooner who hopes to be of help in
defeating the phantom. An unlikely turn of events finds the three companions suddenly captives of the
great beast. What is it, and what will happen to the trio? Join them on an amazing journey under the
sea!
Professor Arronax loves to study and write about nature, and he gets his chance to do both
as he travels the ocean. My favorite character is Conseil, who is kind and selfless, always loyal to his
master, and would sacrifice himself to save him. He also takes an interest in classifying the various
animalia they meet. Ned Land has a temper that can be dangerous at times, and he is rebellious at being
held against his will.
This is a good book for anyone who likes adventure but doesn't mind an in-depth, descriptive
book. Since the book was written in the 1800s, the wording is elevated, but for the most part,
understandable. The author progresses leisurely as he describes the many living things that he sees, and
does not make a good book for fast-paced readers.
Though not singular to this book by any means, I liked that the story was set in first-person,
from the view of Professor Arronax. There are scary parts and sad parts. The ending fit just right for
the story, but wouldn't be good for those who like complete endings. Many mysteries are left for you
to ponder (and makes you wish there was a sequel), making the book even more tantalizing. I really
enjoyed reading this book!

There are three significant translations of this book, and the store's lacklustre book-sorting system creates nothing but chaos when searching for the correct format / translation of this book. I'm here to help!

note: (find the version you are looking for with the ISBN numbers I've provided at the bottom of this review, you can just copy and paste them into the the store search field and hit GO).

Here are excerpts from the three most common translations:

Paragraph one, translated by Mercier Lewis -
THE YEAR 1866 WAS signalized by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Not to mention rumors which agitated the maritime population, and excited the public mind, even in the interior of continents, seafaring men were particularly excited. Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, both of Europe and America, naval officers of all countries, and the governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter.

Paragraph one, translated by Walter James Miller and Frederick Paul Walter (1996) -
THE YEAR 1866 was marked by a bizarre development, an unexplained and downright inexplicable phenomenon that surely no one has forgotten. Without getting into those rumors that upset civilians in the seaports and deranged the public mind even far inland, it must be said that professional seamen were especially alarmed. Traders, shipowners, captains of vessels, skippers, and master mariners from Europe and America, naval officers from every country, and at their heels the various national governments on these two continents, were all extremely disturbed by the business.

Paragraph one, translated by William Butcher -
The year 1866 was marked by a strange event, an unexplained and inexplicable occurrence that doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Without mentioning the rumours which agitated the denizens of the ports and whipped up the public's imagination on every continent, seafaring men felt particularly disturbed. The merchants, shipowners, sea-captains, skippers, and master-mariners of Europe and America, the naval officers of every country, and eventually the various nationals governments on both continents--all became extremely worried about this matter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT a difference! And who to trust?

From wikipedia:
"Many of Mercier's errors were corrected in a from-the-ground-up re-examination of the sources and an entirely new translation by Walter James Miller and Frederick Paul Walter."

So, the modern translation to seek is either the Walter James Miller / Frederick Paul Walter edition, or the William Butcher edition, depending on your preference for the above excerpts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And here is how to find them:

USA - the store.com

Walter James Miller / Frederick Paul Walter
kindle edition ASIN: B004DNWRPQ
paper edition ISBN:1440414262

William Butcher
kindle edition ASIN: (appears to be unavailable at the moment)
paper edition ISBN: 0199539278

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UK - the store.co.uk

Walter James Miller / Frederick Paul Walter
kindle edition ASIN: B00BIFLLV8 or B00BSK24HI
paper edition ISBN: 1438446640

William Butcher
kindle edition ASIN: (appears to be unavailable at the moment)
paper edition ISBN: 0199539278

My twelve year old son and I enjoyed listening to this unabridged version. The speaker is excellent with an enjoyable voice. The many scientific words and French names are clearly pronounced in their correct form. I felt the voice of the speaker matched what seemed appropriate for the first person storytelling of Professor Aronnax. (You can listen to a sample on the the store product page to see how you like the voice of the reader.)

This is a great classic book and it is worthwhile to read or listen to the UNABRIDGED version, which is this version. I had thought I owned the full book but realized I actually owned two abridged books! The unabridged book is in the public domain and is available for a free Kindle download. The link in the Kindle to look up defintions of words is helpful since many words in common use in France in 1870 are apparently not commonly used in modern America. There are also nautical and scientific (marine biology) terms that we did not know.

We started off reading this silently and discussing it parent/child for our homeschool but my son complained of the high reading level. I also found the reading a bit hard myself. I also read aloud parts but when I finally got my hands on this audio version I enjoyed it more than when I read it aloud. It also was convenient to listen while I was driving the car, since it seems hard to find almost 15 hours to do this as a read aloud myself, plus my voice gives out!

Highly recommended!

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne is a clas­sic sci­ence fic­tion novel pub­lished in 1870. The book's orig­i­nal title Vingt mille lieues sous les mers, the lit­eral trans­la­tion would be "Seas" which might imply the seven seas.

The story is told from the view point of Pro­fes­sor Pierre Aron­nax, a famous French marine biol­o­gist. The pro­fes­sor accepts an invi­ta­tion to join an expe­di­tion to destroy a sea mon­ster who is sink­ing ships. Along for the ride come Cana­dian har­poon­ist Ned Land and Con­seil, the professor's servant.

The expe­di­tion fails, the mon­ster sinks it and the Pro­fes­sor, Ned Land and Con­seil find them­selves at the mercy of Cap­tain Nemo, who com­mands The Nau­tilus, a sub­ma­rine the likes of which have never been seen.

I have read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne in two lan­guages and sev­eral ver­sions. I have to say that this trans­la­tion beats them all.

The book shows Verne's genius which is tough to trans­late, the char­ac­ters come alive on the pages and the adven­tures they go through are excit­ing. The comedic tone and even psy­chol­ogy show well in this won­der­ful translation.

As in the pre­vi­ous ver­sions I have read, there are many "lists" and descrip­tions of the ocean life. I have to say that I did skimmed through the lists but read the descrip­tive parts enthu­si­as­ti­cally. With the excep­tion of intri­cate sci­en­tific names, which lend cred­i­bil­ity to this fan­tasy, I found the book absorb­ing and engross­ing. I'm glad I read it again.

While sub­marines today are com­mon place and almost any­one of can go and visit one (there are sev­eral older sub­marines which one can go on), the fan­tas­tic voy­ages and imag­i­na­tion are inspir­ing today as they were in 1870.

What I love about this book is that the trans­la­tors took their time to write an excel­lent intro­duc­tion and, best of all, won­der­ful foot­notes which, as I said time and time again, make a trans­lated book into a cul­tural expe­ri­ence and raises the level of enjoy­ment by mul­ti­ple degrees.

Not many peo­ple are aware, but almost a whole quar­ter of the book was lit­er­ally lost in trans­la­tion. This won­der­ful edi­tion, trans­lated by Water James Miller and Fred­er­ick Paul Wal­ter, restores those pages as well as

If you ever won­dered what the big hoopla is about Jules Verne, read this ver­sion and you'll find out.

Submarines as we know them didn't exist in 1869. But Jules Verne had an almost eerily prophetic knack for knowing what technology would be used in the future -- and he put it to work in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea," a slow-moving adventure tale with plenty of proto-steampunk and almost fantastical undersea life.

Ships in the middle of the ocean are suddenly seeing -- and being attacked by -- "a long object, spindle-shaped, occasionally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale."

Eventually the US government sends out a ship to capture the object, and during a sea battle Professor Aronnax, his manservant Conseil and harpooner Ned Land go overboard. Soon they're picked up by the Nautilus, the vast submarine that has been causing all this trouble, and introduced to Captain Nemo -- an intelligent, charismatic man who belongs to no nation.

Aronnax becomes fascinated by Nemo, his ship and his library -- as well as the amazing underwater adventures that Nemo introduces them to, like pearl-hunting and fighting a giant squid. But the captain's free, lawless life has its dark side, and the three men begin to realize that they must get away from the Nautilus no matter what.

It's actually rather amazing that Jules Verne not only dreamed up the idea of a semi-modern submarine long before they existed, but thought out the applications, the stealth, and the vast size. And since nothing like the Nautilus existed at the time, there's a slightly fantastical, steampunk flavor to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

And as usual, Verne painstakingly studies everything about his imagined world, filling it with science (although he obviously didn't know about water/air pressure) and lovely descriptions of the Nautilus and the eerie underwater world (giant oysters, forests, Atlantis). The only flaw is that he tends to ramble on about exact measurements and travel details; there are boring patches here and there.

But Captain Nemo is probably one of Verne's most fascinating characters -- a charismatic, embittered man who is a sort of noble sea pirate. He does some stuff that is totally unacceptable (sinking a random warship), but he also has little spurts of kindness and generosity towards poor and powerless peoples of the world. He's scary but fascinating.

Giant submarines, charismatic pirates and an undersea world just waiting to be explored -- "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" is a fascinating sci-fi classic, if you can get past the dull patches.

It’s not only a great premonition of the future but filled with rich characters in Capt Nemo and Professor Aronnax, and in the exciting adventure as they travel deep down into the world's oceans. The pacing gets uneven at times and there are plot holes, which means Verne didn’t hold my suspension of disbelief long and adequately enough. But great lines too: One of favs is “The sea is everything. It covers seven-tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and life-giving. It is an immense desert place where man is never lonely, for he senses the weaving of Creation on every hand. It is the physical embodiment of a supernatural existence... For the sea is itself nothing but love and emotion. It is the Living Infinite, as one of your poets has said. Nature manifests herself in it, with her three kingdoms: mineral, vegetable, and animal. The ocean is the vast reservoir of Nature.”

I did enjoy this book and I'm glad I read it but ... the introduction by Ray Bradbury was the best part of this book. If you are going to get a copy to read - get this one - specifically for the introduction. As for the book itself, well, the action parts and story line are great. The problem is that Verne seems to have felt that he needed to include every single bit of background research he did into the book. He didn't seem to waste anything he had found in in his research.. He goes on for several pages listing the types of fish that can be found in a particular area. Whenever we come across a sunken ship we are treated to several pages of the history of the ship and the ships that preceded it into whatever cove we are in along with who actually made it back to make the report. Some of this stuff is interesting, but mostly, it's unnecessary filler. I found myself skipping over the taxonomic lessons and skipping to the actual story line.

The story line is great. Totally enjoyed it. Spoiler - they get attacked by 10 giant squids, not one. They also get trapped under the ice at the south pole and have lots of other adventures you don't see in the movies. All in all a worthwhile read, but it is a bit tedious because about half of the book is devoting to listing fish and their attributes (this one had a spotted tail with a blue underbelly, the next one had rings and a white belly and on and on and on.)

Do I recommend it? Well ... yeah - good story, better then what they show in the movies, you just need to gloss over the endless filler.

Jules Verne's masterpiece is an epic tome about a well intentioned, driven but ultimately doomed man and his altruistic cause. The tale relates how he tried to carry out those goals by way of the wonderful but terrible creation, the Nautilus.
This adaptation may seem brief for those who loved the book "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", however, this book seamlessly weaves some of the most memorable parts of that book into a beautifully written and graphic narrative that is among the best graphic novel adaptations ever created. All the humanity and wonder is intact and poignantly so.
This is clearly a labor of love and appreciation for the the book and Jules Verne's visionary story.
Gary Gianni's art and story are well worth looking into because he does justice to the term that a picture is worth a thousand words.
This new edition has subtle color work provided by Jim and Ruth Keegan. Both are fellow illustrators in the their own right on the Del Rey editions of the Robert E. Howard (Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane and Bran Mak Morn and others) anthology series.
Two bonuses in this edition are the introduction by Ray Bradbury (one of his best to date) as well as Gary Gianni illustrating the straight prose tale by H. G. Wells titled "Sea Raiders".
This book is another in a line of beautiful books released by Flesk Publications.

Submarines as we know them didn't exist in 1869. But Jules Verne had an almost eerily prophetic knack for knowing what technology would be used in the future -- and he put it to work in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea," a slow-moving adventure tale with plenty of proto-steampunk and almost fantastical undersea life.

Ships in the middle of the ocean are suddenly seeing -- and being attacked by -- "a long object, spindle-shaped, occasionally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale."

Eventually the US government sends out a ship to capture the object, and during a sea battle Professor Aronnax, his manservant Conseil and harpooner Ned Land go overboard. Soon they're picked up by the Nautilus, the vast submarine that has been causing all this trouble, and introduced to Captain Nemo -- an intelligent, charismatic man who belongs to no nation.

Aronnax becomes fascinated by Nemo, his ship and his library -- as well as the amazing underwater adventures that Nemo introduces them to, like pearl-hunting and fighting a giant squid. But the captain's free, lawless life has its dark side, and the three men begin to realize that they must get away from the Nautilus no matter what.

It's actually rather amazing that Jules Verne not only dreamed up the idea of a semi-modern submarine long before they existed, but thought out the applications, the stealth, and the vast size. And since nothing like the Nautilus existed at the time, there's a slightly fantastical, steampunk flavor to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

And as usual, Verne painstakingly studies everything about his imagined world, filling it with science (although he obviously didn't know about water/air pressure) and lovely descriptions of the Nautilus and the eerie underwater world (giant oysters, forests, Atlantis). The only flaw is that he tends to ramble on about exact measurements and travel details; there are boring patches here and there.

But Captain Nemo is probably one of Verne's most fascinating characters -- a charismatic, embittered man who is a sort of noble sea pirate. He does some stuff that is totally unacceptable (sinking a random warship), but he also has little spurts of kindness and generosity towards poor and powerless peoples of the world. He's scary but fascinating.

Giant submarines, charismatic pirates and an undersea world just waiting to be explored -- "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" is a fascinating sci-fi classic, if you can get past the dull patches.

I wanted to read this book for a long time as I am an avid reader of science fiction novels. This is considered to be one of the crown jewels of the genre. I found the book to be interesting, yet not without flaws.

The first 80 pages I find to be flawless prose, as the narrator of our story describes his efforts to find and destroy a monster in the seas that is attacking merchant ships. He soon discovers there is no monster; instead, a submarine led by a mysterious man named Captain Nemo is terrorizing the waters. The book goes on to describe the narrator, a man named Arronax, and his relationship with Captain Nemo and Nemo's ship, the Nautilus.

I found much of the book to rely on description, rather than action, and while it was overall very interesting, parts got to be tedious to read.

Submarines as we know them didn't exist in 1869. But Jules Verne had an almost eerily prophetic knack for knowing what technology would be used in the future -- and he put it to work in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea," a slow-moving adventure tale with plenty of proto-steampunk and almost fantastical undersea life.

Ships in the middle of the ocean are suddenly seeing -- and being attacked by -- "a long object, spindle-shaped, occasionally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale."

Eventually the US government sends out a ship to capture the object, and during a sea battle Professor Aronnax, his manservant Conseil and harpooner Ned Land go overboard. Soon they're picked up by the Nautilus, the vast submarine that has been causing all this trouble, and introduced to Captain Nemo -- an intelligent, charismatic man who belongs to no nation.

Aronnax becomes fascinated by Nemo, his ship and his library -- as well as the amazing underwater adventures that Nemo introduces them to, like pearl-hunting and fighting a giant squid. But the captain's free, lawless life has its dark side, and the three men begin to realize that they must get away from the Nautilus no matter what.

It's actually rather amazing that Jules Verne not only dreamed up the idea of a semi-modern submarine long before they existed, but thought out the applications, the stealth, and the vast size. And since nothing like the Nautilus existed at the time, there's a slightly fantastical, steampunk flavor to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

And as usual, Verne painstakingly studies everything about his imagined world, filling it with science (although he obviously didn't know about water/air pressure) and lovely descriptions of the Nautilus and the eerie underwater world (giant oysters, forests, Atlantis). The only flaw is that he tends to ramble on about exact measurements and travel details; there are boring patches here and there.

But Captain Nemo is probably one of Verne's most fascinating characters -- a charismatic, embittered man who is a sort of noble sea pirate. He does some stuff that is totally unacceptable (sinking a random warship), but he also has little spurts of kindness and generosity towards poor and powerless peoples of the world. He's scary but fascinating.

Giant submarines, charismatic pirates and an undersea world just waiting to be explored -- "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" is a fascinating sci-fi classic, if you can get past the dull patches.

I loved this classic French novel by Jules Verne and found it to be very entertaining from start to finish! I was very surprised that I would enjoy this book as much as I did.... I figured "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", like many classic novels, would be boring, but Jules Verne is a marvelous storyteller. He imbues this novel with lots of intrigue and mystery as you wonder how the story will unfold... There is lots of adventure and interesting predicaments, and of course, many unforgettable characters one comes to care about during the course of the novel. Also if you like science fiction then this is the novel for you! Jules Verne seems to be ahead of his time in terms of technology and creates quite a wonderful piece of classic literature that has stood the test of time.

The attention to detail that Jules Verne used to capture the readers attention is marvelous... This book is written in the 1st person through the eyes of Assistant Professor Pierre Aronnax of the Paris Museum of Natural History. Professor Aronnax unfolds the story to the reader of this novel about several sightings of a mysterious object seen around the world by many different people.... Some believe it to be an island, others seem to think the object is a floating reef, a large whale or other large mammal and so on. It isn't until Professor Aronnax and his faithful Flemish assistant, Conseil, take part on an expedition aboard the Abraham Lincoln to seek out this unknown object once and for all. Eventually, it is discovered that this unknown object is a submarine named the Nautilus, on which Professor Aronnax, Conseil and Canadian harpooner, Ned Land, spend the remaining part of the novel sailing on the Nautilus through the various oceans of the world along with the crew of the Nautilus. What adventures they have while sailing on the Nautilus!! And the exquisite detail in which Jules Verne imparts is wonderful. One feels like they are truly reading the actually travel journal/diary of Professor Aronnax. Professor Aronnax writes from a scientific/natural history perspective as he is very much interested in the under water world of the worlds oceans.

The only draw back I had with this novel was that some of the descriptions were a bit overdone or a bit too much to take in (like classification of animal species or various nautical terms).... These descriptions aren't overwhelming or occur that frequently, I'd just find myself skimming through these parts rather quickly.

Regular readers of [...] won't be surprised to learn that the first book I read on the Kindle was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. There's something so right about reading a century-old tale -- whose narrator is enthralled with the power of electricity -- on a device that's a pretty darn enthralling use of electricity.

That said, in exploring how the image of technology and the future has changed over time, few books are as influential as this one. Some observations:

1. Captain Nemo's built himself a utopia. Consider that he says the Nautilus is out of reach from tyrants and built so well that it can't be damaged by nature. Nemo says he's never been as free as when he put himself inside the sub. There's a library with nearly unlimited information. The ocean provides an unlimited amount of food. Everyone's healthy thanks to the constant temperature and fresh sea air. Electricity, described as providing light "more uniform and continuous than the sun" and behaving "more obedient than gas" provides an unlimited amount of power. Sounds like every other golden age longed for through time, but this one is all thanks to technology--and especially electricity.

2. The constant use of extreme detail in the book, going on for pages and pages about what the fish look like and rattling off measurements, give the fantasy parts of the book much more credence. It's a lesson on the benefits of getting granular when selling a vision of the future.

3. There's a great passage where, on behalf of science, Verne snobbily says, "It was Tasman who discovered this group in 1643, the year Torricelli invented the barometer and Louis XIV mounted the throne. I leave the reader to decide which of these events has been more useful to the human race." This wasn't the first time an innovator scoffed at a politician, but it's certainly one of the sharpest. Food for thought for those innovation v. public policy debates that break out every so often.

