Verne, Jules

Average customer rating:

Wonderful story
Around the World in 80 Days
It left us breathless!
Dale is brillant in excellent book

Around the World in 80 Days
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Listening Library (Audio)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0307206424
Release Date: 2005-04-12

Book Description

Shocking his stodgy colleagues at the exclusive Reform Club, enigmatic Englishman Phileas Fogg wagers his fortune, undertaking an extraordinary and daring enterprise to circumnavigate the globe in eighty days. With his French valet Passepartout in tow, Verne's hero traverses the far reaches of the earth, all the while tracked by the intrepid Detective Fix, a bounty hunter certain he is on the trail of a notorious bank robber.

Combining exploration, adventure, and a thrilling race against time, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS gripped audiences upon its original publication and remains hugely popular to this day.

From the Cassette edition.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful story.......2007-03-03

This is a wonderful classic story masterfully read by Jim Dale. If you start listening to it and think it is slow moving and boring, I would encourage you to be patient. Once the story gets going, and believe me it does, you will find yourself wrapped up in it as if you yourself had a part in Phileas Fogg's bet. If you don't give this story a chance you are really missing out. My children (ages 10,9, and 7) loved it and really got into the story. No, it's not Harry Potter, it's much better.

Around the World in 80 Days.......2007-01-06

I found this audio book very boring. It did not hold my interest at all. I bought this book because of the person that was the reader. I have all of the Harry Potter books and Jim Dale is an excellent reader. But this book just was not my cup of tea.

It left us breathless!.......2006-07-01

I took this audiobook along on a recent 2-day drive to Florida with my 7-year-old who only knew the Jackie Chan version of the story (!) and he was hooked by Jim Dale from the first word to the last 8 hours later. His character-voices were spot-on, the incidental music was an unexpected and delightful bonus - we were breathless with anticipation throughout the whole story. The miles to Florida disappeared as we crossed the Indian sub-continent and everywhere else along with the unflappable Phileas Fogg and his Dear Fellow. A wonderful ride! This is a top-notch production.

Dale is brillant in excellent book.......2005-11-22

I saw Jim Dale years ago on Broadway in Barnum. He was excellent there, and is even moreso here. He creates voices for the characters that I believe perfectly match the characters that Jules Verne envisioned and created. The story keeps you endlessly engaged, and Dale is up to the task. And, by the way, contrary to the cover design, and contrary to everything that you may think if you've never read the book....there's no balloon.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Bantam Classics)

Average customer rating:

Not quite what I was expecting
Better than all the movie versions
An Enjoyable and Charming Read that has Earned its Place Among the Classics
SF AudioBook...it rules
Vernes' Vision of a Subterranean World

Journey to the Centre of the Earth (Bantam Classics)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (Scholastic Classics)
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From the Earth to the Moon

ASIN: 0553213970
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Book Description

As irascible scholar Professor Lidenbrock pores over a rare Icelandic tome, he discovers a scrap of parchment with cryptic writing tucked away between the ancient pages. And when his nephew, Axel, finally breaks the writing’s secret code, he learns of a hidden underground passageway that may lead deep into the center of the earth.

Despite Axel’s misgivings, he and the obsessed Lidenbrock travel to Iceland and, with a guide named Hans, set out on a perilous expedition in the course of which the trio will encounter an extraordinary new world of extinct yet living species, an underground sea, and gigantic, battling monsters.

Filled with the authentic detail and startling immediacy Jules Verne labored to bring to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days, Journey to the Center of the Earth is the fantastic adventure that secured Verne’s reputation as the premier writer of speculative fiction.

Download Description

The "Voyages Extraordinaires" of M. Jules Verne deserve to be made widely known in English-speaking countries by means of carefully prepared translations. Witty and ingenious adaptations of the researches and discoveries of modern science to the popular taste, which demands that these should be presented to ordinary readers in the lighter form of cleverly mingled truth and fiction, these books will assuredly be read with profit and delight, especially by English youth.

