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Summary: Under the Sea
Review: This is Jules Verne's most famous novel, and it still holds up pretty well. It has a slower, more deliberate pace than today's readers are probably used to, but it is still a good read. I don't think I need to say much about it, because the story is pretty well known. But I will say that Captain Nemo is a very intiguing character, and people interested in Victorian Era fiction should definitely get this book.
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Summary: A Great Escape into Another World
Review: Jules Vernes captures our imaginations in his tale of adventure and science. The narrator, Dr. Arronax, is a French naturalist who goes on an expedition to hunt down a mysterious sea creature spotted by many sailors. However, in an interesting turn of events, he finds out that the enigma that roamed the oceans is in fact a futuristic submarine (the Nautilus) built by Captain Nemo. Dr. Annonax, along with his Flemish companion Conseil and Canadian harpooner Ned Land, are held hostage on the Nautilus and through their time aboard they experience the great wonders of the seas. Giant squids, ice caps, pearl hunts, close calls with Papuan natives, are only a fraction of the exciting events they experience. Using Arronax as the narrator, Verne gives us a look into the mysteries of the deep seas. While Arronax often gets carried away labeling and categorizing sea life, it makes the narrative seem more authentic. I felt a little cheated about not learning the life story of the brilliant and enigmatic Captain Nemo. We learn that he is driven by revenge, yet we don't know exactly why and who is his unfortunate target. However, this lack of revelation allows the reader to create his/her own theories, which can be quite fun. This book may not be for action junkies, as shown by previous reviews. However, I recommend this book to readers who are curious about the unknown with an interest in science. It is an interesting and very creative read, and should not be missed!
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Summary: A Poetic Masterpiece
Review: 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.
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Summary: The Original Jules Verne Novel
Review: 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, Amazon Reviewer
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Summary: Adventure and science, but not much action...
Review: We follow Captain Nemo, and his Nautilus - a sub that runs on batteries, in his travels around the oceans of the Earth. We follow him as he explores underwater forests, goes hunting dangerous sea monsters, takes from the sea what he and his men need to live, visits the South Pole and even shows us Atlantis.
The problem is that about one third of the book is Jules Verne explaining EVERY tiny detail, from the family trees of fish and other sea creatures, to page after page on how the Nautilus works. The fight with the school of squid is only a few pages long.
On the other hand, Nemo is not shown as a man trying to force mankind to improve as much as he is trying to live without contact with it (even when he helps some parts of it to fight back by giving rebels gold he finds on the seafloor). In the end, it is mankind who forces him to fight back, by hunting him down with warships.
My book had an introduction by Ray Bradbury, which was very interesting, but did little to help the story itself.
A good book for fans of Jules Verne, classic adventure stories and anybody interested in the sea.
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Summary: Who is Nemo?
Review: 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!
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Summary: Verne's masterwork
Review: For some reason, even after reading this book, my brain still translates "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" to mean 20000 leagues DOWN instead of a DISTANCE. What's wrong with me? Anyway, this book was a treasure. Jules Verne, the grandfather of science fiction, again shows that his is much more than a scientific mind. Verne is a grand storyteller, and this novel is his masterwork. Our heroes, Professor Arronax, his faithful compatriot Conseil, and the salty sailor Ned Land find themselves together in a hunt for a giant, mysterious undersea creature which has been causing havoc among shipping lines as well as towns along the coastline. Setting out to sea on top-of-the-line sailing vessel, the three men and the crew encounter the creature, only to have it sink their ship like so many others. However, as you probably know, this is no creature at all, but the most spectacular vehicle ever created by man. It is the Nautilus, a gigantic submarine, and the proud creation of the enigmatic Captain Nemo. Captain Nemo holds the three as his prisoner. They are instructed that they may never leave the Nautilus, yet will be treated with hospitality and respect by Nemo and his crew. The Captain keeps his word, and treats the Professor and his fellows to all the wonders of the ocean depths. Captain Nemo has made the sea his home, vowing never to return to the distasteful world on land. The Nautilus has everything you would need to live and prosper; infinite supplies of water through its seawater processing machines, and an abundance of exotic seafood dredged up from the deep. Captain Nemo himself is as mystifying and brilliant as his creations. He is one of the greatest villains ever put on paper, and Verne's skill as a storyteller brings him to life. Nemo's motivations are clouded in mystery. I can't stress enough how excellent this character is, and the sly way Verne allows for Nemo's true motivations to remain as unfathomable at the end of the novel as it was at the beginning. The Professor doesn't want to leave the Nautilus. He is enthralled by the sea life and the wonders of Nemo's brilliant submarine. Conseil goes where the Professor goes, and is pleased to assist him in their adventure. Ned feels like a prisoner. He longs to walk on firm ground again, and considers his imprisonment as a violation. The action is blended well alongside the exploration and discovery. This book reads and feels like a grand adventure in ways few books can equal. The language is crisp and clear and so is the humor, which is a unusual for a novel written well over 100 years ago. It flows perfectly in English as a result of a superb translation. If I were to single out one thing I disliked about it, it would be the detailed discussions of sea life in the undersea world. I still found Verne's descriptions of multitudes of ocean species fascinating, but some readers may not. What helps alleviate the (possible) boredom is to remember that readers back in the 1800 had NO TV and few had any way of experiencing the wonders of the sea as Verne describes them. "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" can be read by all ages. Most of Verne's books are recommended to younger readers, but there is no indication that they were WRITTEN for the young crowd. You certainly never feel like you're reading a children's book, not by a long shot. Anyone with a sense of wonder and appreciates the fantastic would enjoy the ride. I know I did.
