20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Unabridged Classics) (Hardcover)

by Jules Verne (Author), Scott McKowen (Illustrator), Arthur Pober Ed.D (Afterword)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Originally published in 1870, Verne’s amazing undersea adventure is one of the earliest science fiction novels ever written. Since that time, generations of readers have plunged below the ocean’s waves with Captain Nemo and his first-ever submarine, The Nautilus. It’s a voyage of exploration and the imagination.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (October 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140272599X
• ISBN-13: 978-1402725999
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #11,511 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read, But Long Read, December 28, 2006

By	N. Harris (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I thought that the book had one of the best plot lines I've ever seen, reguardless of the fact that there is only slight building up to the climax. The only thing that I didn't think was that good about the book was that about every other page, Jules Verne would go into a paragraph description of the animals. For example, he would say something like: I just saw a tuna. But not the normal tuna, it was yellow-bellied, had dorsal fins that went at a downward angle, etc." Otherwise, I thought it was a great read and well worth the money. I will be purchasing more of Jules Verne's books very soon. I highly suggest for you to read this book. Another thing, if you enjoyed watching the 1954 "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Film," I highly suggest the book because the movie only gives a small picture of what actually occurred during their submarine venture and the book tells you everything, and the occurrences are just amazing.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful new edition of an old favorite, March 26, 2008

By	Alisa Williams (MI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Jules Verne's timeless classic, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, is beautifully presented in this hard-bound edition with stunning artwork by Scott McKowen. Verne is a clever writer who weaves together interesting and unique characters and plotlines. In 20,000 Leagues, we find the story of Pierre Aronnax, a French scientist, and his undersea journey with the formidable Captain Nemo. Off to search for a treacherous sea creature with his colleagues, his servant-boy and a Canadian whale-hunter, Aronnax stumbles upon a surprise: the sea creature is none other than Nemo and his submarine vessel. After boarding the submarine, Aronnax is in for the ride of his life as Nemo takes them on encounters with ice bergs, underwater volcanoes, and buried treasure.

What made this story most interesting to me was Verne's obvious intelligence and creativity throughout the story. Written in 1869, submarines had yet to be invented, and much of the knowledge of undersea creatures and terrain had yet to be discovered. Yet, Verne is surprisingly accurate is many of his descriptions and ideas.

The book is rather on the long side and can get dull at times. Verne can get swept up in his detailed descriptions of the various creatures of the ocean, even if they are just your typical fish. But Verne's sense of humor and love of adventure keep the plot moving at a fairly decent pace throughout this work. Another down point of this particular edition is that the illustrator's talent is largely unused. Other than the cover art, there were only about 5 illustrations throughout the entire book. Overall, the book was well worth reading and this edition is destined to be a family keepsake.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good choice, January 20, 2007

By	B. Nation-Graves (TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A classic is a classic, but additional features in this edition make it a great choice. Nice illustrations, too!