Customer Reviews:

Not quite what I was expecting.......2006-11-21

A Journey to the Center of the Earth did not turn out to be quite what I was expecting; I can't say quite why, however, because I'm not entirely certain what those expectations were. I hadn't read the novel previously, but I thought I knew what it was about. As a result, I think I was expecting more drama than Verne delivers, or perhaps I simply wanted the book to be more than it is. Most likely I was conflating Verne's novel with other texts: movie adaptations of the novel itself, for instance, in which considerably more in the way of actual antagonism--as opposed to the perils of nature itself--occurs; or hollow world stories, in which entire societies thrive on the inside of the earth's crust beneath the rays of a sun that lies at the planet's center. A Journey to the Center of the Earth is neither of these things, of course, and if I underwent any disillusionment, it was purely of my own making.

Understood on its own terms, the novel is, at the very least, interesting, but, truthfully, not much happens. The narrator's speculations (as well as his fevered dreams during times of travail) suggest a much wilder adventure than actually takes place. Much of the action involves the trio of explorers stumbling around in caverns and tunnels, and much of the impediment takes the form of hunger, dehydration, or equipment loss. In fact, as best I can judge, they really don't approach anywhere near the center of the earth, although they do travel quite a distance laterally before resurfacing.

The real joy is the interactions between the characters, primarily the trio of protagonists: the young narrator, his scientist uncle, and their silent, idiosyncratic guide. The expedition leader is an archetypal nutty professor, whose words and actions seem nonsensical to those not privy to his thought processes; his nephew, the narrator, alternates between sheer wonder at his surroundings, and sheer terror at the likelihood of spending the rest of his short life surrounded by them; Hans, the guide, says almost nothing but performs his duties in an exemplary manner, and insists on being paid weekly rather than all at once, even while under the earth (a square deal, in his eyes). Their interactions with each other, and with the variety of Icelandic folk they encounter on their way to the volcano which is their means of ingress, are wittily and cleverly depicted. These character moments are the high point of the novel; one wonders how much of their clever interplay originates with Verne and how much is an invention of the translator (who, in this edition, remains sadly anonymous). Whether the novel's tone in its English version is added or simply preserved in translation, full marks to whomever this perceptive soul is.

Though one reflexively considers Jules Verne a "science fiction" writer of a primitive sort, this is really more of an adventure tale and, taken as such, it is generally successful. The adventurers don't explore a strange new world so much as become more intimately acquainted with the world they already know, but if the reader doesn't go in expecting flights of pure fancy, the novel is rather satisfying.

Postscript: I should point out that this review refers to the Signet Classic mass market paperback edition of the novel, which features an afterword by Michael Dirda. Knowing Amazon, it's possible that this review will surface under several different versions, and without clarity, we have nothing.

Better than all the movie versions.......2006-11-09

This short book is one of the founding classics of science fiction literature. It details the story of a German scientist who comes across a map to a place that leads inside the Earth. He puts together a crew, and of they go to Iceland to find the volcano that serves as the entrance. From there, he and his crew journey into the Earth and encounter environments with their own plants, animals, geography and weather. They collect samples, evade dangers, and have hair-raising adventures. The group travels back to the Earth's surface, but lose much of the samples to prove their trip.

The book moves along quite quickly, and has fewer dinosaurs and other animals than seen in the various movie versions. Instead, the book focuses more on the internal dynamics of the group, and how they react to their discoveries, and to each other. All in all, a book that is easily read in a couple of hours, and more worth the time than watching any of the movies.

An Enjoyable and Charming Read that has Earned its Place Among the Classics.......2006-10-16

When Professor von Hardwigg discovers an ancient parchment suggesting a journey to the center of the Earth is possible, he wastes no time dragooning his dubious nephew and ward, Harry, into an expedition, first to Iceland, and then into the Earth. Harry, a young man, sees no good that can come of this expedition, but dutifully agrees.

So begins one of the most beloved classics of science fiction ever published, Jules Verne's "A Journey to the Center of the Earth". I'm hardly a Verne expert, but I've read many of his other classics. "Journey" is unique among his work. It's one of the few books to feature a first person narrator in the form of Harry. Moreover, unlike his other books, "Journey" is less grounded in science and more interested in the fantastic. Verne, through his various characters, slyly implores his readers' indulgence, reminding us that there is plenty about the center of the world we don't know.

