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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
A new adaptation of a classic story by "the father of science fiction". In 1866 newspapers across the planet are full of stories about a terrifying creature haunting the world's oceans. Professor Pierre Aronnax, along with his servant Conseil and the master harpooner Ned Land, join the global hunt for the monster. They discover that the beast is actually the Nautilus, a futuristic submarine designed by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Captured and imprisoned aboard the Nautilus, the Professor and his companions begin an extraordinary journey... one that reveals the deepest secrets of both the world's oceans and the terrifying Captain Nemo.
A deadly and huge sea monster is sinking ships. Three men--a French scientist, his trusty sidekick, and a Canadian harpoonist are thrown from the deck of their American warship. A door opens on the side of the monster, and they are taken inside the greatest submarine in the world, the top-secret Nautilus commanded by a madman who will take them 20,000 leagues into the depths.
A deadly and huge sea monster is sinking ships. Three men--a French scientist, his trusty sidekick, and a Canadian harpoonist are thrown from the deck of their American warship. A door opens on the side of the monster, and they are taken inside the greatest submarine in the world, the top-secret Nautilus commanded by a madman who will take them 20,000 leagues into the depths.
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Published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
February 6, 2017
You know, it's really odd. I stayed away from Verne all my freaking life because I was sure, and I mean ABSOLUTELY SURE, that it couldn't be a good novel because its science must be so out of date.
This is yet another case where I am a fool.
Not only does the novel explore the wonderful aspects of electricity and submarines and the wide wonderful ocean itself back in the 1870's as if it was perfectly modern, save for the minor fact that Captain Nemo is, what, 70 or 80 years ahead of schedule and the rest of the world is a sitting duck for his revenge, there's absolutely nothing that jumps out at me, saying, "Hey, no, science doesn't work that way!"
If that isn't enough to freak me out, Verne's wonderful descriptions of the natural world under the ocean, his gripping adventure tale with multiple layers of whale hunting motifs that just screamed out (a more enjoyable) Moby Dick, the fact that the novel revolves mainly around the glorious centerpiece of learning and exploration and most importantly, the feeling of AWE... well, all of this is enough to completely blow me away.
The grandfather of SF, eh? The Granddaddy? He focuses on ideas so heavily and his knowledge of the world of science is exemplary, and yet he still manages to crank out a truly fantastic story that is gripping. And then there's the real jewel of a man, the conflicted, rage-filled, scientific genius Captain Nemo, who also happens to be sensitive and reflective at the same time. The man is likely to lodge himself in my brain for years to come. He's the definition of mysterious and the modern natural Super Man, put upon and tragic and savage and only desiring the peace of the ocean away from the rest of mankind.
Truly amazing. I've read a lot of books and many have affected me strongly, but there's something that gets pulled off here in this novel that's really special. What a fantastic adventure!
This is yet another case where I am a fool.
Not only does the novel explore the wonderful aspects of electricity and submarines and the wide wonderful ocean itself back in the 1870's as if it was perfectly modern, save for the minor fact that Captain Nemo is, what, 70 or 80 years ahead of schedule and the rest of the world is a sitting duck for his revenge, there's absolutely nothing that jumps out at me, saying, "Hey, no, science doesn't work that way!"
If that isn't enough to freak me out, Verne's wonderful descriptions of the natural world under the ocean, his gripping adventure tale with multiple layers of whale hunting motifs that just screamed out (a more enjoyable) Moby Dick, the fact that the novel revolves mainly around the glorious centerpiece of learning and exploration and most importantly, the feeling of AWE... well, all of this is enough to completely blow me away.
The grandfather of SF, eh? The Granddaddy? He focuses on ideas so heavily and his knowledge of the world of science is exemplary, and yet he still manages to crank out a truly fantastic story that is gripping. And then there's the real jewel of a man, the conflicted, rage-filled, scientific genius Captain Nemo, who also happens to be sensitive and reflective at the same time. The man is likely to lodge himself in my brain for years to come. He's the definition of mysterious and the modern natural Super Man, put upon and tragic and savage and only desiring the peace of the ocean away from the rest of mankind.