***Note: I have the translated version by Mendor Barnetti.***

The general idea and story behind "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is fantastic, original (for its time) and complete with mysterious places, vehicles and personalities. But my lord what a bore it turned out to be to read.

There are far too many anguishing sections of incredibly detailed accounts of fish, plants, rocks and other things that should only be found at this level of detail in books specific to those things, or a college textbook - not a novel that has a story behind all the fluff and boring detail. And it's not that Verne talks about these things, it's that he just lists them. Goes on and on, paragraph after paragraph... and my mind drifts away from the story, and I'm reading but not really reading and before I know it I have to find where the florist spewing ended and where the story begins again like a Where's Waldo search.

The story itself is quite good and interesting, and of course Captain Nemo is an interesting character and in my opinion the best part of the book is not finding anything out about him and his crew. This will either make people really hate the book, or be content with it. Same with the ending. Good luck to those who hate the book but press on to finish it hoping for solid resolution...

There are three significant translations of this book, and the store's lacklustre book-sorting system creates nothing but chaos when searching for the correct format / translation of this book. I'm here to help!

note: (find the version you are looking for with the ISBN numbers I've provided at the bottom of this review, you can just copy and paste them into the the store search field and hit GO).

Here are excerpts from the three most common translations:

Paragraph one, translated by Mercier Lewis -
THE YEAR 1866 WAS signalized by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Not to mention rumors which agitated the maritime population, and excited the public mind, even in the interior of continents, seafaring men were particularly excited. Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, both of Europe and America, naval officers of all countries, and the governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter.

Paragraph one, translated by Walter James Miller and Frederick Paul Walter (1996) -
THE YEAR 1866 was marked by a bizarre development, an unexplained and downright inexplicable phenomenon that surely no one has forgotten. Without getting into those rumors that upset civilians in the seaports and deranged the public mind even far inland, it must be said that professional seamen were especially alarmed. Traders, shipowners, captains of vessels, skippers, and master mariners from Europe and America, naval officers from every country, and at their heels the various national governments on these two continents, were all extremely disturbed by the business.

Paragraph one, translated by William Butcher -
The year 1866 was marked by a strange event, an unexplained and inexplicable occurrence that doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Without mentioning the rumours which agitated the denizens of the ports and whipped up the public's imagination on every continent, seafaring men felt particularly disturbed. The merchants, shipowners, sea-captains, skippers, and master-mariners of Europe and America, the naval officers of every country, and eventually the various nationals governments on both continents--all became extremely worried about this matter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT a difference! And who to trust?

From wikipedia:
"Many of Mercier's errors were corrected in a from-the-ground-up re-examination of the sources and an entirely new translation by Walter James Miller and Frederick Paul Walter."

So, the modern translation to seek is either the Walter James Miller / Frederick Paul Walter edition, or the William Butcher edition, depending on your preference for the above excerpts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

And here is how to find them:

USA - the store.com

Walter James Miller / Frederick Paul Walter
kindle edition ASIN: B004DNWRPQ
paper edition ISBN:1440414262

William Butcher
kindle edition ASIN: (appears to be unavailable at the moment)
paper edition ISBN: 0199539278

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UK - the store.co.uk

Walter James Miller / Frederick Paul Walter
kindle edition ASIN: B00BIFLLV8 or B00BSK24HI
paper edition ISBN: 1438446640

William Butcher
kindle edition ASIN: (appears to be unavailable at the moment)
paper edition ISBN: 0199539278

Today, reading a book about some people on a submarine may not evoke the startled sense of wonder that it must have in the 19th century. Nevertheless, when I read this book as a child, I loved it.

Even then I understood many of the deficiencies in the science and geography, being aware that Jules Verne didn't have access to the information we have today. It didn't bother me. I took it for what it was, an amazing story about amazing things and amazing people at an amazing time. Jules Verne was one of those amazing writers who could give you a dollop of education that you would never notice because you were so swept up in the adventure.

I have never re-read this book, so these days I'm much more familiar with the Walt Disney film. As much as I love that film, I wish they had dealt with more of the things that are in the novel. The first part of the book involves the search for whatever is destroying ships at sea. One thing I remember well is the proposed solution to the mystery of ships being destroyed. It was suspected to be a narwhal, a sort of whale with a huge unicorn-like horn, which one could imagine puttin a hole in a ship and sinking it. So it was perfectly natural that to investigate the destruction of ships at sea the authorities would send a marine biologist, Dr Arronax. But the cause of the attacks is a man-made one. Capt Nemo, a bit of a mad scientist with a view toward revenge, has somehow arranged for the construction of an amazing submarine. How could he construct such a thing without anyone in the world ever knowing anything about it? That's a question never tackled in works of this kind. (It's an especially interesting question for many of James Bond's enemies, who have built the most elaborate and amazing buildings, ships, underground lairs, and so on, without anyone ever noticing the incoming and outgoing of a huge amounts of raw materials and workers. Where do these evil geniuses get their materials from? Where do they hire their staff? Perhaps there's a recruitment agency somewhere specifically for henchmen.) Often in fiction the "how" has to be overlooked so that we can get on with the story. Captain Nemo has this power, he has this crew, and he has this ship, and he uses them too. Unlike a lot of classic villains, Capt Nemo is himself a sympathetic character. We feel his pain and sympathise with his plight. When Prof Arronax realises how evil Nemo is he decides to try and persuade him to turn back to the good side. And it seems just plausible. But it doesn't happen.

Among the things that happen in the book that the movie does not touch upon are a visit to the South Pole, a visit to Atlantis, and the Nautilus getting caught in a maelstrom.

This book is definitely the stuff that adventures are made of, and writers have been drawing on it for 150 years. (Shameless plug: it is also the inspiration for my short story, 20000 Yards Across the Frontier, which also forms a segment of my novel, Copout.) Jules Verne's masterpiece is the fuel for generations of aventurelust.

I recommend it highly. I probably should even read it again sometime soon.

Reviewed by the author of Send Him Victorious.

If you don't know the story, it's about a naturalist, Professor Arronax, and his assistant on a quest to find the giant sea creature that's been menacing the seas. But the sea creature turns out to be a submarine, the Nautilus, and they're joined by the harpooner Ned Land in being rescued/captured by its crew when their attack on it fails.

I definitely encountered this book far too late to fully enjoy it. Like when I tried re-reading Tolkein a couple of years ago, I found I lacked the patience to read through pages and pages of interminable description. There were several times when I just couldn't stand it any longer and I'd put the book down and go do something else. Only sheer stubbornness made me finish it.

The story itself was interesting, though the style of the times was a bit of an obstacle. The enigmatic Captain Nemo is never fully explained, nor are the professor and his two companions. It's left up to the reader to fill in the blanks. The professor's unconcern about his imprisonment on the submarine is partially explained by his fascination with the undersea worlds he encounters; the complacence of his assistant and Ned Land are less understandable. Ned Land does try to escape occasionally, but he's portrayed as narrow-mindedly violent because of that, which I found peculiar.

I do see why films were made from this--condensing those descriptive passages into scenery would make the action and adventure parts of the story stand out more. I've never seen one, but I'm thinking of adding one to the Netflix queue. Any suggestions of which version to try?

In short, I'm giving this 4 stars for the story, but 2 stars for the pain of reading it.

This is one of the most famous novels by Verne, and justifiedly so. A strange thing is happening in the seas of the world: a gigantic sea monster is terrorizing and sometimes sinking ships. The US government assembles a team of experts and sails around the world to discover the monster and catch it. Among them are two French scientists, Prof. Arronax and his assistant Conseil, and a Canadian harpooner, Ned Land. One day they fall to the sea while chasing the thing, and then are astonished when the monster rescues them. Alas, it turns out it's not a monster, but a machine that can travel under the surface of the waters. That is, a submarine, nonexistent at the time the book was written. So the three men become the prisoners of the enigmatic Captain Nemo and his crew. The "Nautilus" is a self-supporting device, lavishly decorated and the work of a genius, a strange one. The central question throughout the book remains: Why have Nemo and his people rejected all contact with their fellow human beings? What happened to him and to them to escape the world and become lonely travellers of the underseas? Mystery. During many months, our heroes travel around the globe, and in the way they discover Atlantida, hunt in submerged forests, rescue a pearl-gatherer, rest in a submerged volcano, and fight aborigines and giant squids. Prof. Arronax classifies and describes every creature they encounter, which slows down the reading between adventures.

I took one star out of the book because it lacks a central feature of any great work of literary art: character development. To reach the highest literary glory, Verne lacks psychological depth, the exploration of human beings' motivations. I would have loved to know Nemo's story, his reasons for doing what he does. But it doesn't matter much. To read Verne is to come back home, to turn back the time and be a kid again, flying to that moment when one discovers the infinite possibilities of literature, chief among them the chance to live other lives and see the world anew. Verne and his characters have a unique charm, and in this book the fascination od the ocean is added.

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea ...Hmmm, where to begin my review? To be frank, I wavered for about 4 minutes on how to rate this book. Was it a 3 or 4? In the end, I chose the 4 star rating. This book had a wonderful story line, the characters, and the setting where also both wonderful. The things that really drug this book down where Verne's consistent descriptions of things that really, in actuality, could have been left out. He goes on and on classifying fish and giving very, very detailed descriptions of the submarine (The Nautilus), the way it worked, and the things on board. I guess I can understand this, I guess Verne was just trying to give a believable and complete description of the things the characters saw on their journeyIf you could, somehow, get an abridged version, I would reccomend it. This book is great and truth be told, it was worth my time reading it. I just think that unless you're a marine biologist or are just, for some reason, very interest in the classification of oceanic plant and animal life, that 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea would be best read, and probally more enjoyable with some of the 'unimportant to the story' detailed descriptions of the above-mentioned things ...in frank, LEFT OUT. Now, this is not to say that you shouldn't read this book, you should. I'm just forewarning the prospective reader that they will find some parts of the book to be 'boring' with VERY in depth classifications and descriptions. On the other hand, the story is one of great splendor and excitement. Try to remain focused on the story line and keep a clear mind that the descriptions are just Verne's way of trying to give the reader the most in-depth and detailed assessment of the voyage. Now, I know that what I have written so far is not a 'review'. I'm just trying to let people know what kind of a read they will be in for, if they so choose to read the book. Now, as for a real 'review' on what happens in this book? ...Nahhh, read it yourself. I will say this, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea takes you to places,in your mind,betterthan any book I've ever read. You will become attatched to the characters every move and sit in anxiety, with great with anticipation, eager to find out what will happen next in this Sci-Fi classic. So, with all the above information on how the book will lag a bit at times ...I finish with this, Verne's descriptive writting leads many modern day readers into boredom and complaint. If you really open your eyes and embrace Verne's descriptive style, you will learn to enjoy this work, and have an admiration for this classic story and classic storyteller almost unequaled in all of literature. For what it is, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea couldn't have been written better by anyone, ever. Keep your mind open and don't give up on it. I promise,you will learn to appreciate this classic ...I did

It is really a shame that the store pushes so many editions together in the same group of reviews. This review is of the complete edition (not the bowdlerised children's version) and references the translation by Mendor T. Brunetti.

This was a reread for me. I read most of the Verne books when I was quite young, and lately wanted to revisit some of my favorites. When I was younger, I was very much (like Captain Aronnax) taken with the catalogue of undersea marvels that Captain Nemo and his Nautilus enabled us to visit. Reading it this time around, I was quite struck with the political picture of Captain Nemo. As a man from an unknown country who has lost everything at the hands of men, Nemo becomes what we would today call a terrorist. He funds freedom fighters. He takes his revenge on the men from the countries who hurt him and his. The portraits on his wall: John Brown, Kosciusko, Daniel O'Connell. I think that I'm going to add The Mysterious Island to my list. I had never read the sequel in the past, and I understand that it provides more background about the mysterious captain.

Readers who aren't familiar with this book are encouraged by this reviewer to rapidly amend this sad condition. I also have to say that I first read this when I was nine (the full version, not a children's edition) and I can't imagine what really needs to be cut to make it suitable for younger folks. I'd hand them the whole thing with a confident heart.

For some reason, a few of Verne's many works have become famous in the English speaking world and have even gained some kind of "classic" status. Unfortunately, these are in my opinion his more superficial and uninteresting novels. 20000 Leagues Under the Sea is a perfect example.

Most people would have heard of the idea through some part of culture - the story of Captain Nemo in his submarine (Verne's alleged prophetic vision) and how one outsider is forced through circumstance to join Nemo and his crew on a host of adventures across the seas. This is fine, and that's what the book is. BUT, unlike many better Verne novels, this is ALL it is. It's an adventure story mixed with a description of the various wonders of the udnerwater world (including Atlantis). Don't get me wrong, Verne is good at describing all these things and it's interesting and certainly makes you think about worlds other than your own.

What I love about Verne's works such as the Mysterious Island and the 500 Millions of the Beguma is that this is used as a vehicle for some deeper or more interesting messages. Here, the main "deeper" message is the study of Nemo as a recluse from society - a kind of conscienscious objector (or even hater of humanity if you will), surrounded by his cold machine-like submarine and the predator-like amoral underwater world. In the hands of most writers, this would be sci-fi schlock and it is only Verne that makes it into a good book - but this should not be the work he is renowned for.

This book is actually the 2nd in a trilogy, the 1st being In Search of the Castaways and the 3rd being Mysterious Island and I reckon they get progressively better so read the third one!

'20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' is one of those classic stories by the wonderfully imaginative and clever Jules Verne that everyone has heard of but, alas, few have read ... at least here in America. I decided to give the book a try having just read (and enjoyed) the author's other classic 'The Time Machine'. '20,000 Leagues...' is a far more ambitious novel and, overall, even more enjoyable.

The story is set in the late 1860s when the book was written. Due to unusual circumstance (..no spoilers here) three men (a naturalist, his manservant, and a whaler) are taken against their will onto a (then unheard of) submarine by the enigmatic Captain Nemo. For many months they circumnavigate the globe and cross all the oceans. Along the way the encounter the fantastic, some dramatic episodes, and even fleeting moments of comedy. The author goes into great detail of describing the wonders of the submarine. While of course much of the science he describes is a bit silly most of it is remarkably true to life. I am especially amazed at his foresight into electricity years before the lightbulb was invented. Monsieur Verne was truly a genius. And thankfully, he was a pretty good writer.

But this book doesn't hit all the right notes. All the in-depth descriptions of amazing underwater flora and fauna gets rather repetitive. The middle third of the book is a bit of a tedious read. Thankfully the story tightens considerably towards the end, with a very surprising climax.

Bottom line: an often overlooked classic that will probably bore younger readers but will enthrall adults. Highly recommended.

Oh my gosh, this book is so cool! And so very important in understanding Verne's place in literary and scientific history. This large format book is an annotated version of the most widely circulated English translation of t he Verne classic. And because of the annotations, we learn how HORRIBLY Verne's work was translated from the original French. A great example comes near the beginning of the book when the delightfully detailed annotation in the margin points out that the common edition translation talks of the narrator returning from the "disagreeable territory of Nebraska." We learn from the annotation that this is a huge distortion of the narrator's personality and experience. Verne's original writing spoke of the "badlands of Nebraska" and actually had a favorable attitude toward the region. We learn from the annotations that there were dozens of such awful, misleading mistranslations throughout the common edition that so many people have read, with the author often criticized for errors the he should not be held accountable for. Some of the mistranslations are comical in retrospect. For example we learn in this edition that the common edition includes the phrase "at the expense of my loins" when, in fact, a more accurate translation would be "hurting my back."

Verne's book is so filled with cutting edge science of his day and the annotations enlighten us so much about them. Thus this annotated version makes Verne's story an even more interesting and multi-dimentional reading experience.

When I was a child I loved reading the stories of Julio Verne. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Around the World in 80 Days were my favorites. This new translation based on the original French texts is amazing, it moves quickly and I discovered things that I had never read in other English versions. You get more of Verne's politics here than in earlier translations including such memeorable phrases as: "The world needs no new continents, it needs new people."

The characters are well developed and you can indentify with all of them and how they view their effective captivity aboard the Nautilus. Captain Nemo is a wonderful character and Verne gives the reader just enough information about him to keep you enthralled but not enough to remove the mystery. The intro relates that Nemo was supposed to be a Polish aristocrat, getting back at the world for the the atrocities the Russians had commited against his family. But when Hetzel his publisher balked at the idea because of the new Franco Russian alliance Verne decided to remove any trace of nationality.

What else can be said? The English is not archaic!! This restored and annotated version, is a VAST improvement over previous English editions. The translation is very well done, and the annotations explain what has been changed and what previous translations accomplished. The wealth of background information also makes this one of the best English translations of this adventure I have ever read.

This is Jules Verne at his best, creating the enigmatic character of Captain Nemo.
The setting is the mid-nineteenth century. Deadly and mysterious calamities continue to befall ocean-going vessels, with wild reports by survivors that the culprit is a sea monster large enough to ram and sink ships. French professor M. Aronnax finds himself aboard the Abraham Lincoln, a ship charged with finding and destroying the beast. Accompanying him is his loyal servant, Conseil. The ship succeeds in locating the leviathan, but it, too, falls victim to a deadly attack. Aronnax, Conseil, and a Canadian harpooner named Ned Land are the sole survivors--rescued by none other than the "monster" itself, which turns out not to be flesh and bone, but the world's largest and most technically advanced submarine.
They meet Captain Nemo, the owner, inventor, and sovereign leader of the flag-less ship, Nautilus. He explains that they're now his prisoners for life, though they will be treated well and are free to roam the ship. Thus begins an underwater tour of the planet, narrated by the fascinated Aronnax. With today's knowledge of the seas, some of the action is laughable, but at the time this was leading-edge science fiction. Verne's vision of submarine technology, the use of electricity, scuba operations, and various other things is uncanny and typical of great science fiction writers' ability to foretell the future. The ridiculous episodes include traversing an underwater tunnel beneath the Suez to the Mediterranean; a visit to Atlantis; and a trip to the South Pole under the ice, where they break through the surface for a look-see. This would be difficult, considering that the ice is more than a mile thick with a continent of solid rock below. But remember that when Verne wrote the book in 1869, Antarctica had not been explored and remained a virtual myth.
The enduring lure of 20,000 Leagues, though, is Verne's Captain Nemo. It takes the entire book (and then some) to learn who this genius Nemo really is. What horrible ordeal has produced such a cynical man, one driven to build the self-sustaining Nautilus, to swear off all contact with the "civilized" world, never to touch land again, and to ruthlessly and brutally defend himself against any perceived threat? At one glance we see a maniacal scientist worthy of a James Bond thriller. But at closer inspection, Verne has captured the timeless personification of angst over the errors and excesses of Man's interminable war against Nature and himself. Aspects of this same character can today be found in political and environmental activism throughout the world. Actually, it strikes a cord with us all; everyone wants at some time to build what today would amount to a spaceship and shove off from this screwed up planet, saying, "Adios, idiots. It's your mess now." --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Big Ice.

