20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

by Jules Verne

Finished what some believe should be on the greatest 100 classic novels of all time, Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  It isn’t a short read, so be prepared as it has a great deal of detail throughout (I’d argue too much at times).  The story takes place in the year 1866, and some believe there is a sea monster in the ocean that needs to be captured.  Professor Aronnax, a French marine biologist who serves as the narrator of the story, accepts an invitation to join the expedition along with two other interested parties – a harpoonist (Ned Land) and Aronnax’s faithful companion, Conseil.  They leave from New York’s harbor and get to the Pacific Ocean where they face the monster!  They are knocked into the ocean and captured by the “monster”, which, in reality, is a submarine.  Submarines were not recognized at that time, and as the three men are brought aboard, the captain, Captain Nemo, welcomes them to the vessel - the Nautilus - which was built in secrecy.  Nemo also shares that the state-of-the-art boat is used for scientific experiments and is not to be revealed to anyone – hence they are now his captives forever.  The three captives endure 20,000 miles of travels throughout Earth’s oceans.  They see fish species they had never seen before, all types of organisms, and shipwrecked boats under the sea.  They endure being trapped under icebergs in the South Pole and they see landscapes from one continent to another.  The men become depressed as the months move on, realizing the Nemo has no intention of ever letting them free.  The men plan an escape, but, before they can act, the submarine enters the Norwegian “Maelstrom”, one of the most turbulent seas in all the world.  Will they escape? Will they be stuck on the Nautilus with Nemo forever?  You will need to pick this one up to learn what happens to Aronnax and his two shipmates.  While it is a classic, it does tend to roam a bit.  The story picks up a bit in the last ¼ of the novel.  I can take one more of the “greatest written” off my list to read.