Truly amazing. I've read a lot of books and many have affected me strongly, but there's something that gets pulled off here in this novel that's really special. What a fantastic adventure!
February 29, 2016
When I was younger, I had a read a sort of kids edition (re-written to be smaller and more basic) of this book. Reading the full 400+ page version of the book is definitely a different and far superior and incredible experience. Jules Verne's writing abilities are truly astounding. To think that he was able to conceive a machine of the level of the Nautilus, which was probably nearly 100 years ahead of his time, is absolutely astounding, and the words that Jules Verne chose to describe things, oh wow it's just incredible. There are a number of points where you wonder if everything will be okay, moments such as the attack of the Papua New Guinea natives, when they are stuck under/inside the large iceberg, and most notably, when the ship is caught in the great Maelstrom at the end. Overall, this is a great read, and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a great adventure!
February 6, 2025
Abrupt ending aside, I enjoyed this one a lot. Much of the nautical language and species identification was utterly lost on me (Google search worked overtime), but I thought the pacing was good. I want to know more about Captain Nemo's backstory, though it's also nice to be left to infer. 4 out of 5 skewered cachalots.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2019
I greatly enjoyed this classic adventure! It took me a while to read only because I put it down for long periods of time. It did have points of lengthy scientific names for the marine creatures they saw, but the epic and exciting story made up for it! If you like marine science in any way, this is a fun read!
April 11, 2017
It's cool how he used imagination and tried to keep things as scientific as possible. I'm sure this story inspired many after it.
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March 28, 2016Dakota Book 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
The first part of this book starts in the year of 1866. There has been strange things in the seas that have been happening to fishermen and travelers What people have been wounding is why and who or what is doing this to the men and boats. The travels on boats also say they have seen a huge creator.
Then in the little towns and big city is they have been discussing the creator in the sea that has been messing ships up. Three weeks after all that spread a big wreck happened agin to some ships with food and drinks.
What I liked about this book is that it had a lot of action and cool events that happened now I would tell you what was going on further then what I said but I don't want to spoil the book. I like the sea and fishing and just the outdoors it self. So this books was very interesting to read.
What I didn't like about this book is how the book happened in the 1800s and not like in the 2000s because then there would probably be more teenagers that would want to read this book. Overall the book was a ten out of ten...
The first part of this book starts in the year of 1866. There has been strange things in the seas that have been happening to fishermen and travelers What people have been wounding is why and who or what is doing this to the men and boats. The travels on boats also say they have seen a huge creator.
Then in the little towns and big city is they have been discussing the creator in the sea that has been messing ships up. Three weeks after all that spread a big wreck happened agin to some ships with food and drinks.
What I liked about this book is that it had a lot of action and cool events that happened now I would tell you what was going on further then what I said but I don't want to spoil the book. I like the sea and fishing and just the outdoors it self. So this books was very interesting to read.
What I didn't like about this book is how the book happened in the 1800s and not like in the 2000s because then there would probably be more teenagers that would want to read this book. Overall the book was a ten out of ten...
December 7, 2015
I can see why this is a classic. I can also see how many people don't like this book at all, or the very same reasons it's a pretty amazing work and was likely very much savored when published. This is an amazing blend of make-believe and thorough research. The details are tedious yet jaw-dropping.
I found myself see-sawing between love and hate here. I got bored with the details, but then would take a second to think about reading this in the 1870's when these facts and such exploration was a great novelty. When such descriptions would be read and re-read because of how foreign and fascinating they were. Without even talking about the sci-fi aspects of this, this book is pretty darn amazing.
Like most classics this should be picked up and read as a classic and keeping a historical perspective in mind.
I found myself see-sawing between love and hate here. I got bored with the details, but then would take a second to think about reading this in the 1870's when these facts and such exploration was a great novelty. When such descriptions would be read and re-read because of how foreign and fascinating they were. Without even talking about the sci-fi aspects of this, this book is pretty darn amazing.
Like most classics this should be picked up and read as a classic and keeping a historical perspective in mind.