One of the great problems with Jules Verne is that in the English speaking world he is relagated to the category of "Boys' Own Adventures". On the Continent, however, he is considered a brilliant social commentator, and biting satirist, AND a man who predicted the future. This is a volume that helps set matters to the right.
If you know of "20,000 Leagues" already, you will find little different at first. The plot is still the plot. Nemo is still Nemo, Prof. Aronnax is still pompous and fascinated by the Nautilus and Ned Land....
Ned Land is a flaming socialist.
This is one of the major shifts between the original French and the "cleaned up" English editions. Most of the science of the day was pulled out as a "dull read" and all the Socialism, anti-English remarks, and other commentaries of a "questionable nature" were excised. We Americans have unfortunately been until only very recently only able to find these poor early translations, or translations based on these poor translations. There is much more to Verne than submarines and diving suits. He is a man with a vision of his times, both scientific and political, and his books underline this strongly.
English readers, demand your Verne well-translated! Do not allow yourself to be fobbed off with bowlderized versions! To be able to read as he wrote himself (well, in English, for those of us who don't read French...) is a greater pleasure than merely an amusing old science-fiction story from the 19th century. Reading this book, as Verne /meant/ it to be read, if a pleasure, but also a struggle to understand ourselves and our relationship to the oceans themselves.

This is a story about three friends aboard the Nautilus, a cantankerous submarine-like vessel that is commandeered by Captain Nemo, an elusive figure with a mind of steel and a impenetrable purpose in life. Captain Nemo has long ago turned his back on the world, building this vessel with the intent of making it his home, staffing it with the most loyal of crews, and arming it as though it were a fortress. And a fortress it is. Captain Nemo and his crew live beneath the sea in this fascinating underwater vehicle as solid as stone. They never touch land, and are prepared to spend the rest of their days living underwater. The world has learned of this vessel, but rumors of its nature abound. Most think it is a sea monster of sorts, and the great ship the Abraham Lincoln sets out on a voyage to find and destroy the Nautilus. On board are Professor Aronnax, underwater expert, his loyal subject Conseil, and a Canadian whale harpooner named Ned Land. These unfortunate characters are tossed into the sea while heavily engaged in a confrontation with the mighty Nautilus. Hours later, they are picked up by the Nautilus, having been clinging to it's topside for safety. They are held prisoner within, but never have prisoners of war had such luxury and freedom. What follows is Monsieur Aronnax' account of the adventures that abound as he travels around the world underwater, seeing sights never before seen, engaging in activities he once only dreamed of, and enjoying times never meant to be had by man. When his companion, Ned Land, becomes restless and wishes to escape the Nautilus, the story heats up. Throughout, Captain Nemo is a mystery you will wish revealed. The story has many dull parts too, and many unfamiliar words and expressions that may bore you. Nevertheless, it is a fascinating and marvelous classic - if you have not yet read this, you should.

It is rare that the title of any book so aptly describes the entirety of the text inside. This book is quite literally the diary of a visitor aboard one of the all-time great mad scientists of literature, as they circumvent the globe - mostly underwater. In that the book can be painfully boring without a deeper understanding of what this book did for the general psyche of the age it as penned in. In 1869 the submarines that did exist were mere toys to the mythical phantom that Nemo had so painstakingly built. Much of the map that Verne described was foreign to every reader of the time, oceans being a matter of military concern primarily, and the joy of trying to prove or disprove the possibility of the fantastic underwater passage by tracking the progress of the Nautilus was part of the allure. The careful, rich detail of a man trapped in an underwater prison (albeit one of luxury) at the behest of the world's leading genius of the day (Nemo) holds the story together even when it seems as if the narrative slogs on mile (league) after mile (league).

This is not an easy story to read. The action is infrequent and the story bears little resemblance to the Disney movie, but even so it is a divine classic. The predictions laid out by this author (who hardly could be considered an adventurer or world traveler) were more than wild speculation or mere fancy. They directly shaped the future - and that is what makes for great science fiction.

I hope you get a chance to enjoy this classic over a few quiet (and preferably wet and soggy) days, with an antique globe or sea charts handy of course.

This book is simply a "must-read" for every literature lover. Not reading it truly means a hole in the education. It might seem a bit old-fashioned to the "MTV-Generation" (Which I personally a part of.) but yet, it is a very interesting book. The thing that I remember the most, from the first and last time I read it in the 3rd or 4th grade, is the food. In a world where submarines are a regular part of our lives, there was nothing unique for me in the idea of a sub. Yet, the food facsinated me, they were eating things that I've never heard of, and they seemed so exotic, that I still remember them: The sea Cucamber, the squid, the sea-weed, the fruites of the bread-tree. I think that this book is a great gift for your child. However, buy it for him or her when they are still very young, before they are 'corrupted' by the TV and the idea that reading is "not-Cool". This book would also make, in my opinion, a great bed-time story for a kid that is old enough to understand complex and sometimes scary storylines, and yet young enough to be charmed by the wonders of technoogy and nature, and sit with mouth and eyes wide open when the giant squid is catching the Nautilus.

This is Verne's classic novel about Captain Nemo and his submarine Nautilus. What really fascinated me when reading this story and other Verne novels was not only Verne's contributions to the science fiction genre, but his founding of a whole new genre, one that, as far as I know, he has never been given credit. I think Verne was the first to write the techno-novel, a work that is filled with technical details ala Tom Clancy. For this novel, Verne did considerable research to describe what was known as accurately as possible. Professor Arronax and his servant Conseil board a U. S. ship that is searching for a monster that has sunk a number of other ships. They discover that it isn't a monster at all but a submarine, captained by a mysterious man known only as Nemo (Verne will present readers with Nemo once again in "The Mysterious Island"). Arronax, Conseil, and an American harpooner named Ned Land travel with Nemo and see many wonderous things and have many adventures. Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" has gotten some very poor reviews over the decades since it first appeared in 1869. In many cases, it was because of the translation and not because of Verne. A number of the early translators inserted their own sections with their own ideas and opinions and deleted much of Verne's own words. So, readers should be aware of the translator. I read an excellent translation by Walter James Miller that was also annotated. Such an annotated volume can prove to be very helpful to teenagers getting acquainted with Nemo and his submarine.

The two masters of the Victorian era were H G Wells and Jules Verne. Now, I happen to think that wells was the better writer, but then I have never read Verne in the original French. But the translation of this book is still classic. Some might find the descriptive passages from a time when they could go on for pages about the sky a bit tedious. But if you can get through them and have a large vocabulary to call upon, this book will still delight. Captain Nemo and his wondrous submarine, trying to end war by striking at the ships of war, while he cruises the oceans of the world, is still a delightful story and an essential read. I think more movies have been made of this book, or offshoots that dealt with Captain Nemo, than any other work of science fiction. Worth a look still today.

A crazy man guiding the ship who has given up on mankind and who refuses to stand on dry land. A coral cemetery. Passing through the Suez. Atlantis. An iceberg. The South Pole. Ice that almost traps the ship. A battle with poulps. A terrible storm. A ship with all her crew sunk. A maelstrom.

These are just some of the adventures you will experience when you read this zany book. At times, you will feel like you are reading from an encyclopedia of the time and at times you may wonder whether Jules Verne just made up random creatures and random facts about the underwater world. But I think, in the end, you will be glad you made this voyage.

As an adventure story, there are few that can touch this classic. I remember reading through this book around 10 years old and how much I loved reading about all of the various life forms beneath the sea. I also credit this book for my fascination with all things aquatic.

There's a lot of criticism on all of the technical jargon included in this book and I don't really understand that. If this doesn't interest the reader it's simple to just skim over the information and or skip it altogether. It's not vital to the story, it just enriches it. But enrichment aside, the story does well standing on its own.

Jules Verne's interest in science is so incredibly apparent. He really was a man before his time. Everything had a plausible explanation (although I admit to not having much knowledge in the areas he was writing on).

His characters were rich and full of life. Nemo was deliciously mysterious throughout the entire length of the book. The Dr., his man servant and Ned all had their own distinct personalities.

My father recommended I read this book again (he actually wanted me to read the third in the trilogy - In Search of the Castaways being the second, and The Mysterious Island being the third) and I'm glad I did. So often people talk about the classics and if you haven't read one in a while it seems like the stories are remembered as dull and hard to read, but once again, as I dove back into this classic book, I was reminded of why I read so many of them as a young teenager.

A scientist, his sidekick and a big strong sailor are going to have their lives changed forever when they are sent to capture a giant octopus. But, instead, they fall overboard and find out what they think is an octopus is really a giant submarine with a Captain Nimo and a crew that speaks their own language (which the trio calls "the submarine language")! In this submarine, they go on millions of adventures like: tunneling through blocks of ice in the antartic, zooming through tunnels from sea to sea, and seeing every different kind of fish you could ever imagine. The only problem is the scientist's sidekick joins with the big sailor, Ned, and together they try to escape. They have many of their own adventures too, like when they try to escape the first time and they almost get caught by cannibals. The second time they escape and write a story which you will read if you want to read it and it's called, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". If you're looking for an adventurous book that's exciting and funny too, then just read the book I did a review on. Lindsey (age 9)

Funny thing about great foreign writers, Verne was French, but most of us grew up thinking of him as American, (sadly I admit I did). It's easy to, watching the old movies on TV, or new movies, all in English with US actors. And of course all the wonderful books we grew up with were in English. I hope that is considered a compliment as to his power and success, as he was just as enormously popular in France, and is the founding father of science fiction with perhaps with H.G. Wells. Verne's stories, written for all ages, caught the enterprising spirit of the 19th century and its uncritical fascination about scientific progress and inventions. Perhaps some today are not so uncritical of science, but those who still have adventure in their soul, who long for the stars and the space program, will love all of Verne's works.

One of his most known works, often filmed and enjoyed by millions!

The two masters of the Victorian era were H G Wells and Jules Verne. Now, I happen to think that wells was the better writer, but then I have never read Verne in the original French. But the translation of this book is still classic. Some might find the descriptive passages from a time when they could go on for pages about the sky a bit tedious. But if you can get through them and have a large vocabulary to call upon, this book will still delight. Captain Nemo and his wondrous submarine, trying to end war by striking at the ships of war, while he cruises the oceans of the world, is still a delightful story and an essential read. I think more movies have been made of this book, or offshoots that dealt with Captain Nemo, than any other work of science fiction. Worth a look still today.

I read this book many years ago and as I sat down to read it again, I was reminded of what an amazing man author Jules Verne truly was and a visionary. At the time he wrote this book it was definitely science fiction and a lot of what he wrote is now science fact. This is a great adventure not to be missed as readers head into the depths of the ocean on a fantastic journey. This classic and this author's many others should be read and enjoyed by all.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a very good book. The story concerns a group of men who are, at first, searching for some sort of dangerous sea creature that has been attacking ships. There is Professor Aronnax, Ned Land the harpooner, and Conseil, Aronnax's servant. Aboard the Abraham Lincoln, the are attacked by the beast and find it is not a beast at all, but a submarine. They are swept overboard and end up aboard that craft, which is ruled by Captain Nemo. What follows after that are many adventures underneath the ocean. What do I like about this book? Well, the author uses foreshadowing very well and also, the beginning was very well done as he told about the mysterious sea monster. Also, the characters are likable. Especially well done is Captain Nemo who, though he engages in some questionable acts, also displays noble and heroic qualities. He is also something of an ongoing mystery, even past where the story ends. There is also a strong sense of adventure in this book and at its best, I didn't even feel like I was reading a book at all, but that I was there with them living it. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit envious of the three men, who got to go where no men had ever gone before. They see strange sights and beauties that had been shut off from the prying eyes of man since creation. So, that's the good, what's bad about it? Not much really. The main thing is that in some places, Verne uses too much exposition or description and that got to be boring fast. This is mostly done when cataloging EVERY fish it seems that lives in the ocean or when talking about some 70 year old shipping expedition from Spain or something. As I said, this is not really a major quibble as it doesn't take much away from the story' flow. I see this is called by some a children's book and I don't know if children would really be into it but it is a very well told, exciting adventure novel

Who is Captain Nemo? Is he the antithesis of a 19th century capitalist? Is he the result of capitalism, using technology to gain the liberty of a higher standard of living, which it allows? Is he despot, savior, evil or compassionate?
Nemo epitomizes a vision of humanity, which is arrogantly attempting to create a peaceful world through technology. The battle is clearly in vein as the characters are hindered by the passions of their natures.
Nemo is the rebel, the nation-less man, who has turned away from the machine mentality, dollar diplomacy and imperialist expansionism of his age.
Verne creates a self-contained world for Nemo, one in which there is no dependency on capitalism. The Nautilus produces all that Nemo needs.
This freedom is decadent. The Nautilus produces no surplus value other than to provide for the whims of Nemo, a person dehumanized by the progress of the developing western world. A world he doesn't understand or is in touch with.
Even in his act of political intervention against imperialism through the financing the liberation movement of the Cretans from the Turks was decadent. The money came from the sea, it was put back into circulation, and it was not the result of production or creativity. There is no net gain to society by this action. Encouraging production and industry could have better provided for the people.
Though Nemo was creative enough to produce the Nautilus to escape his world of torment, he's nothing more that a narcissist!
When Nemo brings the Professor on his trip, it becomes a conquest of the sea. Nature becomes a possession, no longer mysterious and otherworldly, but just a part of the humanized world.
It is Ned alone who sees the vanity of the voyage, but to no avail. All aboard become trapped in the world of Nemo.
A world running from machine and science in a machine. A world free from governments and country in which he governs. A world free from captivity in which he holds others captive. A world which he takes freely from, but gives nothing to in return. Nemo is everything he disdains.
In making his journey of discovery around the world, Nemo fails to make the most important discovery that there is, what it means to be human!

THE PREVIOUS REVIEWER OBVIOUSLY KNOWS NOTHING OF JULES VERNE'S WORKS
LET ALONE THE FACT THAT REVIEWS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE OF THE PARTICULAR
EDITION LISTED. THE HARDCOVER EDITION ILLUSTRATED BY RON MILLER IS
AN EXCEPTIONAL BOOK. THERE ARE 36 GORGEOUS COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS AS WELL AS BLACK & WHITE ILLUSTRATIONS THROUGHOUT THE BOOK. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK SPEAKS OF QUALITY FROM THE QUALITY PAPER TO THE STUNNING TURQUOISE CLOTH COVER WITH A SHARK IN COBALT BLUE EMBOSSED AROUND A COLOR ILLUSTRATION OF CAPTAIN NEMO'S SUBMARINE. THE END PAPERS SHOW THE VOYAGE OF THE NAUTILUS. THIS IS NOT A FLIMSY PAPERBACK. IT WAS PUBLISHED BY THE UNICORN PUBLISHING HOUSE IN 1988, WHO HAVE PUBLISHED MANY OTHER CLASSICS FOR TEENS & ADULTS. FROM READING THE ENTIRELY INAPPROPRIATE AND FRANKLY QUITE STUPID REVIEW RATING A PAPERBACK (NOT THIS EDITION) BY JULES VERNE AS A THREE AND ATTEMPTING TO RECAP THE STORY OF TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGUES BENEATH THE SEA, IT IS CLEAR THE REVIEWER IS NOT AWARE THIS IS A CLASSIC AND JULES VERNE ONE OF THE GREATEST WRITERS OF ALL TIME. THE REVIEW SHOULD BE REMOVED. I AM AN AUTHOR WITH OVER
3,000 BOOKS IN MY LIBRARY AND HAVE NO CONNECTION TO THE ILLUSTRATOR OR PUBLISHER.
THIS IS ONE OF MY MOST CHERISHED VOLUMES.

This is one of the most fantastic books I have ever read! Jules Verne really brings the book to his stories, and this is one that everyone MUST read! Verne will deep into the world of the ocean, and you will be part of adventure of the infamous Captain Nemo himself! Beautiful descriptions, heroic adventure, and intellectual discussions, that is part of the classic story "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea". Full of Adventure, vivid descriptions, and is well researched considering how long ago the book was written! Parts of this book even sparked inventions that we use today without thinking. But you need to know: This book is hard to put down. As soon as our main character discovers a submarine that has been sinking war ships you WILL be glued to the pages that lie ahead! I mean think about this, the south pole was not even explored when Verne gave his thrilling account of it.

I'm not a true critic. I can't tell you anything much about writing styles, plot lines, or literary constructions. What I am going to do is tell you MY story with this book.

In 1985 I was at a used book fair at my elementary school in Mesa, AZ. My family was there and I was not particularly a fan of books. I was milling about when, yes, the cover of a little book caught my eye. I opened it and began reading. I was sucked in immediately!! I went to my parents and told them I wanted the book. Parents hearing those words coming out of their child's mouth in reference to one of the greatest authors of all time, are more than a little excited. After they said they would get it for me, I wandered to the stage in the gym, sat down and lost myself in the oceans of the world with Professor Aronnax.

That book, albeit a shortened version of the original novel, is most responsible for the reader I am today. It was the beginning of a love for reading. It also left in me a love and healthy respect for the ocean. From that day, and beyond high school, I was fascinated with the ocean. (Easily understood since I am a desert rat) I gathered all kinds of books on the subject. Watched movies, documentaries and collected artifacts pertaining to the ocean. ALL of it, because of this book.

It has always my favorite Jules Verne book. I think any kid of nearly any age would love it. My original copy fell apart on me. But I found another on the store and purchased it. I am reading to my kids now who can't get enough of it!

I heartily recommend this book to anyone who loves travel, adventure, monsters, mystery, history or natural science! But I give you a warning, you'll be left wanting more from the author Jules Verne.....thankfully he won't disappoint you with his other books either.

I read a rusty 1954 edition of this book and found it splendid. Even though this book was filled with information about electricity, how it gets it from the sea, how much the "Nautilus" weighs in tonnes, how the "Nautilus" can reach the speed of 50 miles per hour etc. it still was a marvellous book. Jules Verne puts stacks of information into this book. But here's the amazing bit of this information. This book was first published in 1871. 1871?

Why 1871?

Nothing like electricity was invented in 1871. Or other stuff. Jules Verne imagined science when hardly any of it was invented. None of it. None of it at all. That's why, 20,000 leagues under the sea and other of his novels were amazing.

Also, the characters in this novel are likeable. The nature and the stuff Captain Nemo, Pierre Arronax, Ned Land and Conseil see under the sea seem so real while reading this classic. The peculiar but wonderful character of Captain Nemo makes this book wonderful to read.

This book appeals to children and adults.

In 1866, a strange thing at sea captures everybody by surprise. It is some sort of peculiar monster or floating reef. The "Helvetia", "Columbus", "Scotia" and "Shannon" all spot this creature. People wonder what exactly is it. Pierre Arronax, Proffesor of the Museum of Paris is called by Captain Farragut of the "Abraham Lincoln" to capture this gigantic cetacean with all these harpooners, especially one called Ned Land. Ned Land is strong and full of uncommon skill. He is also a Canadian. When Pierre Arronax falls off ship, after Land aims his harpoon at the creature, jets of water spray on the bridge of the ship which throws many people off into the dangerous waters. The propeller and rudder are broken. Two other people who join Pierre are Conseil and Land. The creature was actually a submarine called the "Nautilus". It takes the three into it where they meet the mysterious Captain Nemo...

Further on they meet savages, giant octopuses and indulge with the wonderful sea life which makes this wonderful tale enjoyable. But all with Captain Nemo. The four take on a ride of their life. Thanks to Jules Verne people have been excited since. Buy this and treasure forever. I have an old 1954 edition.

This probablyis his best book of all. Other books include Round The World In 80 Days, Mysterious Island and other Verne books.

+++++

By StephenK

Very well done graphic novel adaptation for young people. Indeed an enjoyable read! As someone quite familiar with the original I found this a good representation of the story. Of course, the themes were not covered to any depth but all the main plot points were covered and we come away from it feeling the wonder of the ocean world and a certain sadness for Captain Nemo himself. The illustration is excellent and this will make a perfect introduction to the novel as well as a must for the school library.

