- Library Binding
- Publisher: Harpercollins (Jan 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0060292040
- ISBN-13: 978-0060292041
- Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
Collins Classics - 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Professor Aronnax, his faithful servant, Conseil, and the Canadian harpooner, Ned Land, begin an extremely hazardous voyage to rid the seas of a little-known and terrifying sea monster. However, the "monster" turns out to be a giant submarine, commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo, by whom they are soon held captive. So begins not only one of the great adventure classics by Jules Verne, the 'Father of Science Fiction', but also a truly fantastic voyage from the lost city of Atlantis to the South Pole.
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
Review
`One of the books I have read and re-read with unfailing pleasure and interest is Jules Verne's `Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea.' ... `Verne's novel entranced me. I was in love with Captain Nemo, the brooding cultured misanthrope of the deeps, who combined the romantic qualities of Heathcliff and Byron with the ruthlessness of Macbeth.'
--The Independent --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
--The Independent --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
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First Sentence
THE YEAR 1866 was marked by a strange occurrence, an unexplained and inexplicable phenomenon that surely no one has forgotten. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
THE YEAR 1866 was marked by a strange occurrence, an unexplained and inexplicable phenomenon that surely no one has forgotten. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
26 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Science fiction in most cases has a naturally short shelf life, as science advances and leaves the ideas contained in such books behind, often looking ridiculous and quaint. Therefore credit is due to Jules Verne for his major achievement in creating a timeless tale that still delights, years after submarines have become fairly commonplace, thousands upon thousands of people scuba dive as an every day sport and those that don't have the opportunity to witness the wonders of the deep thanks to the submersibles that take TV cameras down for countless exploration documentaries.
The authors excellent prose reads poetically and easily even after translation from it's original language, the translation in this issue is brilliantly done, and the fact that the original story was serialised means that uniform length chapters - each describing its own adventure - make for a pleasantly easy going read.
However, this is also the downfall of the book and the reason for only awarding it four stars. The chapter formula is repeated again and again and again, each one being slowed down by scientific lists of the species of life (fish, molluscs, seaweed) both in laymans terms and scientifically categrosied that appear too frequently throughout the novel. Whilst Vernes obvious enthusiasm for nature and science carry the reader along for the first half of the book, the repetitiveness of these lists not only began to bore me in the second half but added unnecessary weight to a book that I was ready to finish.
I wouldn't like to be too harsh, as it was originally intended for serialisation and thus the format is designed to be that way, but, unless you are particularly interested in reading long lists of fish (and if so I know a good fishmonger you can pester) then an abridged version of this book may enthrall you slightly more.
The characters, conseil, Ned Land, the author himself and of course the fantastic anti hero - Nemo, posess all the ingredients for a great story, and the Nautilus itself is still awe inspiring even in these days of nuclear subs and raising of (bits of) the Titanic.
There's no denying that this is a tour de force, and I highly recommend it, but be warned about the fish.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
In Jules Verne's classic adventure story, a large & incredibly fast sea monster is attacking ships in oceans all over the world. When a marine professor is sent to investigate, he & his companions discover that the 'monster' is in fact an amazing submarine, built & captained by the mysterious mariner Nemo. Amazed by the Nautilus' advanced technology & charmed by its captain, the professor finds it impossible not to admire the very man who has taken him prisoner.
I picked this up after being intrigued by Alan Moore's portrayal of Captain Nemo in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen & I was not disappointed. The original Nemo is every bit as deep & unfathomable as the oceans he commands. Because of this, 20,000 Leagues is still a satisfying read, despite being rather dated in places. Of course, submarines are something which we tend to take for granted nowadays but the atmosphere Verne weaves had me just as mesmerised as the professor, when he's shown around the Nautilus for the first time.
Verne tends to go overboard with the details, merrily cataloguing the dimensions of the vessel, how much water it displaces & the co-ordinates at which various events take place, and so on. But despite this, Nemo's charisma along with the rousing adventure story at its heart made this book difficult to put down.
Looking at the various editions available on Amazon, it seems that many are marketed towards children. Because of the large amounts of detail & dated terminology, I would recommend buying a suitably edited version for pre-teens & would recommend the original for adults, who will get more out of the complex central character, while enjoying a good adventure story.
So despite being a little dated, a timeless heart beats within this novel. The true sign of a classic. As such, I had no hesitation in ordering the sequel (after a fashion), The Mysterious Island (Forgotten Books).
I picked this up after being intrigued by Alan Moore's portrayal of Captain Nemo in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen & I was not disappointed. The original Nemo is every bit as deep & unfathomable as the oceans he commands. Because of this, 20,000 Leagues is still a satisfying read, despite being rather dated in places. Of course, submarines are something which we tend to take for granted nowadays but the atmosphere Verne weaves had me just as mesmerised as the professor, when he's shown around the Nautilus for the first time.
Verne tends to go overboard with the details, merrily cataloguing the dimensions of the vessel, how much water it displaces & the co-ordinates at which various events take place, and so on. But despite this, Nemo's charisma along with the rousing adventure story at its heart made this book difficult to put down.
Looking at the various editions available on Amazon, it seems that many are marketed towards children. Because of the large amounts of detail & dated terminology, I would recommend buying a suitably edited version for pre-teens & would recommend the original for adults, who will get more out of the complex central character, while enjoying a good adventure story.
So despite being a little dated, a timeless heart beats within this novel. The true sign of a classic. As such, I had no hesitation in ordering the sequel (after a fashion), The Mysterious Island (Forgotten Books).
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Being new to the writings of Jules Verne, I had no idea what to expect, other than a fantasy story. Though I was greatly surprised. Set in the late 19th century, the story unfolds embracing the central characters both in relation to the time period and technological advances, as well as a heap of informative factual information. I couldn't put it down!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great stuff!
I love early science fiction and have read so much H.G. Wells that I thought I should give this a try.
The story itself is actually pretty good. Read more
The story itself is actually pretty good. Read more
Published 7 days ago by A9000
Essential
Ever since reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as a child, i've always believed Jules Verne to be essential reading. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Blue Shoes
The best English edition?
The definitive edition seems to be that published in 1993 by the Naval Institute Press as translated by Walter James Miller and Frederick Paul Walter (ISBN 978-0870216787... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Diotima
Far-fetched story & shallow characters
A book very much of its time. It does not compare to modern fiction except in the sense it introduces a remarkable idea of a world where such a craft could exist (submarine). Read more
Published 13 months ago by Col
Nemo, the original cyber-punk.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a classic adventure-tale. It starts off with worldwide reports of a giant sea-creature which is damaging vessels off the coasts of most of... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Octo7
Small Print
Some time ago I decided to purchase books which I had read or seen films of in my youth. Treasure Island and Moby Dick were examples of this. Read more
Published 21 months ago by J. D. Waters
Unworthy of a Classic
That title may come as a bit of a surprise, considering the long-standing reputation of the book, and I may be stepping on others' toes, for which I apologize. Read more
Published 21 months ago by S. Huesler
goodness me
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes science fiction type story lines. Verne was well ahead of his time to think up the concept of a submarine (that today would be... Read more
Published 22 months ago by johnny m
Captain Nemo went away
Submarines as we know them didn't exist in 1869. But Jules Verne had an almost eerily prophetic knack for knowing what technology would be used in the future -- and he put it to... Read more
Published 23 months ago by E. A Solinas
A picture of the sea
A masterpiece certainly! I have just finished reading the original version. Although it is slow starting, it is quite an adventure which really captures the imagination. Read more
Published on 25 April 2010 by Auntie-Ann
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