Reviews

En världsomsegling under havet by Jules Verne

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book_concierge's review against another edition

4.0

Book on CD performed by James Frain

Professor Aronnax and his valet Conseil embark on an American frigate in search of a mysterious narwhale that has attacked several ships. Arronax is an oceanographer and uniquely qualified to classify the monster once it is captured/killed. But they, along with the Canadian harpooner Ned Land, are thrown overboard when they confront the beast, and soon discover the truth. The “monster” is actually a sophisticated submarine – the Nautilus. Captain Nemo saves them from the open sea but tells them they may never leave, although they have the full run of the ship and are included in various experiences. From the South Pacific they travel the world, witnessing wonders at the depths of the ocean.

This classic adventure tale was first published in 1870. Verne creates an imaginative and wondrous world; in this and other books, I marvel at what he creates, especially because so many of the things he envisioned actually came true. There are scenes that had me literally on the edge of my seat (the trip beneath the South Pole, the encounters with giant squid, and the hunt through an underwater forest to name three), but there were also long passages that detailed the scientific classifications of the many varieties of underwater life that just about had me nodding off.

Nemo is a marvelous villain – with a seductive genius and a capacity to be charming and welcoming, and yet with a narcissistic bent which makes him rather insufferable. More importantly is his deep-seated hatred of man and all things “earth-bound.” His skewed view of the world and mankind makes him a very dangerous man – to himself and to others. Verne never really explains what drove Nemo to his drastic decision to live solely aboard the Nautilus. I would read a novel that explored the situations that resulted in the man presented here.

James Frain did a fine job narrating the audiobook. There are many passages of scientific data, and he managed to sound excited even about those! I definitely got the sense of awe that Arronax and his companions would have felt at witnessing these things “that no man has seen before.”

As is my habit with audiobooks, I also had a text version handy to check for spellings or unusual phrases. But the text I had did NOT include much of the scientific data that Frain was reading in the audio version. Long passages were simply left out of the text. I’m sure it makes for easier reading, and probably does not detract much from the story or from the central conflict.

minisvendsen's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-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

3.0

izzys_internet_bookshelf's review against another edition

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1.0

1.5/5

I have to give it to Verne he really put a lot of time into his novels but for me this one just seemed really slow and full of information that was impressive but didn’t seem needed to be pointed out.

lucybreit's review against another edition

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4.25

JESUS that got dark at the end. Cool fish unearthly beauty sublime views undiscovered wonders fortunes beyond belief DEATH. DECEIT. EXISTENTIAL DREAD. WAR CRIMES. IMPRISONMENT.