Verne was an author who dealt in archetypal characters. From "20,000 Leagues Under the Seas" on, Verne generally concentrated on three types of characters as his protagonists: the brilliant and calm professor; the professor's loyal apprentice, and; the non-scientific, cantankerous, pragmatic, but steadfast man of action. Here, Verne mixes and matches these traits, making for a more interesting cast. Hardwigg is a brilliant scientist, but he's also a ball of barely restrained emotion and energy, demanding his fellow travelers press on, perhaps beyond all reason. The man of action, the Icelandic Hans, is loyal, but by no means cantankerous. He simply does what must be done, and is steadfastly loyalt. Finally, Harry, rather than the unquestioning apprentice, is quite skeptical of this expedition. Hardly steadfast, he proves to be quite cowardly and panics at inopportune times. Thus, with these interesting characters in the mix, the plot of the novel proves frequently unpredictable.

While the premise is fantastic, the action of the novel is far less concerned with monsters that might be found at the center of the earth than the more realistic, albeit more mundane, threats of natural disaster. Rather than being chased by dinosaurs or hidden cave-men, our heroes must deal with being lost, the threat of starvation, underground lakes, exhaustion, and exposure. Naturally, just as all hope seems lost for our heroes, fortune takes a hand. Obviously, if Harry is narrating, they probably get out okay. Still, there are some moments of true white knuckle tension, as Harry is lost in the caverns, or the trio finds itself on a raft with only a piece of jerky as their food-supply.

Wisely, Verne lets the scientific explanations he used as the basis of his other novels go here. He's less interested in giving his reader an education in the latest discovery, and concentrates instead on a great rip-roaring read. Admittedly, the conventions of Victorian-era fiction don't always allow the book to rip or roar. The first third of the book is actually dedicated to getting Harry and the Professor to Iceland and recruiting an expedition. It's more of a travelogue than an adventure tale, which makes the book more realistic, although not consistently exciting. Once our heroes are underground, however, the book takes off.

In the grand scheme of things, "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" is probably not my favorite Verne book. It lacks a remarkable character, like Captain Nemo. It also lacks some of the sharper satire Verne brought to his other books, like "From the Earth to the Moon." It doesn't quite have the pacing of "Around the World in 80 Days." Nonetheless, it is an enjoyable and charming read, and certainly has earned its place among the classics.

SF AudioBook...it rules.......2006-09-01

Narrated by Spock & Q?
Can life get any better than that?
Cheers

Vernes' Vision of a Subterranean World.......2006-08-15

A Jules Vernes classic, this is one of those novels that has stood up well against the test of time. True, there are some items that may seem a bit dated, and of course the whole scenario of the fantastic adventure to the depths of the earth is impossible. Yet, this novel is still a joy to read.

With a stoic Icelander as their guide, a renowned professor and his reluctant and skeptical nephew descend into the depths of a volcano in the vast frozen tundra of the Arctic, as the adventurers attempt to retrace the steps of a renowned alchemist. Contrary to popular belief (and scientific reality), the party descends deeper into the bowels of the earth, which is remarkably of a mild climate and not a boiling inferno. I won't serve as spoiler, but sufficed to say, that they uncover vast new worlds and creatures living in the subterranean world hundreds of miles beneath the terrestrial crust of the earth.

Vernes does attempt to make their descent seem plausible from a scientific standpoint. Their instruments, a crude electric light and others, would be considered state-of-the art for their time. Vernes also goes in great detail to describe the geological formations and fossilized remains contained in the earth. Vernes also attempts to explain how it is possible to travel so far under the surface of the earth without increased pressure harming the body. And if you take Verne's theories to heart (although modern science refutes them), their journey is plausible.

However, I do have a couple minor gripes. Vernes goes into great detail describing fossils and rock formations, which no doubt lend scientific credence to his novel. Although this may interst a geologist or paleontologist, the rest of the masses (myself included) probably find this too tedious and distracting from the main story line. Also, there is one glaring scientific discrepancy with Vernes logic. During their rapid ascent (the details I won't reveal), the adventurers would have surely perished from decompression sickness (a.k.a., "the bends"). Although it was still a new phenomena at the time, I believe Vernes should have taken into account the rapid change in pressure, as he did during their slow descent into the abyss.

The nitpicking aside, this is a superb novel that has withstood the test of time. A modern reader will no doubt be entertained and enthralled at Verne's vision of a subterranean world. Nearly a century and a half later, Vernes' works still inspire awe and imagination.