Shameful. To use a widely discredited translation when better, more accurate translations exist, and to have such horrendous errors in the notes is just shameful. There is absolutely no reason to reprint a discredited translation that is full of outrageous errors and huge omissions, and which "enriches" the text with completely erroneous notes. Abysmal. This butchered version of a great story deserves a negative five star rating. No school should purchase this edition. No library should have it on its shelves. And no individual should waste their hard earned money on this when better editions already exist, and when better editions can be easily and readily reprinted by the publisher, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. _Much_ better editions exist. Read the excellent reviews below by J. M. Margot and F. P. Walter to discover what editions you should be looking for.

And if you are a fan of Verne, or just a fan of quality publishing, please write Simon & Schuster, Inc., and tell them to replace this absolutely abysmal edition(especially since they have access to better translations):

Jack Romanos President and CEO
Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-698-7000
Fax: 212-698-7099

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was an outstanding book that involved science and mystery. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne was about three men who were invited onto a ship set out on destroying a mysterious thing that had been seen around the world. When they find it the three men, Professor Aronnax, Ned Land, and Conseil are thrown off the ship, and taken aboard the Nautilus which is run by Captain Nemo. They are taken around the world as captives and have fantastic adventures. Captain Nemo is a mysterious man whose intentions are never clear. He also has a past because in the book Captain Nemo was being chased by a ship of unknown nationality. Also, you get the feeling that he feels oppressed, because in the book he says '' That Indian, Sir, is an inhabitant of an oppressed country; and I am still, and shall be, to my last breath, one with the oppressed''. There are other parts in the book that support this as well. Professor Aronnax is a smart man who is also the main character of the book. My favorite character though, was Ned Land ,because he was willing to get off the boat at all costs. The writer wrote in first person using Professor Aronnax. The book's genre is science fiction. It was a little hard to understand at times, because of its use of animal scientific names. Overall it was a excellent book with an engaging plot, and interesting characters. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in marine biology or is over the age of thirteen.

Almost twenty years ago, I took hold of this book and remember reading it in a day (though we all know how memory can trick you). I didn't recall much more of a narrative other than a general knowledge when I took it again, but I remember avidly my childhood experience and feelings which went hand in hand with this book. It was all about mysteries, about adventure, about submerging into the unknown depths on a strange vessel accompanied with a mysterious figure of Captain Nemo. I recall reading, after lengthy search, sequel of this novel, trying to fulfill the urge for finishing of the tale, and being astonished with events on mystery island that summed up the story. Verne was one of my first authors and first guide to the fantastic world of science fiction. Much has changed since those days. In part, I blame it all to growing-up, other parts would be too lengthy to mention. I picked this book again about a month or so, hearing the praise of this translation of Naval institute press, wanting to remember some of the experiences I had as a child. Effect was quite opposite. I was bored to death. And I saw too much. Somehow, when you're innocent in reading, when your voyage through world of books is only at its beginning, world seems much simpler and you take your story for granted. You're easily marveled by plot, by gadgets, by effects, by sheer promise of something unknown that unravels in front of you, failing to notice all of the work that lies somewhere behind. When you loose your virginity, when you spend countless hours studying the mechanism of narration, the idea of fiction and storytelling, those hidden things come before your eyes. And you start to see faults and errors, bad phrases and filler paragraphs, you begin to see colonialism, glorification of science, problems of liberty and equality and rhythm of the text and somehow it all falls apart. Instead of the wondrous book that you remember from childhood, you hold before yourself gigantic block of text without almost any kind of value other than historical one. Reader that exists today, one that grew distant from childhood innocence, keeps noticing the cramped language, keeps comparing Verne to other authors of the period and finding him outmatched, keeps noticing hasty structure with uneven tempo and failing rhythm, keeps noticing typified characterization and obsessiveness about scientific detail which painfully slows narration and cannot avert his gaze from all of that. It existed before, for sure, but being unaware of it, made "20 000 leagues under the sea" a fond memory. Today, it stands for concept of bad literature. I am aware that many of the Verne's fans out there could debate me on numerous points here but I do not wish to start a debate here. This text talks more about me as a reader than about the book in question, but in a way it is accounting of an experience and personal voyage through concepts of literature. If your views are similar to mine, it is likely that you will also be disappointed with this book. Maybe this should come with a stamp - not suitable for those above 14. And maybe, once again, I'm failing to see something of importance. Maybe another decade or so will shed some more light on it. Oh and, by the way, edition and translation is great.

Author's style is very concise, and each story feels so real, expected things turn out to be unexpected. It was an amazing trip through the globe I have taken in several day. But the book has an ending that's leaving too many questions unanswered, which I would rather it have given me much more explainations. And the book seems to be too plain, old, because it was written such a long time ago, and the author had no intention of making the lines exciting in a way we accept today, and which is also a result of too many unrelated stories been piled together without a common base, basically, the book has pretty much no plot. That's a reason you might consider not buying the book.
But I liked the book a lot, I can not understand how can the author write one story after another that just get more and more surprising, and the way he brings out each story. The book can also be a good English teacher, I believe my writing skills have improved.

The book was in much worse shape than I was expecting. The paper was old and stained and the cover was pretty dilapidated. But it will work.
As far as the story goes, it is of course a classic. I think it would interest someone who enjoys technicalities more than someone who goes for the big picture. Be prepared to learn how EVERY SINGLE aspect of The Nautilus works. However, there was plenty to keep me interested (including pearl diving, giant squid attacks, and other adventures). If I remember correctly, the ending is rather unsatisfying, but there is another book called "The Mysterious Island" (or something like that) which I am told continues the story of Captain Nemo.

I don't pretend to be a literary know-it-all. I know about as much about classic literature as I do about moose hunting...and that ain't much. For whatever reason, I thought it might make me a more cultured and enlightened person if I read some of the old school fiction. You know, the authors that nobody ever mentions unless you're in an English class. They may be crusty, but they're considered to have written some of the greatest novels ever.

While my trek through the classics is still at its infancy, I decided to take that journey 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea that Jules Verne has been begging me to take ever since I was a wee lad. I've always noticed the various covers of this book over the years, often featuring a giant squid attacking either a submarine or some guy in an old-timey diving suit, or even both. Sometimes there's a treasure chest involved, too. It's no wonder that the book has always peaked my interest. How could you go wrong with such an inviting cover. It was about time that I figured out what was up with this Captain Nemo guy I'd always heard about.

Through virtually the entire book, you have basically only four characters. Captain Nemo, of course, is the one everyone's heard of. He's the mysterious commander of an astonishing vehicle for its time, an electric submarine called The Nautilus. Professor Arronax, his servent Conseil, and Ned Land, a noted French-canadian harpooner, end up as captives aboard Nemo's strange vessel and are taken along for a voyage across the globe. The sights that they encounter are incredible. Creatures never imagined, lost treasure, undersea eruptions, and long-sunken vessels. The adventures are high ones, as they take the dangerous trip beneath the polar ice cap and even visit the lost city of Atlantis.

I guess you could call it high adventure, but surprisingly, it's not all that exciting. The journey 20,000 Leagues Under the sea is a slow, plodding one. Sandwiched in between a fairly compelling beginning and ending is a wordy, overly explanatory middle filled with obscene amounts of nautical and technical jargon, yet devoid of much stimulating drama.

I have no doubt that in the 1800s Jules Verne's descriptive prose awed readers to the wonders of the sea and underwater travel. In this day and age, however, the bar has been raised considerably and the story itself is very underwhelming for the modern read. The average person has been able to witness for themselves much of the stuff that Verne describes in such painstaking detail, either through television or trips to aquariums and the like. Much of the book simply isn't as extraordinary as it was 100 years ago. While the sea still holds great mystery, it's not near as foreign to us as it was back then.

If you're not aroused by the technical workings of a submarine, or of the many food dishes that you can make out of sea life, there's not much else there for the average reader. The plot is more centered around situations conceived to further describe Captain Nemo's crazy contraption, The Nautilus, than it is to actually weave an interesting story. After the first few chapters, I was bored, save for a few bits here and there, until the last few chapters when it began to pick back up again.

I trudged on, however, anxious to finish so I can get to the next book, hoping that it will be less yawn-inducing. If you're like me and wanting to tackle those classics, save 20,000 Leagues for the end. Pick up Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World or War of the Worlds instead. Both are far superior. Heck, I'd even rather read Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde, at least it was shorter. But like I said earlier, I'm no expert in the classics, maybe I just missed the boat, err...submarine, on this one.

20,000 League Under the Sea begins with the world's seas being menaced by an unknown force. After several shipwrecks, the Abraham Lincoln is dispatched to kill what the world believes to be some kind of animal. After a battle with the "creature", the three main characters, Professor Aronnax, his servant/research assistant Conseil, and Canadian "King of the Harpooners" Ned Land are swept overboard. When they awake, they find that they are prisoners aboard the Nautilus, a submersible vessel under the command of the mysterious Captain Nemo and his equally enigmatic crew.

Captain Nemo refuses to allow the three men to leave his ship, but otherwise treats them well. They are allowed the run of the ship and Professor Aronnax soon becomes quite taken with the research opportunities afforded to him by the submarine. His assistant Conseil is happy to do whatever his master wishes, but Ned Land becomes increasingly agitated and determined to escape as the story progresses. Dominating the tale is the figure of Captain Nemo, a man who has forsworn his allegiances to country and humanity to command his own destiny under the world's seas and oceans.

The Nautilus takes the men on many strange and exciting adventures. Verne peppers the story with scientific detail. It's mostly fascinating, although the multiple listings of fish, fauna, and flora can become cumbersome at times. The novel is at its best when Aronnax is wrestling with the mystery of Captain Nemo and his motives, as well as his own conflicting desires to remain on the Nautilus and explore the reaches of the deep or to join Ned Land's quest for freedom.

Stirring in places, the story of Captain Nemo and his amazing undersea vessel shouldn't be missed by any fan of science fiction/fantasy. After all, Verne helped create the genre. The version of the novel I purchased was the Signet Classic series translated by Mendor T. Brunetti, who also provides a foreword. Walter James Miller provides a fascinating afterward concerning the inaccuracies of previous translations.

Jules Verne indeed had quite an imagination. But, of all his novels, the most wondrous, the most well known, the most popular and the best is 20,000 Leagues under the Sea.
The book's plot is pretty well known to the literature world: Captain Nemo has built an underwater ship called the Nautilus. Three people land on the ship and are taken aboard: French Professor M. Aronnax, a famous French scientist, Conseil, his servant and Ned Land, a Canadian Harpooner. Some of the highlights of their incredible adventure include getting trapped under ice in the South Pole, battling giant squid, exploring lost shipwrecks as well as the lost city of Atlantis and encountering the undersea forests of Crespo.
What is most amazing is that Verne's predicted how subs would work years later. Also, the U.S.S Nautilus went under the South Pole almost a century after Verne's Nautilus. The book is however not problem proof. It takes a while to develop. The Nautilus is originally mistaken for a sea monster. So a few are spent looking for this "Sea Monster". But this is forgivable. For can you name one great book that doesn't spend time developing its plot?

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a masterful science fiction classic and the crowning achievement of Verne's impressive literary legacy. While the story itself is absorbing, it is the character of the enigmatic Captain Nemo that makes this novel so successful. Many of the characters we meet in Verne's fiction are one-dimensional; while eccentric, a man like Professor Lidenbrock in Journey to the Centre of the Earth is easy to understand, seemingly driven by science and nothing else. In contrast, Captain Nemo is an incredibly complex man whom neither the reader nor the protagonist is ever really able to understand. He has forsaken all of humanity and retreated beneath the sea, yet he shows great compassion to his crewmen and to the poor on earth; he is generally self-absorbed and emotionless, yet we see glimpses of an emotional trauma that constantly afflicts him and is capable of destroying him. He has suffered a great loss at some point in his life, and his sorrow is matched only by a drive for vengeance against his unnamed oppressors. Captain Nemo is one of the most interesting, delightfully mysterious characters in all of literature.
As for the story, a naturalist, his assistant, and a harpooner join a party in search of a giant sea creature which has attacked a couple of ships. They are knocked overboard and find themselves saved by the monster, which turns out to be a submarine manned by a mysterious crew of sailors. Captain Nemo requires them to stay on board the Nautilus permanently because he wants to keep the existence of his submarine a secret from the world. The three men sail on the Nautilus for ten months, exploring the world's oceans and seas. They marvel at the animal life under the waves; explore underground forests, oyster beds, deep trenches; gaze with somber eyes at great numbers of sunken vessels; fight off giant squids and dangerous sharks; cast their eyes upon the sunken continent of Atlantis; and burrow underneath the polar ice caps to emerge at the South Pole. All the while, they hope to escape and return to their homelands, although the naturalist hesitates to leave his traveling laboratory until such a time as Captain Nemo's emotions become dangerously unbalanced.
All in all, this is an incredibly rich, fascinating novel with a poignant yet powerful conclusion. Contemporary readers must have been overpowered by Verne's descriptions of this unknown sailing vessel and the exploits the sub was capable of. That magical element is missing from modern reader's reactions, but this does little to hinder the overall effect of the story. There is one negative aspect to the book--the naturalist and his assistant go out of their way to name and catalogue virtually every animal, mineral, and plant they discover. This is interesting to a point, but the plot often finds itself bogged down for a couple of pages while the reader is bombarded with a veritable encyclopedia of scientific names which are virtually unpronounceable and largely meaningless to his/her ears. These interludes are the only things slowing down the story, however. It is a joy to read the adventures these men have under the sea, and it is even more fascinating to ponder the mind of Captain Nemo. Even the unseen depths of the sea cannot offer the reader a mystery as deep and powerful as that of the Nautilus' exceptional captain.

This is one of the great adventure books of the 20th century, and one which has not been equaled by a great movie. Based on imaginations of the author, and the immense advances in science and technology at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, this book tells the story of a group of scientists who encounter the Nautilus, a great submarine piloted by Captain Nemo. Taken aboard his submarine against their will, they are taken on a voyage across the world's seas that coves 20,000 leagues; hence the title of the book. Along the way, they see incredible sights of the deep sea, and learn of the numerous technological advances that make the Nautilus go.

This great adventure book is a good read and appropriate for grade school kids and older. The text is easy to understand and the dialogue is easy to understand. I highly recommend it.

As I have mentioned in other reviews, Jules Verne is an author greatly at the mercy of his translators. Bad translations have cut and mangled Verne's writing, often making his style seem arthritic, his plots disjointed, and his thematic content insipid. Therefore my reviews of Verne's novels usually are concerned with a particular edition of Verne.

This is a review of the 1962 Bantam Classic edition of _20,000 Leagues Under the Sea_ (1870). It contains an introduction by Ray Bradbury comparing Captains Nemo and Ahab. (Nemo is mad north-by-northwest, but Ahab is _really_ crazy.) The translation is by Anthony Bonner, which is generally rated as "above average" by Verne scholars. Bonner does maintain some errors from the older (and much inferior) Mercier Lewis translation. For example, Nemo still says that the steel plates on the _Nautilus_ have a density of .7 to .8 that of water. If this were true, the steel would be lighter than water! What Nemo actually says in the original text is that the specific gravity of the steel plates is 7.8. What a difference a few decimal places can make!

But on the balance, the Bonner translation does very well in allowing Verne to exercise his scientific knowledge without cutting or mangling it. The discussion by Professor Aronnax of sea pressure and the type of creature that would have to withstand it, the details of the electrical system of the _Nautilus_, the shipbuilding figures for constructing the submarine, the calculations of the formidable Black Stream... all are detailed and concrete. (Though admittedly, there is electronic information that is withheld from us.) And there are underwater sights such as these:

The sun's rays struck the surface at a rather oblique angle, and, refracted by this contact as if passing through a prism, they tinted the edges of rocks, plants, shells and corals with the seven colors of the solar spectrum. It was a marvelous feast for the eyes; colors criss-crossed one another in a veritable kaleidoscope of green, yellow, orange, violet, indigo, and blue-- the entire palette of an enthusiastic colorist! (113)

And again, during an undersea funeral near a coral forest:

The light [from our lamps] produced a thousand charming effects as it played about these brightly colored branches. I thought I could see these tissuelike cylindrical tubes tremble beneath the wavy motion of the water. Small, fast fish would would dart past like flocks of birds. I was tempted to pick the coral's fresh flowers and delicate tentacles, some of which had just blossomed and others scarcely yet opened. But if my hand drew near these living, sensitive flowers, an alarm would spread throughout the colony. The white blossoms would dart inside their red cases and vanish from sight; the shrub would change into a block of stony bulges. (175)

The enigmatic Captain Nemo (sometimes vindictive and villainous, sometimes noble and heroic) promises his three involuntary guests: "You will travel through a land of marvels. Your mind will be in a continual state of astonishment and stupefaction. It will be difficult to get bored with the continual spectacle that will pass before your eyes" (71). And do you know, the Captain is right. The voyage of the _Nautilus_ is truly a grand adventure-- almost the archtypical extraordinary voyage-- from the undersea hunting party, to the encounter with the giant clam, to the visit to Atlantis, to the battle with the squid, to the use of Nemo's thunderbolts.

Some modern readers grumble over the length and detail of Verne's descriptive passages. But remember: Jules Verne wasn't writing for an audience that had seen dozens of underwater movies. His task was to get people who had _never_ seen such a sight "to enter a new element" (71) and experience it for the very first time. He did this. And if you give Verne half a chance, he will do it again.

Get this one: ISBN: 1978019416 - has the best cover of all the ones I have seen!

Click on "see all formats" and look at the other paperback version, or just search the ISBN.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

You're welcome :)

Who would have thought that a major contribution to the world of literature would come out of the Naval Institute Press! Normally, they come out with things like "An Illustrated Design History of the United States Destroyer." I'm not casting any aspersions on such a volume, and I may own a copy or two. But Jules Verne, is an a class by himself as one of the great inventive masters of literature. He stands up there with Homer and Chaucer and James M. Cain. And what a superb edition this is, the translation impeccable and the annotations which include technical and historical explanations of the text and are invaluable. I have to confess, it is one of the few times (not including Nabokov) I actually read all the footnotes in a novel (or any book) and found them to be supremely enjoyable. Anyway, treat yourself to this marvel!

Professor Pierre Aronnax does not travel to a depth of 20000 leagues under the sea aboard the Nautilus, if that's what you thought. What he does do is travel a distance of 20000 leagues while submerged under the sea inside the mysterious vessel.

Boats and fishermen all over the globe have reported a leviathan attacking ships. Professor Aronnax accompanies a warship to attempt to destroy it, but falls overboard and ends up inside the sea animal. The "monster" turns out to be a secret submarine build by Captain Nemo. As a passenger aboard Captain Nemo's craft, Professor Aronnax is witness to the wonders hidden beneath the ocean waters.

Written over a century ago, Jules Verne creates a fantastic setting that leaves even today's readers fascinated about Captain Nemo and his Nautilus. Detailed descriptions about underwater life fill a majority of the book and create a rich setting, but can drag on at times.

Water makes up the majority of the earth. As humans, we have only a mere understanding of the creatures and life forms that dwell within the depths of the oceans, and Verne expands on this unknown realm to create a powerful and lasting tale.

Maybe it's a coincidence that I've read a lot of novels with aquatic settings (Life of Pi, The Old Man and the Sea, Moby Dick), but 20000 Leagues Under the Sea is another watery classic worth reading.

