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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
adventurous
I wish there was more information about Captain Nemo and less information about the animals in the sea.
It's a good story but I didn't need to know how many metres a room in the submarine is, or the scientific name, class etc for most ocean creatures mentioned. Or the many different fish Arronax identifies that takes up a lengthy paragraph.
It's a good story but I didn't need to know how many metres a room in the submarine is, or the scientific name, class etc for most ocean creatures mentioned. Or the many different fish Arronax identifies that takes up a lengthy paragraph.
I love 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. It's one of the perfect adventure stories, an amazing blend of scientific discovery and exploration that's fascinated me since I was a kid. Pierre Aronnax was a protagonist unlike many I had read before, physically unremarkable but with a mind and sense of wonder that drives him throughout the story. His friendship with Conseil and Ned Land is such a healthy depiction of male friendship (and perhaps romantic love? Who's to say) that authors still struggle to replicate today. The episodic format of the story means that Jules Verne was able to jump from one part of the ocean to another, embracing each part of the ocean he finds himself interested in. From the South Pole to the lost city of Atlantis to just looking at a remarkable school of cuttlefish, each discovery feels just as grand and breathtaking as the last.
And how can I talk about 20,000 Leagues without talking about Captain Nemo? He's one of my favorite archetypes in literature: the vengeful, hyper-intelligent, misanthrope with just enough hints at his tragic past to make him sympathetic and captivating. His directionless wrath against the imperialist nations that have caused him such grief is such a core emotional part of the story, and while he doesn't seem like much at first Jules Verne knows how to drip-feed us just the right amount of Nemo to keep us loving and intimidated by him.
This book is incredible. Mobilis in mobili.
And how can I talk about 20,000 Leagues without talking about Captain Nemo? He's one of my favorite archetypes in literature: the vengeful, hyper-intelligent, misanthrope with just enough hints at his tragic past to make him sympathetic and captivating. His directionless wrath against the imperialist nations that have caused him such grief is such a core emotional part of the story, and while he doesn't seem like much at first Jules Verne knows how to drip-feed us just the right amount of Nemo to keep us loving and intimidated by him.
This book is incredible. Mobilis in mobili.
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I did not expect to like reading this as much as I did! As long as you go into it aware of the serial format in which it was written, and feel free to skim the frequent anatomical descriptions of marine life, it's a very fun read. Nemo's enigmatic nature is fascinating, and Verne's graceful prose is always accessible and compelling. It's interesting seeing how Verne's placement of science (however faulty) as a central theme of the book became so influential in the development of Science Fiction as a genre. It's a lot of fun to read these fantastical 19th-century conjectures about the planet that would be disproven (or proven!) within decades.
I think if your expectations of this book are based on the modern action SciFi model, you're going to be disappointed. But if you put it in its place in history, and set your expectations based on the serial classics of the time (e.g. Dickens, Dumas, etc.), you'll have a great time.
I think if your expectations of this book are based on the modern action SciFi model, you're going to be disappointed. But if you put it in its place in history, and set your expectations based on the serial classics of the time (e.g. Dickens, Dumas, etc.), you'll have a great time.
adventurous
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I see how this book could have inspired early works of science fiction but as for plot, in struggling to find much of one. That's not to say there is no plot whatsoever, but the light sketch of a plot seems only to serve the function of describing incredible oceanic things and the horrors and wonders of them. This book is more of an exploration of imagination of all that could be lurking within the sea. And it doesn't really seem particularly concerned with telling a story. I found that pretty disappointing, personally.
challenging
slow-paced
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
adventurous
informative
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
So much fish. First half of the book reeled me in but the second half was just too long.
Ending was alright, wish it was more action instead of Arronaxgetting hit in the head with iron and then something about a whirlpool .
Ending was alright, wish it was more action instead of Arronax