Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a classic science fiction by Jules Verne. It tells the story of Captain Nemo and his submarine Nautilus as seen from the perspective of Professor Pierre... This description may be from another edition of this product.
Not quite as good as the original, but good enough to be recommended
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
I am strongly in favor of the classics being read in their original form. However, I also know that time marches on and new readers are easier to attract if the language is altered into a more modern form. This book is profusely illustrated and the language has been reasonably altered. Therefore, the story is well presented and as unchanged from the original as possible. However, there is one spot where a serious error was made. On page 149 there is the paragraph: "One day, the ship began to dive down much deeper than usual. The Nautilus went down to a depth of twenty thousand leagues before it stopped." This figure is ridiculous, the twenty thousand leagues in the title refers to the distance of the voyage, not the depth of the dive. Twenty thousand leagues are more than the circumference of the Earth. I believe that all children should be exposed to the stories of Jules Verne. Presented in the proper historical context, they demonstrate a degree of precognition on the part of Verne that few others can match. While this book is not the original, it stays close enough to it for me to recommend it.
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.