8/10 -> 4/5

After read 20,000 leagues under the sea my thoughts about fiction changed and Jules Verne became for me my favorite author of the matter. I lived for two days in a world of fantasy and mystery inside the submarine Nautilus where The Captain Memo dwelled with his friends and after, in the company of an unexpected party.

My imagination flew away to the depths of the sea, as never it had done it before, living the adventures of the voyage of the Nautilus to wherever it went, even to the frizzed lands of The South Pole or to the mystic and lost Atlantic.

Jules Verne, the pioneer of the Science Fiction had done a magnificent job in this book that I value as his masterwork and his most visionary point of view of the world's technology of that time since in that moments submarines didn't exist, and he created one.

I really enjoyed reading this and I strongly recommend it to anyone, especially kids, that want to read a good Science Fiction book and also a classic of all the times. I'm sure that they will fell the same emotions than I and will love it.

My daughter and I have been reading (and re-reading!) the DK Classics (of which "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is part of) for several years, since she was 5. These books are very colorful, with lots of illustrations and photos of genuine artifacts, maps, and people from the era in which the story is set. Side panel text gives background information about the author, pictures and story. These "additions" (which do not detract from, but only enhance the story) help the young reader (and the adult too!) put the story into context. It is like getting both a classic and a pictorial history book rolled into one! The text is easy to read. My daughter is now 9, and reading the books on her own. Not only has she developed an appreciation for classic literature, but for history as well. These are great books for parents to read with their children. I highly recommend them!

Vinte mil léguas submarinas é um clássico de ficção científica, escrito por Julio Verne, em 1870. A diferença é que trata-se de uma aventura submarina.
O livro conta a estória épica do Capitão Nemo e de seu submarino Nautilus, do Polo Sul, até a cidade submersa de Atlântida, pela perspectiva do Professor Pierre Aronnax, em direção à destruição total de sua tripulação.
A forma de contar uma estória através de um observador intelectual, para melhor explicar as características psicológicas de um personagem, era muito popular na época (pensem no Watson de Sherlock Holmes e no Capitão Hastings de Hercule Poirot).
Essa premissa é importante, principalmente na cena em que, após a destruição, ele faz uma homenagem a uma foto de sua esposa e filhos, sugerindo que sua família teria sido sequestrada e morta, como escravos, e que ele embarcara numa jornada em busca de vingança.
O capitão Nemo é um dos personagens de Verne mais fascinantes - um homem carismático, gentil e generoso, porém, assustador.
O Professor Aronnax embarca numa expedição no navio Abraham Lincoln, para caçar e destruir um ameaçador monstro marinho. "Um objeto longo, fosforescente, em forma de agulha, infinitamente maior e mais rápido do que uma baleia".
Entretanto, ele descobre que o monstro é feito de metal - é um gigantesco submarino chamado Nautilus, construído pelo cientista Nemo, afastado pela comunidade científica.
Aronnaz e o arpoador carrancudo Ned Land são capturados no submarino e Nemo os leva a uma viagem através do mundo, caçando pérolas e terras lendárias, enquanto procuram descobrir um meio de fuga, já que, definitivamente, Nemo não batia bem da bola.
Enquanto isso, o professor Aronnax fica fascinado por Nemo, seu submarino e... sua biblioteca.
A primeira edição ilustrada foi publicada com desenhos de Alphonse de Neuville e Édouard Riou.
Temos que pensar nesta data de 1870, para ler sobre rifles elétricos, trajes de mergulho, motores elétricos, reatores nucleares, anos antes do primeiro submarino (Hunley) afundar um navio inimigo - que se auto-afundar, no mesmo processo. Pode-se imaginar a excitação que a aventura causou no mundo, quando foi publicada pela primeira vez.
Além disso, a descrição de Verne sobre o fundo do mar, com suas criaturas maravilhosas e exóticas (polvos, ostras e lulas gigantes) e navios afundados, nos faz lembrar um documentário do Discovery Channel.
Verne escreveu uma sequência a este livro: A ilha misteriosa (bora ler...).

Like many novels from its era, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a wonderful literary classic which any reader can easily dive into. Set in the mid- to late-1800s, the novel follows protagonist and narrator Professor Pierre Aronnax and his adventures as a captive aboard the submarine the Nautilus, belonging to a mysterious and vengeful commander, Captain Nemo. The author, Jules Verne, does a magnificent job bedazzling the reader with vivid imagery of the unknown world, the sea and the peculiar creatures that reside in it. The epitome of modern science-ficiton, the novel is incredibly ahead of its time, predicting many current technologies such as electric light and sonar, with electric light not being invented until almost ten years after the book’s publication! The climax of Verne’s genius is through his characters and their development. With several contrasting personalities in Nemo, Aronnax, Conseil (Aronnax’s servant), and Ned Land (a harpooner), Verne exposes the many outlooks one can have on life and how each outlook has different pros and cons. With Captain Nemo being the most outlandish character, Verne uses the Captain’s troubled past and revenge-driven actions to explore the dark side of humanity and leaves the reader to ultimately question if one can ever return from such depths of hatred. The only flaw in the novel is that Verne can go overboard with some of his descriptions, drowning the reader in a sea of scientific terminology and taxonomy jargon. Although the novel isn’t as critically appraised as other literary classics from its era, such as Moby Dick or The Scarlet Letter, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is an exciting and brilliantly written novel that will leave readers of all ages breathless at every turn.

What an amazing tale. A futuristic submarine, who's captain is an international terrorist bent on destroying all the worlds warships, who has a secret base, and loyal henchmen? And written more than 100 years ago? Powerful, amazing, and a must read by any adventure lover, science fiction reader, or any one looking for a darn good read!

What a strange experience, to read a book written more than 100 years ago, but to find it fresh, alive, and just as powerful and mindbending as it would be when it was first written.

Verne was a genius, and his imagination was powerful, I would recommend this book over and over again! Enjoy!

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Books of Wonder)is one of my favourite books of all time. Verne has managed to writing an intriguing, invigorating and adventure-filled adventure that also delves into questions morality and religion. Verne's love of science and technology is a leading theme through out the book and one gets a lesson in the marine-life as it was known during his lifetime. The illustrations by the Dillon's are certainly a work of art to bestow and admire. The afterword by Peter Glassman is very well-written and informative. I can highly recommend this book to readers of all ages and I gave this amazing classic a strong 5/5. 5/5.

Jules Verne's classic tale of underwater adventure joins the ranks of Saddleback 'Illustrated Classics' in this 2006 release. Few other novels offer artistic possibilities as great as 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. Unfortunately, Saddleback's artwork is the book's weakest link.

Intended to introduce young readers to classic novels, the Saddleback volumes I've reviewed have varied from fair to poor. Their version of 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA does a fair job of condensing the novel down to 56 pages. A little more pruning was probably called for since some strips are overflowing with dialogue. A bigger problem though is the book's artwork. It's poorly done and often amateurish. I don't know if it will entice younger readers into wanting to read the original. And $9.95 seems a bit much price-wise.

I'd rate this an optional purchase. There are better versions of this book available. Check out the 'Classic Starts' series from Sterling.

Part of ABDO's Magic Wagon imprint, this Calico Illustrated Classic is a great resource for upper elementary and middle school students. The large font and generous amount of white space, along with the 112-page format, make it accessible to those older students who are struggling readers. The illustrations every chapter or so are not remarkable but do add to the story. My ELL students and those not reading at grade level will do well with this series.

This title tells the classic story of a French scientist and his friends who are held captive by the mysterious and crazy Captain Nemo aboard the submarine, the Nautilus.

This book is a great joy to read. It's a wonderful exercise in imagination and visualizing everything inside my head. So many things in popular culture today have been influenced by what's in this book. Before I ever read this book, I was was primarily familiar with it because of the part with the giant squid. So imagine my surprise to find out that that part of the book was just a few pages long! But that's perfectly OK, because the rest of the book has plenty of things going for it. Jules Verne had a very good imagination. His depiction of the submarine turned out to be quite accurate with regards to what actually was turned into reality during the 20th century. This book is a lot of fun, and if you like it then I strongly recommend that you also read its sequel MYSTERIOUS ISLAND.

While the story does drag from time to time, as you read paragraphs about the genus species etc of the plans and animals that the protagonist sees, this is still a totally awesome vivid romp. It feels right at home with its great-grand-children novels in the steam-punk genre. The free kindle version is GREAT because you can look up all the random mollusks and make sure that they are ... random mollusks and nothing more sinister. The conversion to kindle has nearly no problems. The only thing that is missing is the lb symbol (or $) for some of the discussions on the value of random things.

If you have a kindle grab it.

In the year of 1866 a mysterious creature from the water was attacking ships all over the world. The creature was believed to be 100 feet long with a long thick, sharp, and strong tusk that could break a steal hull. The group finds out that the creature is a submarine called the Nautilus. The group along with Captain Nemo went on many adventures such as visiting Atlantis. The Famous Maelstrom hits the Nautilus and the submarine can't escape. The group tries to escape from the Nautilus. The group gets knocked unconscious, when they wake up they find themselves on land.
I first heard of this book when one of my friends gave me the book along with many other classics. I think that this is one of my favorite books. Some other books I like are Robin Hood, Mutiny Aboard the HMS Bounty, and Kidnapped!. I like this book because it has so much adventure. I like anything that concerns with the ocean. I also like Mystery stories.
My favorite part was when the group asked Captain Nemo if they could go and hunt on land. To their surprise he allowed them. When they landed and were cooking their meat a bunch of cannibals came and started to attack. When the group returned captain Nemo opened the hatch and kept it open. The cannibals then tried to enter, but then every time one tried to enter they would run away screaming. Then the professor finally understood; the ladder, hatch, the hull, and most of the rooms were electrical, so the captain could stop anyone he did not want there.

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea was a very good read. I've read this book for a summer reading project for school and had my doubts at first but after reading the first few chapters, I was hooked on reading it.

The story starts with Professor Aronnax receiving an invitation to go on the steamboat Abraham Lincoln to search for a giant whale that has sunken many ships in the oceans. Aronnax brings along his servant Conseil, but sadly for a while the search for the whale is fruitless. During the last day before the ship turns around Ned Land, one of the sailors and also one of Professor Aronnax's friends, spots the whale. The ship and its crew chase it until it is very dark and they can barely see it. During this time Ned Land takes a harpoon and tries to pierce the whale , but when the harpoon strikes it the harpoon bounces off. The whale then charges them and knocks Aronnax and Conseil off the ship. They swim for a few hours not knowing where to go when they see Ned Land. They see that he is standing and he replies that he is standing on the whale, which turns out to be a submarine. The submarine then emerges out of the water and a hatch opens and they proceed inside. Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned then stay in a bland looking compartment, trapped by the crew until the door opens and they meet the sub's captain Nemo. Soon after, they are set free and they are then free to explore the sub. After that they explore many areas that only a submarine could access.

I don't wish to give away what happens because there are many exciting events that occur in their submarine adventures. Jules Verne provides very detailed events that definitely captivate readers and describes all that happens in a very detailed fashion. I enjoyed almost all the parts in it though some parts I didn't like as much. In the first one or two chapters the story is a little slow but it soon picks up when the submarine is found. When reading the enriched classic version some of the words I did not know but luckily there is a glossary to tell you what the words mean. I would recommend this book to middle school readers that are more advanced and upwards. This book changed my perspective of what lies down below the surface of the sea and I think it will for you too.

If you ever wondered what would be like to have your own submarine, what encounters with the beasts of the sea and of the earth you would have, and how far deep down into the cravesses and cracks of the oceanic floor you could go without being sqeezed like a soda can, ... then this is the read for you.

You will be pleasantly captivated by the adventures of the captain and his accomplishments. Remember that this novel was written well before submarines were commonplace and even before the mechanics of submarine bouyancy were fully understood.

Can never go wrong with a Jules Verne novel. He is the embodiment of the word science in "science-fiction."

Have you ever wished to go into the depths of the ocean, walk, and travel through the many different seas? Well, if so, this is the book for you. "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne is a science fiction novel that takes place in the 1800s in which there have been sightings of a large creature traveling at extremely high speeds between the seas. A team of men - including Professor M. Arronax, his servant Conseil, and a Canadian harpooner Ned Land - take off in the Abraham Lincoln to find and kill this strange creature. When confronting this creature they are attacked and Professor Arronax, Conseil, and Ned Land are thrown from the ship and into the cold water. They climb onto the creature which is actually a vessel made of iron. They are taken into said vessel and introduced to the Captain Nemo who runs the ship. They are told they are to accompany him on his trip and never to be released so that his existence is not to be revealed to the world.
The voice of this story is from the perspective of Professor M. Arronax himself who is fairly calm about the whole thing and is content with talking to Captain Nemo to under stand the mechanisms and tools to keep this submarine a float. While Conseil follows around Professor Arronax and classifies the many fish that pass by, but Ned Land is constantly trying to find a way to escape the "Nautilis". The perspective of this books makes me wonder what it would be like to read through this book from the perspective of another character, for instance, Ned Land or even Captain Nemo.
The amount of description inside of every chapter may not be for every reader and the book moves along leisurely, and the speedy reader who likes to rush through the different chapters may get slightly annoyed at the description of many things. Yet, overall I definitely this book for anybody looking for an adventure.

My husband bought this book for our son at a visit to an aquarium, even though I thought it was too advanced for him because he's only four and half. I was wrong - my son LOVES this book! I know the age range on it is 9 to 12 and I have no doubt those ages would also enjoy reading the book themselves, but my son is constantly wanting me to read this to him and is always begging for me to read one more chapter because we usually only read one or two at a time (I will admit, I tone down the scarier parts just a bit for him because he's only four). The illustrated pages help hold his attention while I read to him even though there is a significant amount of text per page, and even my two and half year old can manage to sit through a chapter most days. I love the combination of illustration and text that allows me to read my sons more involved and advanced stories without them becoming bored because there isn't enough to hold their attention to the story. My older son loves asking questions about the pictures, especially the ones in the inserts that have information related to different aspects of the story, and I have learned a lot from those too! I definitely recommend this book and am currently looking into buying my son some more books from the DK/Eyewitness Classics series.

This book is a classic. No question. That's why I chose to read it. When it came out in the 1860s, it was science fiction and gripped the imaginations of many. A ship that could travel under the water! But reading it in 2010, much of the novelty of the book has been realized. We have had submarines for nearly a century.

But even aside from that, there is little plot to the novel. It reads as if it were written by a committee at National Geographic. It's a survey of all the unique items and places in the world's oceans. The little plot there is involves the protagonist trying to escape from the ship. And the ending (not to ruin it...) is a total cop-out and disappointing.

I was hoping this book would stand the test of time, like The Time Machine or even Around the World in 80 Days. But I found it a rather boring and drudging read.

The definitive edition seems to be that published in 1993 by the Naval Institute Press as translated by Walter James Miller and Frederick Paul Walter (ISBN 978-0870216787 paperback) which is described as "The Completely Restored and Annotated Edition".

Frederick Paul Walter's original 1991 translation is available as "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas" as a hardback edition (ISBN 978-1904808282 List Price: $39.95) published by Evertype in 2009. This hardcover edition is viewable on "LOOK INSIDE!" with the store. There is also a paperback edition (ISBN 978-1606641880) which was published by Aegypan in 2008. But beware: the "LOOK INSIDE!" for the paperback edition is actually of another version published in 2007 by BiblioBazaar (which looks like it was typeset on the cheap).

Frederick Paul Walter's translation is also available as "Amazing Journeys: Five Visionary Classics: `Journey to the Center of the Earth', `From the Earth to the Moon', `Circling the Moon', 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas', and `Around the World in 80 Days'" (ISBN 978-1438432380 List Price: $34.95) published by Excelsior Editions in 2010. This paperback omnibus edition is viewable on "LOOK INSIDE!" with the store. Note that the stories are printed like a newspaper with two columns to the page and in very small type.

William Butcher issued a new translation in 1998 and revised it in 2009 (ISBN 978-0199539277 paperback) published by Oxford University Press with the title "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas". This is viewable on "LOOK INSIDE!" with the store.com.

All of the other myriad editions seem to be re-issues or adaptations of the first English translation done in 1872 by Lewis Page Mercer (who cut about 20% of Verne's original text and made hundreds of translation errors).

The choice between the translations by Frederick Paul Walter and William Butcher might well come down to a matter of style - rather than accuracy in translation - or a preference for a hardcover over a paperback edition. I own the Naval Institute Press edition. I have only seen the other editions on "LOOK INSIDE!".

Reference: wikipedia.org "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea"

No matter how many times they remake this as a movie, with ever increasingly stunning special effects, it will never be a match the fantastic imagery that this wonderful book will conjure in your mind. This is my favorite of Jules Verne's novels, although I admit I have not read them all. Not only does this book inspire interest in marine biology, but it also makes one think about social and psychological issues, leading the reader to evaluate what and why things are right and wrong. This is a book that can be appreciated by young and old alike, and it is one that I keep on hand to be re-read as often as I have the chance.

"Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas" was first translated into English by Parson Lewis Mercier (who used the name Mercier Lewis) in the 1870's - this is now public domain and is the version you will get with cut-rate editions.

Mr. Mercier eliminated a quarter of the text and mistranslated numerous words and measures.

The way to spot his translation and his influence in some later editions (not this one) is to open the book to the third chapter, where the servant Conseil is introduced and described as someone who always addresses his master in the third person singular. See if Conseil's inquiry to his master then actually uses the third person singular - "the master" - or if he uses second person singular - "you."

If it's "you," it is the inaccurate translation.

Unfortunately, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" shows its age. While the story is, actually, quite good, the language is somewhat stilted and the book takes a while to really get going. I think many young readers will be puzzled by the vocabulary and will be bored. Eventually, the story picks up. However, I was bored in the 1950's and cannot imagine that today's youngsters will do much better. I think that the Walt Disney movie is a much better bet if you want to expose your child to a story that was a true classic. This is one of the few cases where a movie has an advantage over the written word.

In English speaking countries, 20,000 is considered a classic boy's book, but in France, it is considered a work of literature. The two translators of this version have gone back to the original French, and made a new translation. Turns out, the common translation that we are used to is full of mistranslations and ommissions of anti-English sentiments. Frankly, I didn't think the new translation adds that much more to the story, but I really enjoyed the footnotes and annotations. The translators take a boyish glee when they find and error or ommission that, to me, added a bit to the story. I'd recommend this version over the older translation. If you've read this story before, I think you will enjoy the annotations most.

My problem with the book is that it is boring or at least it goes into too much detail here and there. I'm referring to the endless descriptions of water, molluscs, sea creatures, vegatation, and so on. Now if you're one of the few sea-faring persons - one who loves the sea and loves sailing or boating or whatever, then you will enjoy the book. I did enjoy all the action scenes and any scenes that had dialogue or interaction between Nemo and the Professor. There was just so much detail that I practically skimmed through those pages. I feel bad that I did not have interest in these subjects, but it was just too much and after some point, not very interesting.

Submarines as we know them didn't exist in 1869. But Jules Verne had an almost eerily prophetic knack for knowing what technology would be used in the future -- and he put it to work in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea," a slow-moving adventure tale with plenty of proto-steampunk and almost fantastical undersea life.

Ships in the middle of the ocean are suddenly seeing -- and being attacked by -- "a long object, spindle-shaped, occasionally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale."

Eventually the US government sends out a ship to capture the object, and during a sea battle Professor Aronnax, his manservant Conseil and harpooner Ned Land go overboard. Soon they're picked up by the Nautilus, the vast submarine that has been causing all this trouble, and introduced to Captain Nemo -- an intelligent, charismatic man who belongs to no nation.