Around the World in Eighty Days (Puffin Classics)

Average customer rating:

A great book
Easy to read and fun to boot
A bit slow, but still good
Around the World in Eighty Days
Rollicking good time

Around the World in Eighty Days (Puffin Classics)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 014036711X

Book Description

Download Description

An eccentric English gentleman and his manservant pack a carpet bag with two woolen shirts, three pairs of stockings, and 20,000 pounds, and travel around the world in 80 days, in order to win a bet.

Customer Reviews:

A great book.......2007-06-05

Around The World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne is more true to life than
other books by Verne. The movie starring David Niven is a good movie.
By Danny Karl Fleming, author of How to Prove The Collatz Conjecture.

Easy to read and fun to boot.......2006-12-20

I had never read this classic until now, my 40th year, and I am so glad I did. I laughed, I was tense, I enjoyed it through and through.

A bit slow, but still good.......2006-09-16

Like many classics, this book is paced completely different than a modern novel. It takes forever to get going and even then, not all that much does happen. That to me was the biggest disappointment: Not all that much happens at all. Sure, they get in some trouble and have to fight their way through, but overall, it seems a two-week trip of my own is often more exciting than these 80 days around a world (to excaturate slightly). And to make matters worse, even when something does happen and people venture out to solve a problem, too much time is spent describing the people left behind waiting, and sometimes there is no description of the actual solution of the problem. But such is the style of the time, I guess.

I guess part of the problem is that the story deals with getting around the world as fast as possible, which leaves little time for anything but getting from a ship to the next train and so forth. Very little time is spent at all the different places, which would have offered so much potential story-wise, yet there is no time.

I still enjoyed reading it, in part because the way books were written at this time just amuses me (old English and all). And towards the end, the excitement does pick up a little bit. Not to modern-day-novel levels, but still, I enjoyed it.

You will like this book if you start reading with the right expectations.

Around the World in Eighty Days.......2006-08-25

Around the World in Eighty Days, by Jules Verne, is a novel set in 1872, when technical revolutions allow a man to travel around the world in eighty days. But, to all the members of the Reform Club but one, this is only correct theoretically. However, to Mr. Phileas Fogg, this is a practical number. He then wagers twenty thousand pounds that he can make the journey.

So Mr. Fogg and his newly acquired servant, Passepartout, immediately set out for their first stop- Suez. There they encounter a detective named Fix, who has heard news of a robber that fits Mr. Fogg's description exactly. Fix, wanting the reward of five percent of the fifty-five thousand pounds stolen, makes it his business to stop the `criminal' at all costs. Fix, believing that the wager is just a ruse to get the cops off his tail, thinks that Mr. Fogg will not follow through with this journey around the world.

All goes smoothly, seeing as Fix is unable to attain a warrant for Mr. Fogg's arrest, until the railway that they are traveling on from Bombay to Calcutta, much to their surprise, is unfinished! Fortunately, thanks to Mr. Fogg's cunning ways, the party is able to buy an elephant to travel the fifty miles to the next railway station.

On the way to the next railway station at Allahabad, they see a young woman being carried by Indian savages. An acquaintance, Sir Francis, explains that she is going to be sacrificed. Mr. Fogg, having gained twelve hours, decides to save the woman from a painful death.

Aouda, as it turns out, is royalty to a village in India. But, since the savages will stop at nothing to find her, it becomes necessary to take her to her cousin in Hong Kong, which is conveniently one of the stops on Mr. Fogg's journey. But, much to the party's dismay, the relative has moved to Europe.

Fix, hoping to delay the party, gets Passepartout knocked out on opium, keeping the valuable information that the Carnatic, the vessel from Hong Kong to Yokohama, is leaving that night instead of tomorrow morning. However, to Aouda's sorrow, the party finds another privately owned boat to take them to Shanghai, leaving Passepartout behind. The party decides to go to Shanghai because that's where the steamer to San Francisco starts, then stops at Yokohama and Nagaski, then departing for San Francisco.