June 25, 2015
For me, I thought this was a good book. It was a little rushed towards the end but overall it was paced perfectly. The characters weren't developed as it was explained who they were at the start of their introduction but I kind of prefer that. The end of the book left me with many questions but again, I like this because it makes it extremely thought-provoking and I love books that keep me guessing even after the end.
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys classic novels, adventure and sci-fi or oceanography. Lots of scientific information that was interesting at first but then it became a little tedious. But, I would say read it!
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys classic novels, adventure and sci-fi or oceanography. Lots of scientific information that was interesting at first but then it became a little tedious. But, I would say read it!
June 23, 2015
I don't know why my English teacher thought it would be a good idea to read this book. Because it was the worst classic I've ever read. And that's saying a lot because I don't enjoy classics generally, but this one was that terrible. It was stupid, it had no real plot, the ending was so unclear and half the book was full with random facts about algae.
Yea, it was about algae.
I don't even know why this is a classic. Its that stupid.
Yea, it was about algae.
I don't even know why this is a classic. Its that stupid.
October 13, 2016
Goes on a bit with the classification of fish species and various genus of mollusc sub families. Otherwise a juicy tale of the secrets of the deep and the deep secrets of a man retreated to the ocean. A quick read, I was surprised to find that the adventure only contained 300 sharks. Did I say sharks? I meant pages.
August 11, 2016
I have a weird feeling for this book. I enjoy it. But, it's not my favorite!(:
December 2, 2022
It was interesting and, good
January 16, 2022
I can't say for sure which of the various editions listed here on GoodReads is the one I just finished reading. It was published by Octopus Books in Britain in 1984, but it does not mention the translator. So I just picked the first listing here that wasn't clearly a kids' edition.
This was one of the first novels I ever read, at the tender age of 5, back in the long-ago mid-1970s. Having recently come into a volume of Jules Verne's work, I set about rereading it late last year, and I'm glad I did. The one I read back then was evidently a children's edition, which I didn't appreciate as such at the time, but in rereading it, I found a lot of detail that I don't remember having come across before.
More so than in Around the World in 80 Days, this exemplifies nascent science fiction, in that it includes speculative elements not found in the former. In particular, the Nautilus itself relies on technologies that were decades, even generations, ahead of where they'd have to be to make such a submarine practical. Some of the implementation details are glossed over, either because the specific problems didn't occur to Verne, or because their solutions remained opaque to him (and we can surmise if we choose, as readers, that M. Aronnax never directly encountered those solutions or asked Captain Nemo about them).
There is also a fair amount of scientific inaccuracy to be dealt with by those in the know, but Verne can perhaps be forgiven for guessing at matters that would remain hidden from sight for quite some time. We know, for instance, that there is no hard cutoff for visible life forms at any depth, all the way down to the bottoms of the oceans; life carries on even at the greatest depths, although it does become sparser, slower and less energetic as you plummet. We know that Antarctica isn't just a body of ice with occasional islands, but a bona fide continent, and that there is no interior free of ice surrounding the south pole. Aronnax provides pages and pages of observations about the lovely and fantastical life forms he does encounter, and while I'm not about to chase down the necessary references to support or refute his claims vis-a-vis where and how deeply they may be found, I can point out that there are a few errors here and there, as in the description of cachalots (sperm whales) savagely attacking smaller whales for no discernible reason (this has never been known to occur in real life).
If you've a real oceanographic interest, you might well find many more nitpicks than I did. What's probably more significant to the story, though, is the psychological import, the set of hidden motivations driving Captain Nemo and his crew. We only get a real glimpse of those motives very late in the story, and nothing is ever really spelled out. We are left to draw our own conclusions.
This was one of the first novels I ever read, at the tender age of 5, back in the long-ago mid-1970s. Having recently come into a volume of Jules Verne's work, I set about rereading it late last year, and I'm glad I did. The one I read back then was evidently a children's edition, which I didn't appreciate as such at the time, but in rereading it, I found a lot of detail that I don't remember having come across before.
