A science fiction classic, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is the tale of the Nautilus, an impressive submarine constructed and run by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Mistaken for a sea monster, it is pursued by many vessels around the world. One, the Abraham Lincoln, sinks after attacking her; three survivors are taken upon the Nautilus. These three (a professor, his aid, and a lifelong seaman) are allowed to stay and enjoy themselves, as long as they appreciate that they can never leave- they will be forever imprisoned aboard the submersible. This understood, they proceed to have any number of adventures in the deep, witnessing amazing landscapes, creatures, and ruins (shipwrecks- and more) as they travel over twenty thousand leagues beneath the waves. As their time aboard lengthens, however, it becomes increasingly clear that Captain Nemo is a man with a troubled past, occasionally prone to actions the prisoners find reprehensible. Can they escape this underwater marvel?
This book is good, not great. Written in the mid-1800s, I can understand why it would appeal to audiences of the time- Verne's descriptions of the marvelous submarine (with technologies that wouldn't be realized for decades) and his cataloging of the varied flora and fauna of the depths must have been captivating to a people who could only speculate at the mysteries of the oceans. For today's audience, I found these portions overdone and boring at times (pages of descriptions of different types of fish weren't uncommon). Still, the adventure portions are good, the prose is well-done (love those Victorian writers), and Captain Nemo's background and intentions are kept sufficiently mysterious to provide suspense and thirst for more. The ending was unsatisfying, though, leaving me feeling let down. A sequel (The Mysterious Island) was produced some years later; I found it telling that I immediately read the wiki overview of that, and didn't have the desire to read another full-length adventure.
Rating: B
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