Much to the party's delight, they find out that Passepartout actually did make it aboard the Carnatic before it left, and they had a reunion aboard the San Francisco steamer. The steamer makes it into the San Francisco bay on the third of December, and Mr. Fogg has neither gained nor lost a day.
The party then takes a rail passage from San Francisco to Ogden, only impeded by a herd of bison for three hours. On the way from Ogden to Omaha, however, a band of Sioux Indians attacks the train. Three passengers are captured, including Passepartout!

Mr. Fogg does his duty, and rescues Passepartout. Fix, now having his best interests to get Mr. Fogg back to English soil as soon as possible, tells of a sledge that can be taken to the city of Omaha, where trains are plentiful.

They take the trains to New York without stoppage. However, upon arriving at New York, they find out that the China, the steamer going to Liverpool, left only forty-five minutes beforehand! Mr. Fogg's party is able to board a private boat, for two thousand pounds each. He then `persuades' the crew to set sail for Liverpool. A storm makes the crew resort to steam power only. They run out of coal and have to burn the wooden parts of the ship, which Mr. Fogg buys off the owner for sixty thousand dollars.

They take a rail line from Queenstown to Liverpool, gaining twelve hours on the steamers. The arrive in Liverpool at noon on the twenty-first, leaving only eight hours and forty-five minutes to get to the Reform Club. But, much to Mr. Fogg's surprise, he is arrested by Fix. But the thief had been caught three days before!

After a three-hour delay, they charter a train to London, where they arrive at 8:50-five minutes too late. The next day, Mr. Fogg and Aouda decide to get married. When Passepartout runs off to find a reverend, he learns that it's only the 21st instead of the 22nd! Mr. Fogg arrives at the Reform Club at the preset time, winning his wager! By traveling east, he had gained a day during his journey, allowing him to win his wager.

Jules Verne does a great job balancing facts and excitement in this novel. He provides an exciting science-fiction story, while giving some great info on places around the world. I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to anyone with a sense of adventure, or whoever has dreamed about going around the world.

Rollicking good time.......2006-08-22

I think those of us who were introduced to this classic via the recent Jackie Chan movie were done a great disservice. This book accomplishes what few books can: even though the characters are one dimensional, the reader cares about them and genuinely wants to know what will happen next.

The basic setup is that Phileas Fogg makes a bet with members of his club that he can travel the world in 80 days, and then lugs Passaporteau around with him while he sets about accomplishing this task.

Verne does a great job of indicting the tourist mindset that we have today, and apparently had back in Verne's time. Throughout the whole book, Fogg is traveling through France, India, Singapore, Japan and the US, yet never takes the time to appreciate any of it. It's a lot like the people who take vacations and then bring back 20 rolls of film depicting every single landmark mentioned in Frommer's. They've seen it all, but it's all done with a sense of urgency and no real joy. Again, Verne has proven adept at predicting and accurately characterizing human foibles.

The Mysterious Island (Modern Library Classics)

Average customer rating:

excellent book
Saddening metaphor of human nature
Survivor 19th Century Style!
The thinking man's fiction read
Remarkable Novel even for Verne

The Mysterious Island (Modern Library Classics)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Modern Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0812972120
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Book Description

Based on the true story of Alexander Selkirk, who survived alone for almost five years on an uninhabited island off the coast of Chile, The Mysterious Island is considered by many to be Jules Verne’s masterpiece. “Wide-eyed mid-nineteenth-century humanistic optimism in a breezy, blissfully readable translation by Stump” (Kirkus Reviews), here is the enthralling tale of five men and a dog who land in a balloon on a faraway, fantastic island of bewildering goings-on and their struggle to survive as they uncover the island’s secret.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

excellent book.......2007-05-07

excellent book, but you obviously don't need me to tell you this. just look at how long its been in production.

Saddening metaphor of human nature.......2006-09-17

I really love fantasy and adventure novels, maybe because I am a geek, maybe because I am immature, but I really do. This book however left me with a bitter taste on my lips. I enjoy Verne's fantasy and his easy and fluid writing syle but I cannot stand the general tone of this one novel.. which is about a few guys that , while involved in the american civil war, have the very bad idea of flying in a balloon during a storm and end up stranded in your classic desert island. As soon as they land on this island they start laying waste on it killing whatever animal crosses their path, even if just to make candles and make their house a little more comfy. Not happy with that they even manage to fabric explosives to bomb the island here and there. Before you know, they have changed a luxurious, splendid , wild tropical island in a boring american ranch. A clear example and metaphor of the well known human attitude for consuming , exploiting and polluting nature. Nowhere in the book Verne takes the chance to make his characters reflect on the absurdity of war even if the peaceful life they were leading in the island would make the ideal contrast for it. I won't say anything about Ned, one of the characters, an ex slave freed by his master who seems to be there just to blindly follow his master like a dog. I think it 's self-commenting.
Overall, still a good adventure book, but also an (unwanted) saddening portrait of human nature.

