Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

Beneath the waves lies a world no one has seen, and a man who has forsworn the surface entirely to rule it. Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea descends into that realm aboard the most famous vessel in adventure fiction.

What it's about

A learned professor, his devoted servant and a bluff harpooner set out to hunt a sea monster terrorising the world's shipping, only to find it is no beast but the Nautilus, a marvel of a submarine commanded by the enigmatic Captain Nemo. Taken aboard, they journey through coral forests, sunken wrecks and polar seas, marvelling at the ocean's riches while trying to fathom their captor's grief, genius and hatred of the world above.

Themes

Verne fuses the exhilaration of scientific discovery with a darker study of isolation, vengeance and rebellion against tyranny. The freedom of the deep is also a prison, and Nemo's brilliance is inseparable from his sorrow.

Why it still matters

Astonishingly prophetic about undersea exploration, the novel shaped the very idea of the submarine in the popular mind and remains a touchstone of science fiction. Captain Nemo endures as one of literature's most compelling figures.

Who it's for

Lovers of adventure, early science fiction, and richly imagined voyages will find this among Verne's most spellbinding creations.

Sources and references

Verified references for this edition: Jules Verne on Wikipedia.