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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
I REALLY enjoyed the beginning. The middle and the end got very wordy, but the basic story was still interesting. I am glad I read the book.
I couldn't go full-in on a four star rating for this book. I liked it. I couldn't put it down so-to-speak, but the ending left me wanting. It was anticlimactic and I found myself saying, "Really... that was it?" It's a fascinating read and I would love to know if some of the "facts" Mr. Verne wrote of in the novel were actually what scientists believed at the time of writing, or if they were merely embellishments for the sake of a good book.
As familiar as I thought I was with the story of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I'm glad I read this as my book published before 1900 for my reading challenge this year.
The tale feels much more like a natural history travelogue than the high-action adventure I was expecting, but it was interesting none-the-less. Told from Professor Pierre Aronnax's marine biologist point of view, it's not surprising we get pages and pages of descriptions of the myriad undersea creatures that the Nautilus encounters on it's 20,000 league journey (that's length, not depth - or they would have been through the earth and past it in to space on the other size). It's shared with such appreciation that I could tolerate it much more than say, the intercalary chapters on whale blubber in [b:Moby-Dick or, The Whale|153747|Moby-Dick or, The Whale|Herman Melville|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327940656s/153747.jpg|2409320]. The main plot line - three shipwreck survivors held essentially captive on the marvelous submarine - is fairly drawn out, so overall the pacing is very slow. Still an interesting and somewhat prescient look at the mysterious depth of our oceans, weaving real science and bold fantasy together.
I did some research to figure out which edition I should use, and sources suggested that William Butcher's translation was the most accurate. Finding an audio of that translation proved a little more challenging, but this one seems to pull from that version of the text, and James Frain's narration suits Verne's work well.
The tale feels much more like a natural history travelogue than the high-action adventure I was expecting, but it was interesting none-the-less. Told from Professor Pierre Aronnax's marine biologist point of view, it's not surprising we get pages and pages of descriptions of the myriad undersea creatures that the Nautilus encounters on it's 20,000 league journey (that's length, not depth - or they would have been through the earth and past it in to space on the other size). It's shared with such appreciation that I could tolerate it much more than say, the intercalary chapters on whale blubber in [b:Moby-Dick or, The Whale|153747|Moby-Dick or, The Whale|Herman Melville|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327940656s/153747.jpg|2409320]. The main plot line - three shipwreck survivors held essentially captive on the marvelous submarine - is fairly drawn out, so overall the pacing is very slow. Still an interesting and somewhat prescient look at the mysterious depth of our oceans, weaving real science and bold fantasy together.
I did some research to figure out which edition I should use, and sources suggested that William Butcher's translation was the most accurate. Finding an audio of that translation proved a little more challenging, but this one seems to pull from that version of the text, and James Frain's narration suits Verne's work well.
I would have liked this so much more as a short story. What really bugged me about this book and kept it from being better was the endless droning of the different fish - none of which was actually very imaginative. It was boring and meaningless to someone who doesn't know what these names represent. If Verne had cut all these paragraphs out, the book would have been more enjoyable and much, much shorter.
The pace also dragged on. While I liked the ways he imagined all the parts of the ocean they explored, the book as a whole felt very slow.
The pace also dragged on. While I liked the ways he imagined all the parts of the ocean they explored, the book as a whole felt very slow.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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 probably would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I knew anything about marine biology and seafaring. It was still pretty epic, even if I didn't understand everything.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
What a treat for people that crave to some day explore every nook and cranny of the world! Incredible information on the sea; had me Googling for details on how oysters make pearls, details on black squid ink and its uses, the city of Atlantis that crumbled under the sea thousands of centuries back. I wish I'd have read it while I was younger so I could appreciate it more.
First off the title is deceiving, the translation from French would be "20,000 Leagues Under the SEAS". It's not a depth, it's a distance. The submarine adventure is around the world. If you like descriptions of fishes then this is the book for you!! The guy that wrote the forward said to skip the lengthy fish descriptions and was he right! I'm not sure if it's an age or translation issue but I just don't believe this book holds up today. The dialogue of the main character reminds me of that movie Cabin Boy, he talks all kinds of old timey fancy pants that had me giggling. In 1866 this book would have been an amazing marvel. Not so much today.