In the year 1866 the whole maritime population of Europe and America was excited by a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon.
I didn't seek out an abridged version of this Jules Verne classic. But when I discovered that the edition I'd checked out from the library was abridged--after I was four or five chapters into it--I didn't try to 'fix' it either.
I'll start with the good news. I definitely liked this one more than Journey to the Center of the Earth! There were times I actually thought Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was a good read. That the story had action and adventure and mystery.
Basic plot: A professor and his servant are 'captured' by a 'sea monster' created by the cranky Captain Nemo.
While reading this one, I started thinking about Frankenstein--which is a good thing, I think. I never did quite decide how the characters matched up between the two. But I think that there are definite similarities in theme. Frankenstein is one of my comfort reads--a book I love and adore. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a good read, but I'm not sure I'll ever want to reread it. If I ever do read it again, I might try the unabridged version.
© 2011 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
2 comments:
I liked this too even though it is exremely dated. Verne was certainly a visionary and ahead of his time.
He and H.G. Wells are the undoubted 'godfathers' of sci-fi. Of the two I prefer Wells as his novels have dated better than Verne's.
I finished this up this weekend and enjoyed it but parts sort of drug on for me. Glad I read it thought as Verne is really a visionary.
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