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Summary: Rather disappointing
Review: Sad to say, I expected a lot more from this much-renowned book. Yes, Verne's lenghty and detailed descriptions of marine life are amazing, and one can truly appreciate his brilliant imagination in having conjured up all those underwater scenes. However, it gets really redundant and dull after the first 30 pages of above said descriptions, and the plot just fails to really take off. I was torn between times when I was deeply curious as to why Captain Nemo was the way he was, and at other times, I just really didn't care. I still think this work is good considering it was written over a hundred years ago; however, for a better read and appreciation of Verne's work, check out his Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
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Summary: Underwater adventure
Review: I thought that this book was very very exceptional. Despite some slow parts were the character takes notes of diffrent kinds of fish and of how the underwater vessel works I felt that it had strong action packed adventours. Unfortunatly, I felt that the ending was kind of a let down, but besides that it was a stupendous book and I reckomend it to most people (not those who aren't good at reading though).
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Summary: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Review: PLOT: 19.5 / 25
Though often scientifically intriguing and educational, the plot of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is, at times, slightly dry. To the votary of marine biology, this fantastic tale would be a masterpiece of literature, but to the reader of relatively modest aquatic knowledge, the plot at times seems to come almost to a standstill. At times the storyline seems to branch off to situations which, though they are truly fascinating, do not seem to pertain very directly to the advancement of the plot. INTEREST: 20 / 25
Much like the amazing journey of Captain Nemo and his companions, this tale is thoroughly unpredictable. Unfortunately, the interest pertaining to any given part of the tale is equally unpredictable. When the story is good, it's great: beautiful undersea jungles, a myriad of aquatic creatures of every shape and description, the mysterious past of Captain Nemo and his crew. When the story is bad, it terrible: lengthy and dry descriptions of sea life, detailed measurements of various parts of the Nautilus, trivial descriptions of everyday life aboard the Nautilus.
In spite of this seemingly lukewarm review of such a renowned tale, none can deny that Jules Verne has a particular ability which is scarce at best among authors; that of mingling fact with fiction. This exceptional ability, possessed only by authors of advanced learning in a particular field, H.G. Wells or Isaac Asimov being such authors, can transform a seemingly ridiculous yarn into a convincing, credible document. This is illustrated effectively throughout 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, for at times the reader must remind themselves that this the story is fiction, not fact. CHARACTERS: 18.5 / 20
The characters of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea are, obviously enough, deeply explored; they spend a good 230 pages together aboard the Nautilus. At first, they are seemingly simple, shallow characters but this is later disproved as the story progresses. Each have their own quirks and interests and traits, particularly the mysterious Captain Nemo, but these traits are variable and hence make the characters more realistic than the average story character. Their emotions change from day to day, their attitudes transform as the novel proceeds. This gives the characters and in turn the story a stunning realism; a trademark of Jules Verne's books. STYLE: 13 / 15
Style, as any reader worth his own books knows, is as subjective an area as they come. Though certain aspects of style can't be denied as impressive - graphic imagery, apposite metaphors, etc. - style is, for the most part, an area of subjectivity. It is for this reason that I must confess to the reader of this article that though the style of this story is, for the majority, quite impressive and eloquent, there are times when it becomes slightly long-winded. Nonetheless, this book is skillfully written and thoroughly enjoyable. ATMOSPHERE: 13 / 15
Though atmosphere is on offshoot of style, it is, in a sense, a completely different area. The atmosphere of
this story is quite impressive. This area, though, is once again unfortunately, and perhaps unfairly, marred by the constant variance of quality of this tale. At times, the atmosphere is awe-inspiring; Verne's style virtually places the reader among his undersea kingdom, its circumambient wonder and beauty surrounding them. At other times, though, the pages are dry and lifeless; they are dead to the reader. TOTAL: 84 / 100
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