Survivor 19th Century Style! .......2006-04-21

This is my favorite book by Jules Verne and I've always been disappointed that it is so underappreciated.

After escaping a confederate prison camp in a hot air balloon, five men are stranded on a remote island. The characters prove to be innovative and determined souls and set about creating a life for themselves using their knowledge of chemistry and other sciences.

The title of the book stems from a series of mysterious incidents that seem to be the work of a benevolent force helping the survivors.

Their ingenuity makes for fascinating reading and once again validates Jules Verne as one of the most intuitive authors of all time.

The thinking man's fiction read.......2006-03-28

Jules Verne really was well before his time and can rightly take his place as the grandfather of Science Fiction, having said that a lot of this "fiction" has come pretty close to the mark. Five comrades are trust together to survive from the elements on a remote island in the pacific, it really is remote as the island is "...more than eighteen hundred from New Zealand" What I love about this work and at the same time makes it a little sticky is the scientific detail that Verne goes into to explain how our heroes develop their island into a small slice of civilization. Verne does has some rather dated opinions regarding Neb, the servant of Cyrus Harding the novels clear cut Superman and does slightly stretch the truth with Jup's development, but if you can overlook these small misgivings and put them into historical light then its a great way to improve the mind and rekindle the love of reading. Oh I hear you ask who is Jup???? Get yourself a copy and find out you won't regret it!

Remarkable Novel even for Verne.......2005-10-13

This new translation lifts the book to a higher level - there is very little about Verne's writing that can be described as dated or boring. Even that redoutable master of brilliant and modern-reading prose, Wilkie Collins, cannot keep up with Verne at his best. How so much seemingly tedious description is lifted to this level of fluidity - flat out amazing.
Verne's genius for what we today call Science Fiction sometimes obscures his even greater gift, for pure narrative. And with the Mysterious Island in this new translation his talent is on full display. Verne creates with this island an entire new world, a sort of Eden, and within this landscape plays out an entirely breathtaking story. Lingering in the backdrop, Verne's embittered alter ego Nemo balances the one-sided idealism of the castaways. On a scale with the Count of Monte Cristo, and the literary culmination of the enlightenment/scientific shipwrecked theme,(versus the 'humans are animals Lord of the Flies alternative), the Mysterious Island builds steadily to a tremendous finish.
When we read 19th century fiction much of the time phrases and scenes are flat, stale; even the best writers, Dickens, or Trollope, Balzac or Hawthorne, have streches of writing that just doesn't read as anything but dated. But Verne's best books, and this certainly is one of them, are as remarkable for their uncluttered fine prose writing as they are for their famous plots and explorations.
If Verne was no great creator of character, he makes up for it by some of the most eminently readable works ever penned.
A wonderful book for reading during a cold long winter weekend.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Tor Classics)

Average customer rating:

A great book
20,000 leagues under the boring
Wonderfully illustrated, very informative, kids love it!
Good Read, But Sometimes Dry
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea By:D25

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Tor Classics)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Tor Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0812550927

Book Description

Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title--offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.This edition of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea includes a Foreword and Afterword by T. A. Barron.Jules Verne is considered the "Father of Science Fiction" because of the power of this--his most famous novel."The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Not to mention rumours which agitated the maritime population and excited the public mind, even in the interior of continents, seafaring men were particularly excited. Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, both of Europe and America, naval officers of all countries, and the Goverments of several States on two continents, were deeply interested in the matter.For some time past vessels had been met by 'an enormous thing,' a long object, spindle-shaped, occationally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale."It is this "something" that Professor Aronnaz sets out to encounter--and thus begins the most incredible underwater journey ever. From Atlantis to the South Pole, the reader is taken through dangers, surprises, and the unsurpassed majesty of the marine world.