Aronnax becomes fascinated by Nemo, his ship and his library -- as well as the amazing underwater adventures that Nemo introduces them to, like pearl-hunting and fighting a giant squid. But the captain's free, lawless life has its dark side, and the three men begin to realize that they must get away from the Nautilus no matter what.

It's actually rather amazing that Jules Verne not only dreamed up the idea of a semi-modern submarine long before they existed, but thought out the applications, the stealth, and the vast size. And since nothing like the Nautilus existed at the time, there's a slightly fantastical, steampunk flavor to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

And as usual, Verne painstakingly studies everything about his imagined world, filling it with science (although he obviously didn't know about water/air pressure) and lovely descriptions of the Nautilus and the eerie underwater world (giant oysters, forests, Atlantis). The only flaw is that he tends to ramble on about exact measurements and travel details; there are boring patches here and there.

But Captain Nemo is probably one of Verne's most fascinating characters -- a charismatic, embittered man who is a sort of noble sea pirate. He does some stuff that is totally unacceptable (sinking a random warship), but he also has little spurts of kindness and generosity towards poor and powerless peoples of the world. He's scary but fascinating.

Giant submarines, charismatic pirates and an undersea world just waiting to be explored -- "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" is a fascinating sci-fi classic, if you can get past the dull patches.

Jules Verne was one of the pioneers of the Science Fiction genre and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is probably his best known work. Verne's stories are always told from the point of view of someone reminiscing on an experience and as such they come of a bit staid; the action is described in very general terms and not real-time. However, the characters of the story are very well developed (even if Professor Arronax acts just like Phileas Fogg from Around the World in 80 Days and the Professor of Geology from Journey to the Center of the Earth) All in all; this is a must read for all true Science Fiction fans.

This book may be of the imprint "Sterling Unabridged Classics", but it IS abridged. 25% of the untranslated French text is missing. Oh, didn't you know it was translated? Yeah, they failed to mention that or to give credit to the translator, too!

Jules Verne is really a reference in science fiction. This story with the famous captain Nemo is still today a very educative and adventurous tale. Lovers of science fiction and adventure must know the author and his works. This is one of the most significant narratives by Jules Verne. When I was still a child, Jules Verne stories helped me on my journey as a reading fan, an today, now as also an author, I can assure that he is still an amazing reference for all.

This book is really good, and it really captures you in the beginning, but it drags after the first 100 pages. Outside of the three captives, no other characters were well-developed. I would have liked to have gotten to know Captain Nemo a lot better, and what happened in his past that led him to isolate himself from humanity. Since his character is never developed, Captain Nemo ends up being a one-dimensional character with an inexplicable aversion to civilization. The ending is a big cop-out, where no explanation is given in how the characters arrived where they end up. In addition, since the book was originally written in French, it was difficult to read at some points because the text is not well translated, and reads awkwardly. I expected a little more from a book that is regarded as a classic.

The Easton Press edition of Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is one case to judge a book by its cover. Two other Easton Press editions: From the Earth to the Moon and Around the Moon are two more examples of this rule. To me, Easton Press has outdone itself with these gorgeous Verne covers. To brass tacks on the 20,000 Leagues edition: the English translation is by Mercier Lewis with an introduction by Fletcher Pratt and illustrations by Edward A. Wilson. One may have wished for one of the more modern translations, but the cover IS stunning.

For those who, like me, have found great pleasure in surrounding oneself with great literary works, the Easton Press edition books seem to have a lot of draw. However, it has been my experience that many of their novels by foreign authors can be found to contain older and flawed translations.

This specific Easton Press contains the Mercier 1873 translation that edits out 25% of the original text. The major flaws in this translation led to a slew of critiques by the scientific and literary communities (that did not refer to the original French).

Fortunately now there is a new version: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea/Completely Restored and Annotated. This translation is true to the original text that shows Verne's actual correct calculations as well as including the 25% of the text lost to English readers for over a century. Happy reading.

Peace, Ben

This book is one fantastic read! The scientist Monsier Arronax, his faithful assistant Conseil, and a stubborn Canadian named Ned Land find themselves "prisoners" aboard a submarine too advanced for even our era. To my pleasure, this book kept my blood flowing and didn't even allow me to blink. The only fault with this book is how the main character continually rambles on about the classifications of the species of the ocean. I found it odd how he would somewhat drift off into the sub-class, genera, etc. of a cod during some of the most exciting parts of the book. Nevertheless this is a great read. I wouldn't recommend it though for any individual who is either not into science or wants just excitement out of a book

I want to read it again! This is a awesome book. I like this better than Journey to the Center of the Earth. It's a little long but its worth the time it takes to read it. An exciting journey is waiting for you with in the pages of the wonderful classic book. My fave parts are when they; visit Atlantis, go hunting underwater, and go pearl diving. However, I still want to know more about Captain Nemo. The book didn't answer all my questions about him. God bless ya.

I want to read it again! This is a awesome book. I like this better than Journey to the Center of the Earth. It's a little long but its worth the time it takes to read it. An exciting journey is waiting for you with in the pages of the wonderful classic book. My fave parts are when they; visit Atlantis, go hunting underwater, and go pearl diving. However, I still want to know more about Captain Nemo. The book didn't answer all my questions about him. God bless ya.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was one of the best books of it's time and it's legacy still continues today. The author Jules Verne is able to create a world that is fantastic and believable at the same time. However there are moments in which the details become repetitive and rather insignificant.

The main character Captain Nemo, it is never obvious if he is the protagonist or antagonist, has a personality that is quite paradoxical. He believes that mankind has wrecked the earth and has given up on the human race as so decides to escape it by traveling the seas in his submarine. However, he is compassionate towards his crew members. At most times he is emotionless, but it is his emotional trauma that bothers him more than anything else. He is a complex character who is interesting, mysterious, and quite interesting to analyze.

The story line is intriguing and Verne's imagination adds to the impact of the plot. The story begins with a naturalist, his assistant, and a harpooner looking for a giant sea creature that has destroyed several ships. It turns out that this creature that they are looking for, and find, is Captain Nemo's submarine. Verne is also able to create a wonderful world full of different creature of the sea as well as the submarine it's self. At the time the book was written sea travel was common but submarines were unheard of. The description of the vessel and its ability must have wowed readers of the time.

However, it's Verne's over usage of description and unnecessary plot that tends to ruin the pace of the story. For pages on end there is a constant rambling of encyclopedia-like information. Is it really necessary to know the name, size, origin, composition, weight (etc) of some random mineral that naturalist happens to find?

Unfortunately these random occurrences make the book a little hard to follow, but in the end it is still a classic that everyone should end up reading.

I loved it so much that I want to read it all over again! This is a awesome book. It's a little long but its worth the time it takes to read it. An exciting journey is waiting for you with in the pages of the wonderful classic book. My fave parts are when they; visit Atlantis, go hunting underwater, and go pearl diving. However, I still want to know more about Captain Nemo. The book didn't answer all my questions about him. God bless ya.

I am sorry to say, but this book was without a doubt, one of the wrost books I have ever read in my life. The story dose have plot but that is about all the good things that go along with the story. I also did enjoy how Verne made up basic human needs from using marine and plant life from the sea. The last thing that was good, was when the crew of the Natulius had to fight the giant squid, they are called something else in the book, but I didn't pay attention. Those are the ONLY good factors about this book. The author spends more time on description of the water than the action of the book. I found that very dull and boring. When I first read the book, I had heard great things about it, but when I read the book, I was very disspointed. Take my advise, don't read the book.

Verne's style comes out the clearest here, and this is one of the rare books for Verne where the characters themselves have depth and background in the sense that they are people with pasts and lives, other than the one-dimensional engineers that Verne usually employs to do his bidding in other works like 80 days, Center of the Earth, and From the Earth to the Moon. The scientific content may be dense for some casual readers, but between the wording and chapter headers, these can be skipped or glanced through without it affecting the story much. The serial format of the chapters allows for interesting events and moments of tension.

While I enjoy this story greatly, I cannot give it a 5-star rating because while the characters have more background than usual, the rather serial plot style leaves little room for major character development which makes the characters seem slightly more hollow than one would expect most contemporary writers to make them.

I chose Verne's classic Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea for a book project in my acclerated english class, and the book truely was a wonderful read.

The adventure and mysterious journies M. Aronnax, Consiel, and Ned Land partake in were vividly portrayed in the book. Also the Nautilus was really amazing, in two ways. First in how powerful the ship was, and second how Verne could have created the idea for such a vessel for the period of time he wrote the book.

From the underwater forests of Crespo, to the Manaar Bank, then to Atlantis and the South Pole, the book made it feel as if I was traveling along with them. In addition to the locales, the Nautilus itself was amazing, with it's speed, strength and technology. On top of that, there was also, the walks on the bottom of the ocean which were described with amazing detail.

Capitan Nemo was the most complex character I've read about in a long time. Throughout their time on the ship, Aronnax, Consiel, and Land never see much of Nemo, and when they do, he's not a man of many words. He is, however a man of great intelligence, skill, and wealth, who decided to sevre all ties with civilization, for reasons that appear unknown to us.

Professor Aronnax began thinking some monsterous narwhal type beast is destroying ships in the ocean at the beginning of the story, so himself, Consiel, and Ned Land set out to discover what it really is, and find themselves amidst something completely different.

This book was a treat to read with all it's adverture and exploring. It's story was crisp and fresh. Along with a ending that I feel fit justly. If you haven't already, I suggest you give this book a read

After the mysterious attack at the Pacific Ocean, Professor Aronnax was invited upon the Abraham Lincoln to try and discover what had caused the attack on the Scotia. During a fight, Professor Aronnax, his faithful servant Conseil, and Ned Land, a Canadian harpoon who was also on board the Abraham Lincoln was all thrown overboard. After a while floating in the sea, M. Aronnax and Conseil found a submarine. M. Aronnax had no energy left in him to climb on and neither did Conseil. Just then, someone grabbed M. Aronnax and helped him onto the submarine, and then Conseil. After recovering, M. Aronnax saw that the one who saved him was none other than Ned Land.
They did not go undiscovered for long since Ned decided to bang on the steel cover. After a few minutes, a few men appeared and then dragged them down to a small room. Soon another man appeared. M. Aronnax decided to start explaining why they were there, first in French, then in English, German and even in schoolboy Latin. A few days later they saw the man again. This time he spoke in French and made them a deal. Though they were prisoners disguised under the title of guest on board the Nautilus, they had the time of their lives visiting each of the secrets the seas and oceans had to offer, or at least the Professor. After a battle with nature, the Professor and his companions floated onto the shore tom their old lives in humanity, though none of them ever forgot that miraculous trip in the Nautilus. And neither would you!

Jules Verne was one of the founders of the Science Fiction genre, and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is one of his best known works. Like other Verne stories (Around the World in 80 Days, Journey to the Center of the Earth) 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is written in first-person perspective but in the form of a journal reminiscing on an adventure; because of this style the action sequences are somewhat summarized; but it is still a very entertaining and informative book. In all, this book is a must read for Science Fiction fans everywhere.

Excellent book for young adults and grownups alike. It is difficult to imagine that this book was first published in 1870.
I still have my original copy; the annotated Walter James Miller edition(1976) by Thomas Y. Crowell Company.
Was Verne the first true science fiction writer in the world? I'm not sure, but Nemo is a complicated figure. Anti-colonialist, scientific & engineering genius, expatriate, madman? Professor Pierre Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned Land provide the foils for Nemo's adventures. Highly recommended!

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea is a brilliantly crafted piece of art. Not only is it a riveting novel with a brilliant plot it is also an accurate prediction of the future. I have never read a book that is so flawlessly combines the disparate worlds of science and story telling. Verne's writing style grabbed me from the get go, yet he never sacrifices any detail. Verne pulls you into another reality and where you never know what is going to happen next. Even in its most technical moments Verne's masterpiece demands your attention. Most people know the gist of the story. Three men are held captive in an extraordinary submarine vessel, the Nautilus, led by the Captain Nemo, a man who has left the human world to live under the sea. If you read the book you will find that there is much more to this story than you originally believed. Verne is also very accurate in predicting how a submarine would work. His Nautilus uses many of the same devices as the real submarines of the future!

Five Stars!

I thought that the book had one of the best plot lines I've ever seen, reguardless of the fact that there is only slight building up to the climax. The only thing that I didn't think was that good about the book was that about every other page, Jules Verne would go into a paragraph description of the animals. For example, he would say something like: I just saw a tuna. But not the normal tuna, it was yellow-bellied, had dorsal fins that went at a downward angle, etc." Otherwise, I thought it was a great read and well worth the money. I will be purchasing more of Jules Verne's books very soon. I highly suggest for you to read this book. Another thing, if you enjoyed watching the 1954 "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Film," I highly suggest the book because the movie only gives a small picture of what actually occurred during their submarine venture and the book tells you everything, and the occurrences are just amazing.

The novel basically tells the story of Professor Arronax, Ned Land and Conseil who get taken aboard the Nautilus and experiences many adverntures, such as going to Atlantis, an underwater hunt, getting trapped in an ice block and much more.

When was the last time you went to the sea and had an exciting adventure? Get prepared because this is going to take you to a marvelous deep-sea trip. By the way don't forget your life jacket and join Professor Arronax, Council, Ned land for this unforgettable adventure. Warning! If you are not adventurous or hate's long trips in a little room, turn off your computer get out there.
Professor Pierre Arronax was a French marine biologist. He was on a big case of a big creature living in the sea. After a lot of research he thought it was a giant se unicorn. Professor Arronax was recognized for excellent biologist. He was told to join the ship Abraham Lincoln for the hunt of this big creature. Some ships had been attack by this animal; the survivors told that threw huge jets of water, glowed in the dark. Finally they took of from the port, looking for hunt this big animal. Professor Arronax, Council, Ned land the harpooner started a great adventure. They were 3 days on the out on the deep blue sea with no sign of the creature, didn't know what would happen to them. That day they saw something glowing in the night and were moving very fast towards the ship. Started a fierce fight between the ship and the creature. After an hour of fighting they realize it wasn't an animal it was machine made up of steel! This machine destroyed the ship Abraham Lincoln. The only survivors were Professor Arronax, Council and Ned Land. They were prisoners of the evil machine. When they woke up, there were inside the machine Called Nautilus. Named by Captain Nemo, held the 3 men aboard the submarine. Will Professor Arronax, Council and Ned land could escape?
The book 20,000 Under the Sea was written by Jules Verne. I recommend this book to persons that like adventure books. This book was written in the year in 1910, is high quality book.

Having chewed and digested "Around the World in Eighty Days", "Five Weeks in a Balloon" and "Journey to the Centre of the Earth", I set out to devour another chef d'oeuvre of Verne [the often overlooked "true" father of science fiction] with much relish. Sure, "20,000 Leagues" seemed bigger than the others I'd read, but I thought it would be the classic excitement and drama of Verne all the way. Well, I was nearly right.

Professor Arronax leaves a "normal" life in France for the US, taking his assistant with him, to investigate the matter that has taken all the attention of the "modern" or "known" world. Joined by the egotistic harpooner, Ned Land, they seek adventure, and they find it.

Again, I see Verne's classic touch of the dramatic as the threesome find the monster - the Nautilus - or rather, as the Nautilus finds them. They awaken to an interminable adventure under the sea. The Professor is fascinated, or perhaps, intoxicated with the endless wealth of life in the sea and spends hours, days and months observing and recording. The tireless taxonomist takes in all the eye can see and with the help of his assistant, classifies it all. This is where the tedium began for me as the reader. Pages upon pages of pure taxonomy.

The accounts of the undersea explorations in specially designed suits offers some relief. The enigmatic Captain Nemo is in charge; incidents and never accidents. Everything about him is shrouded in mystery - pondering on the life of Captain Nemo offers some useful distraction and provides the fuel to consume more and more pages.

However, you can never miss Verne's climactic scenes, where he brings drama and suspense to their peak. The almighty Nautilus is trapped inside a huge mass of ice at the South Pole, and for the first time, Captain Nemo shows signs of worry, however subtle. Yet, he goes on with a steely determination. Things are looking very desperate, but as usual, the day is saved. However, I found myself following every detail, sharing all their fears, their toil, their despair. Their ecstasy was mine when the Nautilus broke free. I was totally drawn in...

...The irritable Ned Land sparks the fire of escape. He's sick and tired of submarine life as Nemo shows no signs of releasing his charges. The adventure ends with the escape of the threesome back to terra firma, or does it? I guess it continued with Captain Nemo and his longsuffering crew until his death, burying years of useful knowledge and resources under the sea. Or did he live forever?

A highly challenging but rewarding read for the discerning reader or Verne fanatic.

I thought that the book had one of the best plot lines I've ever seen, reguardless of the fact that there is only slight building up to the climax. The only thing that I didn't think was that good about the book was that about every other page, Jules Verne would go into a paragraph description of the animals. For example, he would say something like: I just saw a tuna. But not the normal tuna, it was yellow-bellied, had dorsal fins that went at a downward angle, etc." Otherwise, I thought it was a great read and well worth the money. I will be purchasing more of Jules Verne's books very soon. I highly suggest for you to read this book. Another thing, if you enjoyed watching the 1954 "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Film," I highly suggest the book because the movie only gives a small picture of what actually occurred during their submarine venture and the book tells you everything, and the occurrences are just amazing.

The novel basically tells the story of Professor Arronax, Ned Land and Conseil who get taken aboard the Nautilus and experiences many adverntures, such as going to Atlantis, an underwater hunt, getting trapped in an ice block and much more.

A mysterious creature is haunting the seas, and Professor Aronnax is determined to discover the origins of the beast. However, the encounter brings more than he ever expected, as he is captured by the strange and withdrawn captain of a submarine ship and whirled around the world's oceans. The aquatic wonders he experiences thrill his academic soul, while the actions and motivations of his host leave him questioning both the individual and civilizations at large.

Verne's underwater adventure is the latest novel I have read to my toddler at bedtime, and is far from my favorite. As we finished the third Verne novel we have approached I found myself lamenting a brilliant story bogged down by careless prose; I found that the language was flat and uninspired, and the sentence structure was unbelievably choppy. The failings of the writing itself took away from what would otherwise have been a book full of wonders, and I believe we will leave Verne buried once and for all.

When you consider that Mr. vernes wrote this undersea adventure about a submarine, when steam engines were the rage. And underwater boat was unheard of. By todays standards the book is not very exciting, but for its time it is very adventerous. The endless cataloging of the undersea life and the operation of the submarine all come out of the autor's head. There is one thing to note that I first read this book in grammer school and just re-read it. It is a shame that what was once considered a childrens book, has vocabulary that most of the Worlds High School students can not understand.

If you want to read the novel itself rather than a "version" based upon it, I recommend the relatively inexpensive 'Bantam Classic' edition of 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. Although the foreword by Ray Bradbury is negligible, the Anthony Bonner translation is a graceful compromise between the 1870 French and modern American English, catching the flavor of the period without burying the reader in pseudo-Victorian turns of phrase.

That said, readers who come to LEAGUES from either text, audio, or film adaptations of the novel are likely in for a shock, for the original novel is quite different. Some basics, however, remain the same: Professor Arronax, his valet Conseil, and harpooner Ned Land are coaxed into assisting the United States in a search for a sea monster said to be terrorizing shipping lanes--but the monster is not flesh and blood. The three soon find themselves in the hands of the mysterious Captain Nemo, who has created a machine that glides beneath the surface of the ocean: a submarine named Nautilus.

