20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Jules Verne
Sterling
Fiction, Adventure/Sci-Fi
Themes: Classics, Cross-Genre, Seafaring Tales
****
Description
In the late nineteenth century, a strange sea monster prowls the oceans of the world. Those who see it claim it is immense and glows with a blinding
light, while sending sprays of water hundreds of feet into the air. Suddenly, the monster becomes more than a curiosity - it becomes a danger, sinking
ships in raging, unprovoked attacks.
Professor Pierre Arronax and his faithful companion, Conseil, are visiting America from the Museum of Paris, and end up on a warship bound to hunt and
destroy the beast. With them travels the famed harpoonist Ned Land, who is reluctant to admit such a bizarre beast exists, that can ram through a
steel-hulled ship like tissue paper. After months of fruitless searching, the ship finds the impossible beast. The monster attacks, and the three are
thrown overboard into the ocean - only to find themselves rescued and captured by the "monster" itself! It is actually an underwater vessel, led by the
mysterious Captain Nemo. Now that they know of him and his ship, Nemo refuses to let them leave, to tell the rest of the world of him and his plans. He
takes Pierre, Ned, and Conseil on an unforgettable journey around the world in his magnificent submarine, the Nautilus.
Review
I originally read a hacked-up version that was published as part of the cheap Great Illustrated Classics series. I then read the real version. No contest on which was the better story... Though Verne's writing is from a different age, it can still be appreciated today for its foresight and descriptiveness. I admit that parts grew tedious, not just from the archaic English but from Verne's insistance on throwing out so many scientific terms that lay readers (like myself) weren't familiar with offhand - and not in any particular context, but in long, dry lists. But, then, half the point of sci-fi - or any good literature - is to ask the reader to step up up to the tale now and again, rather than consistently watering it down. On the whole, it's a decent tale, still well deserving its reputation as a classic.