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An American frigate, tracking down a ship-sinking monster, faces not a living creature but an incredible invention -- a fantastic submarine commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Suddenly a devastating explosion leaves just three survivors, who find themselves prisoners inside Nemo's death ship on an underwater odyssey around the world from the pearl-laden waters of Ceylon to the icy dangers of the South Pole . . .as Captain Nemo, one of the greatest villians ever created, takes his revenge on all society. More than a marvelously thrilling drama, this classic novel, written in 1870, foretells with uncanny accuracy the inventions and advanced technology of the twentieth century and has become a literary stepping-stone for generations of science fiction writers. From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

A great book.......2007-06-05

Twenty Thousand Leagues under The Sea by Jules Verne is one of the best
science fiction books. I would recommend the movie starring James Mason
as Captain Nemo. It is well written as all of Jules Verne's books are.
Danny Fleming, author of How to Prove The Collatz Conjecture.

20,000 leagues under the boring.......2007-05-11

The good author believes the gentle reader is fascinated by detailed descriptions of underwater flora, fauna, and geology when, in reality, gentle reader is wondering when something is going to happen. Many is the retired gent who has come to me with his list of a kabillion classics he is supposed to read before he dies and I suggest he also check out maybe a cowboy and a mystery, but he does not and he never checks out anything again. Well, a "classic" is merely a book that is still in print, possibly because the publisher does not have to pay royalties on public domain titles. Now, this book is still in print; so, by golly, it indeed qualifies as a classic. And, it is just the thing to give to a reluctant reader to prevent him from ever checking out anything again. It is definitely not a fast read by modern standards. Not that TLUTS is not a great read, but it is hard work for an average reader and should not be required of the inexperienced reader. Thus the book deserves, perhaps, a 5 star for the experienced classic reader but only a 1 star for the novice.

Wonderfully illustrated, very informative, kids love it!.......2007-03-16

My husband bought this book for our son at a visit to an aquarium, even though I thought it was too advanced for him because he's only four and half. I was wrong - my son LOVES this book! I know the age range on it is 9 to 12 and I have no doubt those ages would also enjoy reading the book themselves, but my son is constantly wanting me to read this to him and is always begging for me to read one more chapter because we usually only read one or two at a time (I will admit, I tone down the scarier parts just a bit for him because he's only four). The illustrated pages help hold his attention while I read to him even though there is a significant amount of text per page, and even my two and half year old can manage to sit through a chapter most days. I love the combination of illustration and text that allows me to read my sons more involved and advanced stories without them becoming bored because there isn't enough to hold their attention to the story. My older son loves asking questions about the pictures, especially the ones in the inserts that have information related to different aspects of the story, and I have learned a lot from those too! I definitely recommend this book and am currently looking into buying my son some more books from the DK/Eyewitness Classics series.

Good Read, But Sometimes Dry.......2007-01-03

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.

The novel basically tells the story of Professor Arronax, Ned Land and Conseil who get taken aboard the Nautilus and experiences many adverntures, such as going to Atlantis, an underwater hunt, getting trapped in an ice block and much more.

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea By:D25.......2006-12-08

If you have been hunting for books with sea adventures, then the book 20000 Leagues Under The Sea is the perfect book for you. It's a book
with two main characters named Captain Nemo and professor Monsier Pierre Aronnax. The professor studies about underwater living. He finds a large submarine which he thought to be a whale. Captain Nemo named it The Nautilus. The captain has a strange vow not to put foot on land people have been on land people have been on. He also explains that he only uses things that are from the sea. For example, his bed was made of soft eelgrass. On the voyage, the professor learns to hunt for pearls and sea animals. This book is also suspenseful because it leaves you in one question is captain Nemo still alive?
I really liked this book because it had a leveled amount of description even though it is first person narrative. I would recommend this book this book between ages of 7 and 11. This book is also suitable for people who like to read. You won't feel disappointed after you read this famous book

The Kip Brothers (Early Classics of Science Fiction)

Average customer rating:

The Kip Brothers (Early Classics of Science Fiction)
Jules Verne , and Jean-Michel Margot
Manufacturer: Wesleyan University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Adventures of Captain Hatteras (Oxford World's Classics)

ASIN: 0819567043

Book Description

Castaways on a barren island in the South Seas, Karl and Pieter Kip are rescued by the brig James Cook. After helping to quell an onboard mutiny, however, they suddenly find themselves accused and convicted of the captain's murder. In this story, one of his last Voyages Extraordinaires, Verne interweaves an exciting exploration of the South Pacific with a tale of judicial error reminiscent of the infamous Dreyfus Affair. This Wesleyan edition brings together the first English translation with one of the first detailed critical analyses of the novel, and features all the illustrations from the original 1902 publication.