But there the similarity ends. While there are very clear similarities between the novel and the various adaptations it has spawned, the Verne novel is less concerned with story, characters, and adventures than it is in creating a plausible vision of something that simply did not exist at the time Verne wrote: a fully functional submarine capable of navigating even the most treacherous waters. Consequently, the bulk of Verne's text is concerned with detailed descriptions of the Nautilus and the sealife it encounters.

Many modern readers may find it uphill work, particularly when Professor Arronax determinedly notes the sealife he sees to the point of scientific classification. But even so, and while it may not reach the level of "great art" literature, LEAGUES is a fascinating novel to read--fascinating as much for itself as for what it tells us about the world of the 1870s and what was believed to be possible. The vision that Verne had would indeed come to pass: there would be submarines, and they would strong enough to brave the polar seas. It is an impressive accomplishment--and a tremendously fun read.

GFT, the store Reviewer

Unfortunately, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" shows its age. While the story is, actually, quite good, the language is somewhat stilted and the book takes a while to really get going. I think many young readers will be puzzled by the vocabulary and will be bored. Eventually, the story picks up. However, I was bored in the 1950's and cannot imagine that today's youngsters will do much better. I think that the Walt Disney movie is a much better bet if you want to expose your child to a story that was a true classic. This is one of the few cases where a movie has an advantage over the written word.

This has got to be one of the best sci-fi stories ever. Verne has a knack for explaining the world that you are in so well you feel a part of it. I guess those who thought this book was boring was thinking this book was some action packed book. Well it is, and it isn't. It's more about putting you into the ocean and it's great array of creatures. Then it puts action in after you have been pulled into the world Verne has created. A great piece of fiction and a well told story.

Verne was anachronous to his era. But, better that he was. Because the most amazing element of this work, more than the astounding genius and limitless creativity, was the fact it was penned in the latter stages of the 19th centruy. Some highlights: the undersea walks, Atlantis, and the attack of the cuttle-fish. There's many more, though; you could do worse than reading this book and discovering it's hidden treasures for yourself. There may be perhaps a bit too much of 'zoophytes' in it, but the book will hold it's own as a classic, regardless. For Verne's prowess was not how he told his stories, but WHEN. One final note: was Captain Nemo a villian, or simply a good guy who went too far? A megalomaniac, that Nemo.

This is one of Verne's best books. It is full of scientific and technical/technological details (I had to use several encyclopedias/dictionaries to find some words' meaning), historical references - no doubt Verne researched the topics thoroughly. It is also humorous in places but certainly entertaining and serious on every page. As the story progresses you will discover Verne's view on society in sentences like "The world needs no new continents, it needs new people." As for the storyline, you will never guess what happens next. Every intelligent person with an open mind will find this book a must read.

This book was definately not written with children in mind like I have always thought it was. Written in a very sceintific language made it a bit hard to follow at times. Still a very interesting story/adventure. I loved the character Conseil the best. Very educated servant. I think Russell Crowe would make a very good Captain Nemo. LOL

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is one of those classics that has so made its imprint upon SF and popular culture that one needn't have read the book to know its features: the dark genius, Captain Nemo; the futuristic Nautilus with its thousand strange inventions and capabilities; and gigantic octopi that can drag a ship down to the abyss. In fact, this book is so invested into modern culture that hardly anyone nowadays has read it, and it is a work that, even more than 120 years after its first publication, yet deserves examination.

If you're going to read one of the great classics of literature-and you should-don't pick up this edition. It is a reprint of a version that dates back to the 1870s and was exposed more than 40 years ago for cutting nearly one-quarter of Verne's story and mistranslating much of the remainder. Its reappearance in this edition is all the more amazing considering Tor's status as a leading science fiction publisher, and the company's willingness to perpetrate this fraud on is many readers is truly stunning. If you want to truly get to know Verne's novel, pick up the elegant Naval Institute Press edition, in a modern, complete, updated translation, with commentary by the leading American Verne expert today, Walter James Miller. That book also comes with many of the artistic engravings that illustrated the original French first edition (no illustrations are to be found in the B&N Mercier reprint). Less attractive but more academic is the Oxford Classics version of Twenty Thousand Leagues. This review is posted on behalf of the North American Jules Verne Society by Jean-Michel Margot, president NAJVS.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a masterpiece that should not be missed by anyone. In this book, the reader is taken on an unbelievable journey aboard the Nautilus, an ingeniously built submarine, venturing the mysterious waters of the world. Jules Verne chooses to describe marine life in incredible detail (or maybe even overboard in detail) in this fictional novel. One may wonder how much research Verne did on the ocean in order to write this story. I believe readers who find life under the sea interesting will best enjoy this book, but the rest may still be fascinated. Not only is this novel a great learning experience of the sea, it is also packed with surprises, which includes a visit to the legendary, sunken Atlantis. Verne even decides to include a bit of mystery in the story. During the sea-voyage, the submarine undergoes a mysterious collision that the captain refuses to tell. I found myself dreading to speed through the pages to complete the book, hoping the author would reveal the solution to this mystery towards the end. Even though I was greatly fascinated by this novel, I still admit that I was disappointed in some ways after completing it. After finishing the book, I had discovered that the title of this book might have been a little misleading. Instead of descending a total of twenty thousand leagues under the sea, the Nautilus actually travels a total of twenty thousand leagues submerged in the sea. One may even find the ending of the story a little too spontaneous and shortly written. As a conclusion, I must say that, even though I did encounter some disappointments, I enjoyed reading the book and I do not regret reading it.

I had a copy of this book for over 30 years, and it remained a joy and treasure to re-read and re-visit long after I was supposedly too old for 'children's books'. It's a work of art in its own right, and well worth a minor investment, whether you have children to share it with or not.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a very eventful, detailed, and suspensful book. I couldn't put it down once I started to read it. The book was interesting and had been written in 1870 by Jules Verne. A professor was captured by captain Nemo. His submarine,the Nautilus, is attacked by a giant squid. The giant squid kills several men. The prisoners try to escape. I recommend this book to people who like action and suspense. It is kind of long but is a really good book.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a great classic that everyone should read but give yourself plenty of time! It does take a while to let all the details soak in, details, details, details! There are plenty of them, so if you are a reader who doesn't quite understand every aspect of the book that you are reading pick up 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and have no fear! Get someone to read it with you so they can share the exciting and wonderful world of the ocean and all its parts in the eyes of Jules Verne. No one should go through life having never reading this wonderful classic by Jules Verne. His descriptive talents are absolutely wonderful and explain every subject in the book. I recommend this book to anyone in need of an adventure for the mind. Enjoy!

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea was a very complex book. The authors word choice was what made it so complex, the author used words like "Vexed" "Zoophytes" and "Connoisseur." The majority of these words were Old English, which added to the complexity of the book. The sentence structure was similar to the word choice, it was also very complex sentences, the sentences were usually not to long but not to short, at times they could be quite long though, and they were old an English style. The book itself is about Three Human beings chasing after a giant "Narwhal" as the author calls it. These three characters are known as Professor M. Arronax, a genius Professor from France whose passion is to study, Conseil, a teenage boy who devotes his life to serving the professor, and Ned Land, a Canadian Harpooner. Conseil and the Professor accept an invitation to the boat the Abram Lincoln, the goal of the voyage is to track down a giant Cetacean, or a sea creature. This creature has apparently been reeking havoc across the world causing all sorts of deeds, and so the 3 meet up at the boat. They pursue the creature for over a month, when they finally catch up with the lightning fast Cetacean they pursue it, however when the creature strikes back Ned Land, Conseil, and Professor Arronax are thrown into the ocean, and separated from their boat, they awake to find they are in the supposed cetacean, to find out that it is not at all a sea monster, but an amazing Submarine named the Nautilus led by Captain Nemo. They then learn of Captain Nemo's plans, and embark on a Submarine Hunt on the bottom of the Ocean, they Discover Atlantis, they venture to the south pole, and even fight among Poulps or Cuttlefish of enormous size, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is full of adventure.

In 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea The Brilliant minds of Captain Nemo and Professor Arronax save them in times of danger, Captain Nemo's knowledge of the sea allows him to guide his submarine across the world, confronting the sea's greatest beauties and threats. Jules Verne does a very good job of telling the story and making out every last inch of the amazing journeys taken place on board the Nautilus. In my opinion this was a very good book, there are times in the book were discussions between the captain and the professor take place that are extremely difficult to comprehend, but in the end I would say this book is definitely worth the money. However as I've said before almost every page has Old English in it and is hard to understand, the sentences are very difficult and there are some words which I'd never heard before in my life, so because of the books complexity I would have to say that only someone 13+ can read this, this would be great for adults even, but I don't think anyone below the 7th grade could fully understand it, a 6th grader could but not get the full detail of the book.

This book is a good retell. It is great for ages 7 to 10 because it covers the basic story line but if your looking for the original or a more detailed version then this book is not for you. The book is about a Professor who describes his adventures with the mysterious captain of the submarine " The Nautilus" who more or less keeps the Professor held captive. The Professor and his companions journey with the captain as they travel the world meeting giant sea monsters, discovery new lands, and exploring the wonders of the deep sea world. Keeping in mind that the submarines and scuba/diving gear did not even exists when Verne wrote this breath taking book and thought up all of this himself.

There has GOT to be a better translation out there than this!
Here is an excerpt:
"The cheaper journals replied keenly and with inexhaustible zest. These satirical writers parodied a remark of Linnaeus, quoted by the adversaries of the monster, maintaining that "nature did not make fools", and adjured their contemporaries not to give the lie to nature, by admitting the existence of krakens, sea-serpents, "Moby Dicks", and other lucubrations of delirious sailors."

The whole book is written like this. Also, it takes the book a whole page or more just to convey something as simple as "people were scared", and it uses obscure vocabulary to do so. I mean, seriously, is "lucubrations" the best word the translator could come up with there? It makes me think he does not speak English and was using babelfish online to translate it.

However, if you enjoyed reading the excerpt I provided, then by all means go ahead and buy this version of the book.

Harlan Ellison eagerly embraces the challenge of reading Jules Verne's masterpiece aloud, and is able to keep the listener enthralled throughout his entire performance. The listener is swept, along with the narrator and his two companions, aboard the futuristic (but never improbable) submarine "Nautilus," helmed by the mysterious (and ultimately tragic) Captain Nemo. The wonders of Verne's tale of adventure, as well as the tension and sheer terror contained therein, have never before been made so real in any performance of any adaptation of this novel. It becomes easy to empathize with the plight of the narrator, and, indeed, to share in his feelings and frustrations, save one -- the listener may not share the narrator's desire to end the adventure and go home. Ellison's vocal work is outstanding, and the direction of the adaptation is flawless. In an era where the science fiction market increasingly relies on the use of franchised characters, it is refreshing to hear this adaptation of a highly original (and ever relevant) work.

The book 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was an amazing book. Jules Verne explores the wildness of the sea, telling the adventure of explorer Captain Nemo and Professor Aronnax aboard the Nautilus. The book starts with Aronnax sailing on a ship to find and destroy a certain "animal" that men have told stories about every time a ship has disappeared. Their ship succeeds in finding this monstrous and follows it. Suddenly the writer takes the book in a different direction, from perusing of a undetectable "object" when Aronnax and his two other friends, Conseil and harpooner Ned Land, fall into the sea only to be taken by captive by Nemo. Now, these three friends have to either live with the submarine explorer Nemo in his submarine fascinated by the wild jungle of the depths of the sea, or find a way to escape. Captain Nemo, however, doesn't hold them as prisoners as one would think. Reading further along, you'll find that Nemo at first seems to be a soft, caring man who has experienced true pain, true hurt and true jubilance. Having lost his wife and children, he hides away from his feelings under the sea. He takes the travelers through the most amazing, exquisite and, most of the time, life; threatening adventures. They visit the lost island of Atlantis, are visited by a gargantuan squid and venture under the freezing ice of the South Pole. Later, sailing under the ice, they experience trouble that threatens their lives. Will they make it out of the ice alive, run out of air or be crushed by the collapsing ice? Although welcoming the explorers to accompany him on unforgettable adventures, Nemo still holds them in the small prison of the submarine. Read the book to find out whether Aronnax and his friends make it out alive from Nemo's clutches. Even if these men escape, will Nemo himself make it out alive from a dangerous life trap?

I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend it to anyone who has a love for suspense and thrill. Reading the book as a child, whether 11 or 50, you'll find this book hard to put down. A wonderful story to have on a shelf, keep this book for your entire life. A classic and reaching great heights of excitement, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, however long ago it was written still takes you on a thrilling adventure. These four men together make a real friendship. Nemo finally realizes the beauty of having a family outside of the deep waters. Everyone needs something. Aronnax, Ned Land, Conseil all want to return to their beloved home. What do you think Nemo wanted? He has riches, a life beneath the waves, almost everything. But everyone needs a family. Nemo learns that the hard way.

The hardcover version of the Sterling edition is bound and printed nicely. Jules Verne's story is enthralling and full of detail. However, the translation in the Sterling edition is very old and can be rather tongue-twisting when read aloud. The word ordering in the sentences often reflects the original French a bit too much. Likewise, the numereous names of various flora and fauna are rendered in Latin form, rather than the more common names I'm familiar with. I've found Frederick Paul Walter's newer (and also unabridged) translation to be much easier to read: Amazing Journeys: Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Circling the Moon, 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas, and Around the World in 80 Days.

I love Jules Verne and this book is great. The hardcover is strong and the silk bookmark is useful. The only thing that bothers me (and is somewhat minor) are the footnotes. The translator added footnotes throughout the book to explain some words, names, and cultural references from long ago. Some were useful, but others were so painfully obvious and still part of modern cultural memory that I wonder why the translator even took the time to footnote them. Also, the translator mentions in one footnote that he chose to omit a passage where Jules Verne explains in great detail the books which are in Nemo's library. In English classes I was always taught that one of the most interesting aspects of a book is what the author had the character(s) reading. It may have been a long and painful passage, but I would have rather had the choice as a reader to skim over an unending list of French titles from the 1800's rather than have the translator make that decision for me.
Additionally, there are questions included for discussion at the end of the book. Without getting off on too much of a tangent, the questions remind me of all that is wrong with shallow and inane stock questions in books. I'm tempted to cut the last few pages out of my copy.
Despite my views on the footnotes and questions, I love this book and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I highly recommend it.

---Alex

Jules Verne's, "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" is one of the best books I have ever read, possibly the best. The book is so easy to follow and read. The book seems to just flow as you are reading, for there are many stopping points in the book; unlike some books which contain 30 paged chapters. This book has a total of 46 chapters, none of them being more than fifteen pages long. I enjoy these kinds if books because it lets you read 5 or 6 chapters at a time, and not make you go so into extreme detail so you do not get bored. The main character, Professer Aronnax, tells the book. He is a very intelligent individual who is a Professor of Natural History in Paris during the late 1800's. He and his faithful servant, Conseil, are assigned to an expedition with many other chosen men by the French Government, including a Canadian Harpooner named Ned Land, to rid the seas of a little known and terrifying sea monster. However, the "monster" turns out to be a giant submarine, Nautilus, commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo, who later captivates professor Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned Land. So begins a great adventure of a truly fantastic voyage from Atlantis to the South Pole.

The illustrations are great, but I'm not such a great fan of the writing style. It's very direct and dry. May not be bad if the reader is a kid and the goal is to convey the story correctly, but not what I was expecting.

This is by far Jules Verne's best book. It is a lot better than some of his other famous works (Journey To The Center of the Earth and Around The World In 80 Days for example). This is an early sci-fi adventure where the entourage has adventure after adventure. There are some classic characters in it too... especially Captain Nemo. Also, who could forget the classic squid sequence? A must read.

Book Review by Spencer Lantos

I read 2000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. What this book is about is people who go under the sea to make discoveries. In the book they face some chalanges such as bad weather being attacked by sea monsters and being attacked by Indians. In the end of the book they find what their looking for but I can't give that away.

My opinion on this book was it was good. It had lots of action and if you like adventure books I think you would enjoy this book. Their aren't very many boring parts of this book, and it almost never annoying. Whenever a good part of the book is over a new one starts and that is what I like about it.

I would recommend this book because I liked it a lot. The reason I liked I said before It has a lot of action which I enjoyed so if you like science fiction books about traveling under water and fighting sea creatures I would recommend this book. If you don't then this book isn't for you.

20,000 leagues under the sea is a ok book if you like to go into detail about every little thing. Well anyways, the Professor Annorax is telling the story and it is kind of weird at the begining. I though that it was the end of the book but it really was just the begining. The begining starts of slow but once you get into it, it gets pretty good. Well, everyone around the world is talking about this so called narwhale in the ocean destroying ships. It really isn't a narwhale, but I am not going to tell you because it ruins the story. Well the nautlis, is the submarine that goes underwater and explores the ocean underwater forests. It is really interesting, because it gets into detail about every little thing. Well the nautlis gets attackeed by this cetcean, its a kind of ocean animal. But they escape and another problem is in store for the nautlis and Captain Nemo.

A group of men come to misfortune at sea. They have the dubious misfortune to come to the attention of Captain Nemo and his highly advanced submarine, Nautilus. While this prevents them from drowning, they do get caught up with some of the odd Captain's other pursuits. Ned and company do certainly get some education in oceanography and marine biology along the way.

They do have to worry about what the antiheroic supergenius Nemo is actually up to, though.

As someone who tends to enjoy older adventure fiction more than the average person (I quite like Conan Doyle's non Sherlock books, like most Stevenson, love Sabatini, etc.), I was looking forward to plunging into this classic tale of adventure and exploration. Somewhere near the middle its narrator captures the essence of the book with the following unintentionally prescient sentence: "To anyone but myself, who had a great love of the sea, the hours below must have seemed long and monotonous." That's an excellent summation of Verne's story of the almost magical electric submarine The Nautilus, it's imperious and mysterious Captain Nemo, and the three outsiders who circumnavigate the globe in it. Basically, unless you have some kind of strong interest in marine biology, it is an incredibly tedious read. Granted, it is an impressive feat of imagination for its time (the 1860s), but the amazing technologies described don't pack any kind of punch for the modern reader, and the exotic locales are now the stuff of the Travel Channel.

The story is very simple. There is some kind of large creature menacing sea traffic around the world, so an international expedition is launched to try and find it and capture or kill it. Among those joining this voyage are the famous French naturalist Professor Aronnax, his heroic servant Conseil, and legendary French-Canadian harpoonist Ned Land. When the American frigate leading the expedition finally encounters the beast, combat ensues and they are thrown into the water, only to wind up the prisoners of the Nautilus. Captain Nemo decides that having seen his vessel's interior, they must remain prisoners for life. Thus, they embark on a grand tour of ocean with this man who has forsaken mankind and its evil ways.

Alas this tour turns out to be a barrage of naturalist classifications of everything they see, complete with Latin names and various characteristics. This is fairly evocative the first time, but by the third has gotten repetitive, and by the tenth just downright sleep-inducing. Not to mention a litany of latitudes and longitudes to mark their path, as if one were reading in one hand and following along with an atlas in the other. Which is not to say that stuff doesn't happen, it does--it's just not very interesting. They visit underwater forests, the South Pole, Atlantis, coral reefs, famous shipwrecks, encounter danger from a tricky passage, icebergs, giant octopi, and fierce island people, and yet none of it is particularly dramatic or well done.

