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Rating: 
Summary: OUTSTANDING ! A perfect book for you or for your child.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Must read for fans of this book
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: fantastic!
Review: My (10 year old) daughter got interested in '20,000 leagues' after reading the "Wishbone" version (go ahead and laugh). I went searching for the real thing to read with her, and came across this edition. With all of the missing content recovered, plus the annotations to fill in all sorts of additional information, the result is fascinating for adult readers. If you read the usual (butchered) version as a kid, you really owe yourself this one. All of the critiques of Verne over the years that tried to belittle his knowledge of science turn out to have been based on translations that whacked out what Verne really said -- they thought it was too dry and boring. Reading what he really said, plus the extensive footnotes that describe the state of knowledge at the time, make Verne's brilliance tripling astonishing. Just consider that he wrote about the Nautilus at a time when the Hunley was the state of the art!
Rating:
Summary: fantastic!
Review: My (10 year old) daughter got interested in '20,000 leagues' after reading the "Wishbone" version (go ahead and laugh). I went searching for the real thing to read with her, and came across this edition. With all of the missing content recovered, plus the annotations to fill in all sorts of additional information, the result is fascinating for adult readers. If you read the usual (butchered) version as a kid, you really owe yourself this one. All of the critiques of Verne over the years that tried to belittle his knowledge of science turn out to have been based on translations that whacked out what Verne really said -- they thought it was too dry and boring. Reading what he really said, plus the extensive footnotes that describe the state of knowledge at the time, make Verne's brilliance tripling astonishing. Just consider that he wrote about the Nautilus at a time when the Hunley was the state of the art!
Rating:
Summary: The True Verne
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: fantastic!
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The True Verne
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: OUTSTANDING ! A perfect book for you or for your child.
Review: The best translation in English. Satisfies the intellect and imagination. Translated to show the truly beautiful qualities of Verne's writing that no other version can equal. The adventure comes alive by not omitting the breadth and depth of Verne's aesthetic ability originally entrenched within this masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: A Joy to Read
Review: Verne's prophetic masterpiece still thrills readers over 100 years after its publication. In this adventure, French naturalist Pierre Aronnax is taken aboard the Nautilus, a secret high-technology submarine capable of high speeds. Aronnax meets the enigmatic Captain Nemo, a renegade against society with a strong desire for revenge against the enemy that drove him under the sea. This novel is one of the first examples of modern science fiction. The world of science fiction owes Jules Verne a great debt.
This edition is particularly valuable. Most people aren't aware that the standard English translation is filled with lots of translation errors which botch the science of Verne's masterpiece. Also, the standard version cuts about 25% of the original French novel. This translation fixes the errors, and returns 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea's scientific accuracy (for that time). Also, the cut parts have been restored, so we can now enjoy reading a complete version of Verne's novel.
If you love classic books, and you're interested in reading about one of the greatest characters in science fiction, you have to read this. Also fans of science fiction should read this to understand where their genre came from. If you've read the old standard translation, you have to read this edition to see it the way it was meant to be.
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