Why read Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea?

Book cover of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Book description

With an exclusive introduction and notes by David Stuart Davies.

Translation by Louis Mercier.

Professor Aronnax, his faithful servant, Conseil, and the Canadian harpooner, Ned Land, begin an extremely hazardous voyage to rid the seas of a little-known and terrifying sea monster. However, the "monster" turns out to…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Dianne Wolfer

Author

I think this classic story, first appearing in 1869, needs to be on any cephalopod booklist!

Whilst the terrifying monster is more giant squid/kraken, the futuristic submarine commanded by Captain Nemo is called Nautilus, named for a cephalopod cousin to the octopus. This sci-fi (at the time) adventure novel is full of evocative undersea images and is still a cracking read.

From Dianne's list on books with an important octopus character.

Taylor Zajonc

Author

A classic, and the first of its genre, Jules Verne’s 1870 science fiction novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea remains a gripping read to this day.

The adventures of Captain Nemo and the Nautilus bring the reader into fantastic underwater perils and wonders against a backdrop of grief and revenge. I dare anyone to read the description of the gold-laden wrecks of Vigo Bay and not fall in love with the romance and adventure of treasure hunting as I did.

From Taylor's list on rogue submarines and underwater mayhem.