Review: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

by Chriss Cornish published: December 5, 2007 No Comments

This Book Is About

In an age that has seen the wildest speculations of science become reality, Jules Verne is regarded as both a technological prophet and one of the most exciting masters of imagination the world has ever known. This extraordinary voyage into the depths of the unknown aboard the legendary submarine Nautilus-commanded by the brilliant, tragic Captain Nemo-explores both the limitless possibilities of science and the twisted labyrinth of the human mind.

My Thoughts On This Book

I love Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, it’s one of my favorite books. It’s such a beautiful, exciting and scientific voyage under the ocean’s waves, from the Atlantic to Papua New Guinea to the Mediterranean to the Arctic (where the sub gets trapped under the ice cap and has to escape). The characters are interesting and Verne’s science is futuristic even today (the first edition was in 1875). It’s one of those classics that everyone knows about but hardly anyone reads.

The long lists of Latin names for the fish they see from the special viewing room can be a little hard to get through at times, though, as are the frequent listings of latitude and longitude. But, overall, 20,000 Leagues is a really fun book.

This Signet Classic edition, translated to English in 1968 by Mendor T. Brunetti, is the best version I’ve come across. For one, it is it a much more accurate translation than the one traditionally used that was penned, with many errors (especially on the measurements), in the late 1800′s by Mercier Lewis.

Rating & Levels For This Book

I Give This Book
three Vikings out of five (“really good”)

Violence Level
two Burning Huts out of five

Romance Level
zero Hearts out of five

# of actual vikings in book: 0

What do these levels mean? ”

Humor Level
one Smiles out of five

Lust Level
zero Kisses out of five

Author and Publishing Information For This Book

Author & Book Details

Title: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Author(s): Jules Verne (Translated by Mendor T. Brunetti)
ISBN#: 0451528190
Genre(s): hard sci-fi classic
Edition Reviewed: 2001 mass market paperback
Illustrations: N/A
Page Count: 447 (461 with afterword by Walter James Miller)
Part of a Series: no.

Publishing & Copyright Details

Publisher(s): Signet Classic (imprint of New American Library [a division of Penguin Putnam])
Copyright: 1969, 2001
In Print: Yes
Original Language: French
Published in Other Languages: yes
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