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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Great Illustrated Classics) Review

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.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Great Illustrated Classics) Overview

HarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics. 'The sea is everything. It covers seven tenths of the terrestrial globe. Its breath is pure and healthy. It is an immense desert, where man is never lonely, for he feels life stirring on all sides.' Scientist Pierre Aronnax and his colleagues set out on an expedition to find a strange sea monster and are captured by the infamous and charismatic Captain Nemo and taken abroad the Nautilus submarine as his prisoners. As they travel the world's oceans, they become embroiled in adventures and events beyond their wildest dreams. Visionary in its outlook, Vern's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a legendary science fiction masterpiece.

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Customer Reviews

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Books of Wonder) - Bjorn Viberg - European Union
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.

Can't understand why this is a classic - reenum - Kansas
Started off with a bang, but then got bogged down with endless description of the scenery. I guess no one ever told Verne to show rather than tell.

20,000 Leagues under the sea - dusty -
Did not receive this and hope I was given a refund for wrong item sent

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 25, 2010 08:15:11

Children's Books

Sunday, July 25, 2010