More so than in Around the World in 80 Days, this exemplifies nascent science fiction, in that it includes speculative elements not found in the former. In particular, the Nautilus itself relies on technologies that were decades, even generations, ahead of where they'd have to be to make such a submarine practical. Some of the implementation details are glossed over, either because the specific problems didn't occur to Verne, or because their solutions remained opaque to him (and we can surmise if we choose, as readers, that M. Aronnax never directly encountered those solutions or asked Captain Nemo about them).
There is also a fair amount of scientific inaccuracy to be dealt with by those in the know, but Verne can perhaps be forgiven for guessing at matters that would remain hidden from sight for quite some time. We know, for instance, that there is no hard cutoff for visible life forms at any depth, all the way down to the bottoms of the oceans; life carries on even at the greatest depths, although it does become sparser, slower and less energetic as you plummet. We know that Antarctica isn't just a body of ice with occasional islands, but a bona fide continent, and that there is no interior free of ice surrounding the south pole. Aronnax provides pages and pages of observations about the lovely and fantastical life forms he does encounter, and while I'm not about to chase down the necessary references to support or refute his claims vis-a-vis where and how deeply they may be found, I can point out that there are a few errors here and there, as in the description of cachalots (sperm whales) savagely attacking smaller whales for no discernible reason (this has never been known to occur in real life).
If you've a real oceanographic interest, you might well find many more nitpicks than I did. What's probably more significant to the story, though, is the psychological import, the set of hidden motivations driving Captain Nemo and his crew. We only get a real glimpse of those motives very late in the story, and nothing is ever really spelled out. We are left to draw our own conclusions.
August 8, 2021
Overall this was a fun and wildly imaginative book, especially considering how long ago it was written. Jules Verne has quite an imagination and was way ahead of his time with a lot of ideas. I loved the adventures that this book took me on, navigating endless worlds and adventures under the ocean, through hidden underground tunnels, jungles under the sea, journeys through the poles, faceoffs with strange underwater animals, and the strange mystery of who Captain Nemo is himself.
I wanted to rate this book higher. The scope is fantastic, the way Verne weaves science into his premises to make his outlandish adventures seem quite feasible was very entertaining for me. However, this book is clearly of the idea that the adventure is about the journey, not the destination. While it was really fun to just go endlessly from one underwater adventure to another, I began to grow bored after a while when I realized that there was no real sense of continuity, no real connection to an ascending climax of a story. And often, though his imagination was great and his descriptions pretty good, I wanted to be more involved in the places that we did visit. I almost felt like a tourist on a cruise, just going from place to place, never really interacting with anything.
Overall, a good book, exciting and imaginative story. It just started to drag on a bit for me after a while and the character development could have used a boost as well.
I wanted to rate this book higher. The scope is fantastic, the way Verne weaves science into his premises to make his outlandish adventures seem quite feasible was very entertaining for me. However, this book is clearly of the idea that the adventure is about the journey, not the destination. While it was really fun to just go endlessly from one underwater adventure to another, I began to grow bored after a while when I realized that there was no real sense of continuity, no real connection to an ascending climax of a story. And often, though his imagination was great and his descriptions pretty good, I wanted to be more involved in the places that we did visit. I almost felt like a tourist on a cruise, just going from place to place, never really interacting with anything.
Overall, a good book, exciting and imaginative story. It just started to drag on a bit for me after a while and the character development could have used a boost as well.
January 19, 2017
This is the book that got me reading. When I was growing up my school required the students to read certain books. The vast majority of them were boring books that were geared towards girls (Black Beauty). So I didn't really have an interest in reading anything other that non-fiction books about animals and dinosaurs.
My mom never like how my school didn't require books that might get a boys attention. No Science Fiction or fantasy at all. So my mom took it upon herself to get me reading things I would like.
Thus she gave me 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. I burned through this book and couldn't put it down. This book started me down a path of genres that I never knew existed.
My mom never like how my school didn't require books that might get a boys attention. No Science Fiction or fantasy at all. So my mom took it upon herself to get me reading things I would like.
Thus she gave me 20,000 Leagues under the Sea. I burned through this book and couldn't put it down. This book started me down a path of genres that I never knew existed.
