20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

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It's a hit!

Jules Verne is the embodiment of the adventure story and this book is a great example of it. Very imaginative and very exciting to read however the... (show more)

Jules Verne is the embodiment of the adventure story and this book is a great example of it. Very imaginative and very exciting to read however there are times that it boring because of the recurrence of the classifications of the animals which is very much thoroughly discussed by both Conseil and Mr. Arronax but set aside that and you got yourself one hell of a adventure novel. The novel itself is full of details and it is very well written and it also has a wide ranges of knowledge that is about the sea, we have explorations, dates, battles, events and the like. Also Captain Nemo is truly a unique and mysterious character which keeps us at the edge of our seats as we progress through the novel. The humanity factor of this novel is very much felt by this character and is very much felt all throughout the novel. A fantastic book to read and it is truly an ageless novel. (show less)

 

 

by Mel Basconcillo

No, it's a flop!

All due credit where credit is due -- Jules Verne was way ahead of his time. His description of the submarine was dead on. His knack for characteri... (show more)

All due credit where credit is due -- Jules Verne was way ahead of his time. His description of the submarine was dead on. His knack for characterization was up there with the best of modern sci-fi writers. Still, this book dragged on and on, with an endless litany of sea creatures' names in Latin. Doubtlessly this netted him tremendous credibility, but it left me cold. After looking up the first hundred or so names to correlate them to identifiable names of animals, I gave up and would breeze through the list, thinking, "There were a bunch of fish." The lists so robbed the story of its potential that I soon found myself just wondering when the squid would show up. Alas, that event was startlingly frank and disassociated with any real development in any of the characters. Even the crushing of a warship left me cold. In the end, all I was left with was a sense that Verne was dead on in many technical aspects, showed tremendous promise in characterization, but never fulfilled his story's potential. From the perspective of sifting through the remains of yesterday to find the origins of today, this book is worth a read. Otherwise, check out Robert Heinlein, Ursula LeGuin, Ben Bova, or Orson Scott Card. (show less)

 

 

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  I have already been captivated by Jules Verne's around the world in 80 days so I figured I'd give this one a go. We started listening to this one in the car on a family trip and I ended up finishing off the book all by myself. I had read some reviews before I started the book and there was some complaint about the lack of real resolve in the story. The ending is abrupt and some of the major conflicts never get resolved (at least not in my mind). However, I think it's a great book to read ... (show more)

  I have already been captivated by Jules Verne's around the world in 80 days so I figured I'd give this one a go. We started listening to this one in the car on a family trip and I ended up finishing off the book all by myself. I had read some reviews before I started the book and there was some complaint about the lack of real resolve in the story. The ending is abrupt and some of the major conflicts never get resolved (at least not in my mind). However, I think it's a great book to read with your kids as it leads on a literal sea-bound odyssey. I will plan on using this in my homeschooling as a "jumping off" point for 1001 (or should I say 20,000) discussions of different scientific topics. I am amazed that this book was written when it was. Jules Verne was certainly showing off the depth and breadth of his scientific diet in this novel. If you're looking for a fun read with a lot of interesting scientific tidbits... give it a read. If you're looking for a moving plot, look elsewhere! (show less)

   

   

  by Chris Pollock on Nov 22, 2009 at 03:26AM

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  Ugh! Torture. I started this book about two years ago, put it down for a long time, then, in my recent reading kick, was determined to finish it. Thank God, it's over. Full of too many technical details, plodding episodic plot (although not without a few high points), and shallow characterizations, I would have finished a lot earlier but I kept falling asleep.

  For those who are still inclined to read, M Arronax, his companion Conseil, and whale hunter Ned Land are captured by the mysteri... (show more)

  Ugh! Torture. I started this book about two years ago, put it down for a long time, then, in my recent reading kick, was determined to finish it. Thank God, it's over. Full of too many technical details, plodding episodic plot (although not without a few high points), and shallow characterizations, I would have finished a lot earlier but I kept falling asleep.

  For those who are still inclined to read, M Arronax, his companion Conseil, and whale hunter Ned Land are captured by the mysterious Capt. Nemo in his submarine and travel around the world. The protagonists nicely echo reason, faith, and action, but that's about all their depth. Nemo is never more than a shadow, although some depth is hinted at.

  It seems this is aimed at marine biologists who are really into latin names; I found it tiring. Just as the novel was gaining some pacing in the final episodes (South Pole, Squid Attack, battle with attackers), there is an implausablie and underwritten finale to mar the end (M Arronax "bumps his head" and wakes up safe and sound).

  It's a classic, so obviously some people like it, but it just wasn't for me. (show less)

   

   

  by Facebook User on Oct 23, 2009 at 07:58PM

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