Average customer rating:

How Well Does Jules Verne Write?
How Well Does Jules Verne Write?
20,000 Leagues under the Sea summary
Excellent!

Jules Verne: Five Complete Novels
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

French | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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Customer Reviews:

How Well Does Jules Verne Write?.......2002-04-22

What a charming author! His ability to write has astounded me; and I know other people who are enchanted by Mr. Verne's books. My personal favorite is Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. I would highly reccomend these books for people aged 11 and up.

How Well Does Jules Verne Write?.......2002-04-22

20,000 Leagues under the Sea summary.......1999-05-14

This book is about a naturalist who is invited to hunt for an ocean monster, but ends up in the monster, only it is actually an electrically run submarine. The captain of the submarine did not want any one to find out about it, so now the naturalist is a captive with his component and an agressive harpooner. He gets to explore the ocean, but craves land. Can he ever get back on land?

Excellent!.......1998-10-14

A collection of the greatest works of this great master.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Unabridged Classics)

Average customer rating:

Good choice
Good Read, But Long Read

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Unabridged Classics)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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Treasure Island

ASIN: 140272599X

Book 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.

Customer Reviews:

Good choice.......2007-01-21

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

Good Read, But Long Read.......2006-12-29

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Thrift Edition)

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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Thrift Edition)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0486448495

Book Description

The "man who invented the future," Verne created the prototype for modern science fiction. His prophetic 1870 adventure novel, featuring a bizarre underwater craft commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo, predated the submarine. The crowning achievement of Verne's literary career, the book influenced H. G. Wells and later generations of writers.

Average customer rating:

A GOOD BOOK
Dull and uneventful story.

Floating Island (Pacific Basin Books)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Kegan Paul
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0710302924

Book Description

A French string quartet traveling from San Francisco to their next engagement in San Diego, is diverted to Standard Island. Standard Island is an immense man-made island designed to travel the waters of the Pacific Ocean. The wealth of residents of the island can only be measured in millions. The quartet is hired to play a number of concerts for the residents during their tour of the islands (Sandwich, Cook, Society, etc.) of the South Pacific. The island seems an idyllic paradise; however, it is an island divided in two. The left half's population is led by Jem Tankerdon and is known as the Larboardites. The right half's population is led by Nat Coverley and is known as the Starboardites. Despite the obstacles encountered on their journey, the two parties have a disagreement that threatens the future of the island itself.

Customer Reviews:

A GOOD BOOK.......2002-07-10

I disagree with statements that say that the book is dull and uneventful. It is true that it is not the best novel written by Jules Verne, but it is still interesting. It has a scientific element in it (the idea of a ship-like structure that is about the size of a small island is not too far-fetched), characters who you can identify with or find interesting, cultural and anthropological insights into various islands in the Pacific Ocean, humor and social satire. In fact, I would rank it higher than most of the books in the bookstores' Science Fiction section.

Dull and uneventful story........1999-03-18

Having read 13 other books by Jules Verne, most of which are considered classics, I went into this lesser known novel with high expectations. Simply put, FLOATING ISLAND sunk, excuse me, stunk. It goes on and on about nothing. The reader follows four French musicians as they find themselves on a large manmade floating island in the Pacific Ocean. As the story goes along they visit island chain after island chain. In typical Verne fashion there are endless details and descriptions of the islands they visit. Unfortunately, that is pretty much all the book is about, describing islands and their inhabitants. There is a plot buried in there somewhere which features the observations of the musicians, and the social structure and events of the island's inhabitants. There is a good bit of social commentary by Verne to be found late in this novel as the island's inhabitants begin to argue and the island is split politically and socially. Unfortunately, there is too little excitement and too little plot to save this sinking ship.

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Authors

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