March 31, 2018
This is a really fantastic adventure book. I was expecting the book and the scientific concepts in it to be out of date but I was pleasantly surprised. Verne certainly knew what he was writing about. The descriptions in this book about underwater life are so beautiful that one wishes they could have been there in person. Most of the scientific concepts explained in this book are quite ahead in times. The language is lucid and the characters are memorable and they stick with you for a long time after finishing reading. Captain Nemo is the perfect example of a human being torn by logic and emotions at the same time. This is a really amazing book to be read by science fiction fans.
February 20, 2025
2.5 - I thought the greatest thing was the first 100 pages and the wonderful physics descriptions although my bias is as it would be being a physicist.
The story itself and the plot did seem lacking, even if I consider it from its time. Perhaps I'm not savvy enough to understand or appreciate the book to the fullest extent. The characters, other than Captain Nemo, lacked essence. Nemo was shrouded in enough mystery to always be puzzled about what he's thinking.
Perhaps I would have enjoyed this if I read it as a child.
The story itself and the plot did seem lacking, even if I consider it from its time. Perhaps I'm not savvy enough to understand or appreciate the book to the fullest extent. The characters, other than Captain Nemo, lacked essence. Nemo was shrouded in enough mystery to always be puzzled about what he's thinking.
Perhaps I would have enjoyed this if I read it as a child.
January 20, 2017
Always excellent, Verne is. Fun book, creepy, eventually like able captain! Fun to read for all ages.
November 10, 2017
Interesting viewing it as a book written in the 1880's, but far too much detail on the various fish and fauna seen from the submarine
August 12, 2020
The first 40 pages are quite dry, and then it becomes quite interesting
August 15, 2020
Meh it's okay. Has a really disappointing non- ending.
February 11, 2021
3.5 I think I'll reread this book in a year or two. I feel I'll enjoy it more on a second read. Definitely recommended if you enjoy adventures.
July 4, 2025
so many fish!!!
read by james frain and i like the lil voices he does
perfect amount of mystery left
read by james frain and i like the lil voices he does
perfect amount of mystery left
July 28, 2025
fascinating technology
March 25, 2017
Great read but unsatisfying conclusion
May 5, 2017
It is interesting to read a book from so long ago. The writing styles and language has changed over the years. One thing about the story that I found as informative was the listing and descriptions of many of the ocean's plants and animals.
It was unusual to not learn the identity of the narrator until the end of the second chapter and we finally learn his full name about 3/4 through the third chapter. Monsieur Pierre Aronnax, Professor of Natural History at the Museum of Paris. We actually meet his servant, Conseil before we meet him. Later we are introduced to Ned Land, a Canadian harpooner.
In chapter ten we finally find out about Captain Nemo and the Nautilus and begin the 20,000 league journey under the sea.
It was a wonderful journey with many adventures that Hollywood had to leave out of their 1954 movie version of the Jules Verne novel.
It was unusual to not learn the identity of the narrator until the end of the second chapter and we finally learn his full name about 3/4 through the third chapter. Monsieur Pierre Aronnax, Professor of Natural History at the Museum of Paris. We actually meet his servant, Conseil before we meet him. Later we are introduced to Ned Land, a Canadian harpooner.
In chapter ten we finally find out about Captain Nemo and the Nautilus and begin the 20,000 league journey under the sea.
It was a wonderful journey with many adventures that Hollywood had to leave out of their 1954 movie version of the Jules Verne novel.
October 1, 2016
Fantastic short tale
April 12, 2023
Cool ideas but poor ending that skips the resolution of the predicament! (A la "and then I woke up, and it was all a dream"). Bit boring.
April 18, 2016
In 1866, newspapers are filled with reports of a giant sea creature menacing ships worldwide. The scientist, Professor Arronax, along with his faithful servant Conseil, boards a ship to try and hunt down this creature and make the seas safe for travel once again. When their ship is attacked, Arronax, Conseil and Ned Land, the Canadian harpooner, are thrown into the sea. They are rescued by Captain Nemo and brought on board his submarine vessel, the Nautilus.