Matters aren't helped by stilted scenes where Professor Aronnax asks Nemo how some aspect of the submarine works and receives a lengthy lecture outlining the scientific basis and processes for how such and such works. There are far too many instances where Aronnax is simply playing the straight man to Nemo's genius: "Gosh, we're really in a jam now Captain Nemo, what are we going to do!" "My dear professor, yet again you underestimate the capabilities of the Nautilus, all I have to do is...." etc. In that sense, Verne's imagination is deployed in a relatively wooden manner which does little to make it compelling for the modern reader.

Finally, the central conflict of the three captives versus their captor is lame. They're stuck, they can't do anything to escape, and that never changes until the merciful end, where they are whisked away yet again. Again, no tension or drama. The one really intriguing character is Captain Nemo, who rails misanthropically about mankind and refuses to divulge his nationality, and speaks to his crew in an unrecognizable language. Throughout, one keeps waiting for a revelation as who he is and why he hates the world of men, but other than brief allusion to his having had a wife and child who were killed, there's no payoff! This final straw is an infuriating end to a stultifying book. Sometimes the "classics" ain't what they used to be.

First of all, I was disappointed when I realized that we're going 20,000 HORIZONTAL leagues while under the sea (not to a depth of 20,000 leagues). But my main disappointment with this book is the lack of development or progression. It's just a travelogue. You could scramble the order of most of the chapters, and it would still read the same. And how dare Verne take us to Atlantis and spend less than two pages there? None of the characters is any different by the end of the book, and we never really find out what it is that makes Captain Nemo the way he is.
That said, the nineteenth century science fiction is wonderful. Verne's visions of technology and even geography are fascinating. Will modern science fiction be so accurate in 100 years?

Bravo....This translation provides the rich details released by the US Naval Institute and makes the story come to life more profoundly than other versions. Mr. Patrick's intricate illustrations were beautifully crafted to reflect the level of detail and story telling found in this edition. Each illustration helped me visualize the characters and scenes of this classic 19th century novel.

Jules Verne is one of the most captivating and poetic writers ever in existence. All of his novels are complete masterpieces, but this novel is the best one I have ever read. Its intricate plot line and complicated writing style make the novel seem both romantic and adventerous. Although for some the writing style may be too round-a-bout, I find it completely matches the story-line. The unusual adventure needs a writing syle to complement its exciting subtleness, and Jules Verne does just that. Read this from cover to cover and don't skip a word, because each and every one is of significance.

This was a very interesting book. The world is being terrorized by a giant narwhale, so they think. So America decides to send out an expedition to find and kill this narwhale. On the ship is Professor Aronnox and his assistant Conseil, and Ned Land. Ned Land is the best harpooner in the world. Their ship is attacked be the narwhale and the three guys fall off the ship. They land on the narwhale and find out it is just a big submarine. The captain of the ship, Captain Nemo, decides to let them live and travel the world with them as captives. They visit many exciting places and see a lot of wonders of the ocean. 10 months after being on board the Nautilus they try to escape in a small boat. They then realized that there is a whirlpool. All three of the men are knocked unconscious and wake up on land having no clue how they got there.

There are more than a dozen different English translations of this popular Verne novel, and some are positively dreadful. This particular one, translated by Verne scholar Frederick Paul Walter, is one of the very best.

The classic undersea adventure doesn't disappoint. Full of mystery, both in terms of the unknown element of the seas, but in the behavior of cagey Captain Nemo. Easily engaged, the reader will travel beneath the sea, visiting places of the imagination, and seeing phenomena that I hope a lucky few may have witnessed.

Gari Gianni is a modern J.C. Coll. This portfolio edition is much better than the newer, mass produced version, because this edition retains Gianni's pure ink work without obscuring it with color. Gianni's work was meant to be viewed in black and white, which is the only way to truly appreciate his linework. It's too bad the trade book colorized the inks.

All of the pocket classics are an excellent way for parents to introduce their children to the best literature. This book in particular opens a window onto the world of Jules Verne, and from this one small book, the little people in your life can leap into the undersea adventures of Captain Nemo through the words of Verne and the marvelous illustrations.

"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is,I must say, one of the best novels written by Jules Verne. begins to wreck ships. Scientists believe its an aintient creature called a narwhale. It's a whale with a unicorn tusk. The narwhale turns out to be a submarine captained by Captain Nemo.Together Ned Land, Professor Arronax,and Conceil(the professor's servant)are trapped with the insane captain.

The good author believes the gentle reader is fascinated by detailed descriptions of underwater flora, fauna, and geology when, in reality, gentle reader is wondering when something is going to happen. Many is the retired gent who has come to me with his list of a kabillion classics he is supposed to read before he dies and I suggest he also check out maybe a cowboy and a mystery, but he does not and he never checks out anything again. Well, a "classic" is merely a book that is still in print, possibly because the publisher does not have to pay royalties on public domain titles. Now, this book is still in print; so, by golly, it indeed qualifies as a classic. And, it is just the thing to give to a reluctant reader to prevent him from ever checking out anything again. It is definitely not a fast read by modern standards. Not that TLUTS is not a great read, but it is hard work for an average reader and should not be required of the inexperienced reader. Thus the book deserves, perhaps, a 5 star for the experienced classic reader but only a 1 star for the novice.

As one of the 100 greatest books written, at least this book doesn't leave you wondering why. It's a classic in it's sense of adventure, sci fi, and originality. Relatively short, this book keeps your interest throughout and it's main character of Captain Nemo is a true joy. In summary, a very entertaining book.

I have been a Jules Verne fan since I was a kid. There is something to be said about his incredible imagination and his grasp of scientific principles that were well ahead of his time. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is the voyage of Prof. Arronax, along with his companions Ned and Conseil, who have found themselves on board the Nautilus, an incredible submarine designed by the mysterious Captain Nemo. The Nautilus crew lives esclusively in the oceans and seas, surfacing only to replenish oxygen. Throughout the journey, they experience breath-taking sights, heart-pounding adventures, and perilous obstacles. Jules Verne does a beautiful job constructing this submarine world, even inventing new sea creatures to fit into his story. Scarcely a chapter goes by without some new or legendary creature sneaking in to liven up the seascape. However, I think where this story falls short is in its flow. I understand that the story is written from Prof. Arronax's point of view, which is that of a scientist, but each chapter contains several paragraphs of virtually useless information, be it readings from the nautical instruments or long lists of aquatic animals (including their class, genus, and species). This detracts from the overall flow of the story and I believe could have been left out. However, at four starts, this book is still very much worth reading!

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a science fiction adventure by Jules Verne. The story starts when a strange type of sea life surfaces and a crew is sent out to find what this creature is. When the creature is found, the crew immediately attacks it. The strange creature succeeds in destroying the ship. Two passengers, Ned Land and Pierre Aronnax, survive and board the strange creature, which ends up being a submarine, named The Nautilus. Ned and Pierre meet the captain, Captain Nemo, and they discover a whole new life under the sea, with the help of Captain Nemo. Captain Nemo hates war, and throughout the book. He uses his submarine to destroy all kinds of war-connected ships. The nature and stuff that Captain Nemo, Pierre Arronax, Ned Land and Conseil see under the sea seem so real. This is one of the best books I've ever read. I think this is a very fascinating and marvelous classic and truly amazing to any reader who enjoys suspense and excitement.

While reading this book I was extremely fascinated and into it in the beginning. But as the book goes on, the main character continues to classify underwater creatures over and over and over. The only thing that kept me reading until the end was the mystery of Captain Nemo (which i have to say, was never really revealed, and a bit disapointing ending). So all together, and VERY detailed and interesting book, but too slow and boring overall.

i read the other reviews by other people, and almost all of them missed the point. the book did not have many major action points, but it is not a tom clancy novel. it did teach some about undersea life, but it is not a text book. jules verne wrote books from his imagination. this book was published in 1870. underwater travel was a joke. it was possible, but most people did not know this. i read this book when i was 10 or 11, so it has been a while, but i remember being completely ingrigued, myself knowing probably everything jules verne did about undersea travel. i honestly don't remember much other than the major points of the plot, only that i loved the book, and the extensive explanations only served to deepen the insight and wonder into not only the book, but the mastermind behind it.

My six year old son bought this from his school fair and loves it. He's read it multiple times and now wants other books in the series. I read through it and the pictures are decent. It is faithful to the original story line.

I first read this book when I was in the 5th grade. I am a big reader so I like challenging books. The beginning was a little slow and dull, but after the men were captured by the Nautilus it became MUCH more interesting.
Life abord the Nautilus was quite interesting. Instead of meat (which they could not get) they ate many kinds of fish and sea plants, which, unless you were told, were indistiguishable from land- raised meat and vegetables. Thoguh they were prisoners, the doctor and his friends were treated like guests. They had many great adventures before finaly escaping.
All in all, very good. I reccomend this to anyone who likes a bit of adventure.

I thought that the book had one of the best plot lines I've ever seen, reguardless of the fact that there is only slight building up to the climax. The only thing that I didn't think was that good about the book was that about every other page, Jules Verne would go into a paragraph description of the animals. For example, he would say something like: I just saw a tuna. But not the normal tuna, it was yellow-bellied, had dorsal fins that went at a downward angle, etc." Otherwise, I thought it was a great read and well worth the money. I will be purchasing more of Jules Verne's books very soon. I highly suggest for you to read this book. Another thing, if you enjoyed watching the 1954 "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Film," I highly suggest the book because the movie only gives a small picture of what actually occurred during their submarine venture and the book tells you everything, and the occurrences are just amazing.

Most of Jules Verne's works were hastily translated, with many "improvements" made in the process, such as deletion of scientific exposition, as well as deletion of many moments deemed by the translator as dull.
This, the Restored and Annotated version of 20,000 leagues, is a VAST improvement over previous English editions. The translation is very well done, and the annotations explain what has been changed and what previous translations accomplished.
Highly recommended!

I think that someone who likes science fiction and mystery would like this book a lot. Someone who likes this book would also probably enjoy scuba diving, swimming, spear fishing, and boating. They also might enjoy oceanography, marine biology, hiking, and snorkeling.
I really liked this book. One of the reasons that I liked this book is because it was very exciting. There was always action happening, for example, when the giant squid attacked the Nautilus. The characters were realistic and intriguing. I particularly liked Conseil because he was Professor Aronnax's servant and was extremely loyal. The plot seemed like it could be very real. I learned a lot about different geographic settings. The author frequently described the shorelines in detail.

This is without a doubt the best translation of Jules Verne's 1870 science fiction classic "Vingt mille lieues sous les mers" ("20,000 Leagues under the Sea"). This translation by two Verne scholars, Walter James Miller and Frederick Paul Walter, takes all the knowledge available on the book and its author to not only make an accurate and readable complete text (early versions often omit a full quarter of the French original) that fixes the many errors of earlier translators, but also purges the text of many mistakes that were made by the original French compositors. The research and work that went into this translations is really quite stunning, and the result is a text that really lets Verne's genius shine: "20,000 Leagues under the Sea" is not only a brilliant piece of scientific prophecy, but also a thrilling story with superb, subtle characterizations.
The plot is familiar: Captain Nemo, an enigmatic figure who has withdrawn himself from the world, tours the oceans in his submarine called the Nautilus. We see this journey of 20,000 leagues (approx. 43,200 miles) through the eyes of Professor Pierre Aronnax, a scientist who is both Nemo's guest and prisoner. Also aboard with Aronnax are his manservant Conseil and a gruff ship's harpooner, Ned Land. The Nautilus encounters many wonders and obstacles on its long voyage: underwater forests, giant clams, attacks by huge squid, imprisonment in ice at the South Pole, monster storms, a war with a pack of sperm whales, and the discovery of the lost continent of Atlantis. But as something deep and destructive gnaws away at Captain Nemo, his prisoners seek a way to escape from the miracle ship.
In the English-speaking world Jules Verne has rarely received in the praise he truly deserves as a writer. People applaud his scientific foresight (while criticizing him for errors that were usually the fault of the translators), but shrug off his writing as inconsequential, with cardboard characters and plotless stories. If only these critics would read this translation of Verne's best novel...they would have to re-think their position on the great French writer! His genius for blending adventure, comedy, and psychology burst through in this translation. The book does veer into lengthy descriptions of marine life in places, and modern readers are likely to skim these parts (Verne even provides clues in the text to indicate when he's about to digress), but as a whole the novel is absolutely engrossing, throwing one stupendous adventure after another at the characters, while developing a mystery around Captain Nemo and increasing tension onboard the Nautilus so that the many different incidents hold together as a single plot. Even though submarines are commonplace technology today, Verne infuses his story with such awe-inspiring wonder that you can't help but feel the same sense of amazement as Professor Aronnax when he finds himself cruising the depths of the world's oceans. Real wonder never gets stakes, and no one was better at creating wonder than Jules Verne.
Aside from the excellent translation, this edition contains numerous extras (if this were a DVD, it would be labeled as a Special Edition Director's Cut). The lengthy introduction explains Verne's background, education, the development of the novel, the many things that Verne accurately predicted, the book's unsung literary qualities, the different French texts, and the problems with earlier translations. All the original illustrations from the original French edition are reproduced in the text, and generous footnotes give the reader a guide through Verne's more obscure references and shed light on the author's scientific genius. As a bonus at the end of the book, the editors include a new translation of the relevant passages from "Mysterious Island" that discuss Captain Nemo's background (just in case you're too impatient to go read "Mysterious Island" for yourself to solve the Captain Nemo mystery). There's also a table of the measurements used in the novel for those readers who really want to test the author's scientific accuracy.
There really isn't any other choice when it comes to translations of the "20,000 Leagues under the Sea." Nothing comes close to this: it will appease hard science readers, and it will open people up to Jules Verne's overlooked literary talents. With the wealth of background information available, this edition does better by Jules Verne -- ANY Jules Verne -- than has ever been published in the English language.

I agree with most of the other reviews in the sense that there are four or five scenes in this book that get your heart-pumping. Unfortunately that accounts for about a quarter of the book. The rest is full of detailed descriptions of sea life that would appeal to the most passionate environmentalist. The story was interesting, but you have to plow through a lot of boring text. Have a pot of coffee ready!

If you like adventure books, struggle through this one. It's a must-read for anyone who enjoys the classics.
I will admit there were some times when it dragged, and some times when it dragged quite a bit, especially when he endlessly described the flora and fauna of undersea life (you almost have to read "The Origin of Species" along with it) but it really was interesting.

The story basically begins with the very intelligent Professor Arronax calculating basic mesuremenets. He's a modern french biologist during this time period. The professor had somewhat of an understudy, an apprentice if you will, named Conseil. Conseil was just about as skilled as the professor as far as classification, and knowing so much information about just about everything. One day, the professor got a letter that invited him to go on a select trip to hunt the killer narwhal. Mysteriously, several ships had been rammed, and had a triangular shaped scar on the spot where the uncanny shipmates had decided that the narwhal hit. So Professor Arronax and Conseil went to examine the accidents.

They get on the ship and meet a Canadian harpooner named Ned Land. He told them that he was the best at what he does, and that he was ready to take out the narwhal. After a while, they come across the infamous narwhal. They find it strange that the narwhal is about three times as long as the ship they're on, and that it glows. The professor's ship is attacked, and they are stranded in the ocean, they climb aboard the narwahal to find out that it is in actuality a submarine. They finally meet a strange man named Captain Nemo, who explains to them that it is his ship and that the professor, Conseil, and Ned Land can stay as long as they go with him on a trip around the world in his submarine, the Nautilus. They begin to go on amazing trips, and don't know what exciting thing is to come up to them next.

Sheer adventure narrative for the aquatic zoology and oceanography nerd. Captain Nemo the prototype for the mad at mankind genius villain; bad yet sympathy-deserving.

Actually challenging reading: many 50¢ science terms.

Unfortunately, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" shows its age. While the story is, actually, quite good, the language is somewhat stilted and the book takes a while to really get going. I think many young readers will be puzzled by the vocabulary and will be bored. Eventually, the story picks up. However, I was bored in the 1950's and cannot imagine that today's youngsters will do much better. I think that the Walt Disney movie is a much better bet if you want to expose your child to a story that was a true classic. This is one of the few cases where a movie has an advantage over the written word.

Have not read it since the Classics Illustrated version when I was a kid in the 1950's and this was full length, real deal novel. And pretty lengthy! A lot of science contained about the sea life they observe but a great read and worth the time. Still trying to find a copy of the 1950's Disney movie of the same title.

Verne is the original, there's no question about that. Frankly, Verne is science fiction for people who don't like science fiction. His imagination in creating a submarine, particularly one that could remain submerged for days at a time, is almost mind-boggling. Also, he imagines something very much like real-life diving equipment for the scenes on the sea floor and dealing with the squid.

Jules Verne has once again outdone himself in this classic novel entitled 20,000 leagues under the sea. Verne uses excellent description that enhances the reading pleasure. A second aspect of 20,000 leagues under the sea that makes it so interesting to read is the susupense. The tension created by the unknown realm of the seas is immense. The tension created by the characters as time drags on is also a positive aspect of the book. 20,000 leagues under the sea is a classic literary work and should be adored by many as I have enjoyed it myself. The memorable stories it tells, although all may not be true they will certainly live on in the hearts and minds of people everywhere, forever.

This book is, by far, one of the best books I have read in the last year. It proves that classics are still the best books to read. In this undersea adventure, two unique characters travel 20,000 leagues facing everything from giant squids to themselves. This book is a must read for anyone whether you like science fiction to drama. You will enjoy it no matter what. I know I did.
The book is truly unique. Jules Verne brings the wonders of science and drama to this book. If you are smart, you will read this book because it will make you smart. It is awesome, a must read, unbelievable. Highly recomend.

We are reading the unabridged version to the kids and this is an indespensible aid for understanding the descriptive story. The pictures are great and very accurate to the descriptions. Historical notes put the story in context of when it was written (i.e. marvels at an electric engine, extant knowledge of sea life, predictions about underwater scuba gear). The kids can follow along in this while I read and the text is very close. I heartily recommend it as a reading aid.

This book makes sure you don't miss a single detail. You can really see every little image in your head. The fact that someone could explain so much detail without boring me was pretty nice. I also have to give Verne credit for his imagination. In many of his books, he imagines machines that haven't been invented yet. He wrote this book over 30 years before the first submarine was made. There is no wonder why this book is considered a classic.

ok its a good book with a plot that a 3rd grader can understand i know this because i read it in second grade so a 3rd grader should have an easier time. and as far as the word that someone complained about you need to read context clue plus they are not that hard. this is a good book and show the predictions that Verne made. like scuba diving and nuclear power in the 1860's. and btw thats scuba diving with tanks of oxygen and thin wet suits to keep you warm truely he was a genious. i would buy this book read the whole book 3 times during the year but only when i am boged down or i have trouble with my studies.

I found this book interesting and wonder why I never read it before now. As an adult, I find found Jules Verne to be an amazing author - way ahead of his time. This book made me want to read more of Verne.

This book is pretty exciting from start to finish. If you have read other Verne and not this one, then it is highly recommended. The only beef I have is that Verne gets too descriptive with the fish in each sea. It almost becomes redundant and the picture for me always seems to look the same. A lot of action and its a lot of fun trying to figure out the mystery behind Captain Nemo.

This book is completed destroyed by errors in printing. The text is unreadable at points; various spelling errors litter the book. The chapters are not separated, and even worse, are sometimes still in the same line as the sentence before it! Do not buy the black and tan cover, printed by General Books. I wish I had looked through the books closer before the return window expired.