As an interesting aside, the title doesn't mean what I always assumed it meant. It means Arronax travels 20,000 leagues around the globe while under water, not that the Nautilus dives to a depth of 20,000 leagues (which I have also just discovered is not even possible).
I found the story to be very slow, largely because the author spent a great deal of time describing the various species of underwater flora and fauna seen by those on board the Nautilus. This is common for literature of the era, but to my modern sensibilities it bogs down the story.
The character of Conseil is a two-dimensional stereotype of what a good servant is expected to be. He is always eager to serve his master, even at the risk of his own life, and never reveals any private emotion of his own. The character of Captain Nemo is more nuanced, but is somewhat contradictory. His dark past, and the reason for his vendetta against human society, is hinted at, but never fully revealed. Furthermore, in spite of attacking boats and killing those on board without remorse, Nemo inexplicably decides to rescue Arronax and his companions. I kept waiting for more insight into Nemo's character, but was ultimately left unsatisfied.
The book is worth reading simply for the creation of the world in which the Nautilus exists. Verne anticipated a vessel that was almost a century ahead of its time, and he did so in incredible detail. But it's just as interesting for what it got wrong as for what it got right. At the time of publication, the south pole had not yet been explored, and apparently it was not known whether or not Antarctica was a solid continent or islands surrounded by masses of floating ice.
As an interesting aside, the title doesn't mean what I always assumed it meant. It means Arronax travels 20,000 leagues around the globe while under water, not that the Nautilus dives to a depth of 20,000 leagues (which I have also just discovered is not even possible).
I found the story to be very slow, largely because the author spent a great deal of time describing the various species of underwater flora and fauna seen by those on board the Nautilus. This is common for literature of the era, but to my modern sensibilities it bogs down the story.
The character of Conseil is a two-dimensional stereotype of what a good servant is expected to be. He is always eager to serve his master, even at the risk of his own life, and never reveals any private emotion of his own. The character of Captain Nemo is more nuanced, but is somewhat contradictory. His dark past, and the reason for his vendetta against human society, is hinted at, but never fully revealed. Furthermore, in spite of attacking boats and killing those on board without remorse, Nemo inexplicably decides to rescue Arronax and his companions. I kept waiting for more insight into Nemo's character, but was ultimately left unsatisfied.
The book is worth reading simply for the creation of the world in which the Nautilus exists. Verne anticipated a vessel that was almost a century ahead of its time, and he did so in incredible detail. But it's just as interesting for what it got wrong as for what it got right. At the time of publication, the south pole had not yet been explored, and apparently it was not known whether or not Antarctica was a solid continent or islands surrounded by masses of floating ice.
September 11, 2015
In the classic science fiction novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. There has been news spread worldwide about a giant sea creature lurking the oceans and sinking ships. Pierre Aronnax a professor at the Paris Museum and his manservant Conseil are asked if they would like to join in on the expedition on the Abraham Lincoln in New York as France's representatives to find and kill the sea creature. Professor Aronnax accepts this invitation and leaves on there journey to find the monster. For a while they scour the ocean to find the it, all day and night searching and staring into the deep and mysterious waters looking for it. On the Abraham Lincoln they meet a Canadian harpooner named Ned Land who's is world's best harpooner. At random they see the dreadful monster, they try canons and harpoons but nothing will pierce it, Professor Arronax thought that the monster would be a giant cetacean (a big marine mammal such as a whale or dolphin), but they now know that it's man-made! They keep trying and trying to damage it somehow, then out of nowhere they get hit and then the professor and Conseil are thrown overboard... In my opinion I thought that the book was overall very adventurous with mystery and new discoveries everywhere. A positive aspect of this book Is that I found it very interesting and informative with twists and turns everywhere. A negative aspect of of the book was that it was to long or drawn out at some points because there was a lot of points where they would talk about species and the genus, family, name, etc. for a while, but on the plus-side of that it was informative. People whom I recommend this book to are anyone interested in marine life, anyone who likes history, adventure, and mystery. This book exceeded my expectations because I accidentally read the starters version of this wonderful book so I knew a little bit about it but this version was a lot better and more interesting and it grabbed your attention at certain points
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