Resumo de 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

Jules Verne, the grandfather of science fiction, again shows that his is much more than a scientific mind. Verne is a grand storyteller, and this novel is his masterwork.

Our heroes, Professor Arronax, his faithful compatriot Conseil, and the salty sailor Ned Land find themselves together in a hunt for a giant, mysterious undersea creature which has been causing havoc among shipping lines as well as towns along the coastline. Setting out to sea on top-of-the-line sailing vessel, the three men and the crew encounter the creature, only to have it sink their ship like so many others. However, as you probably know, this is no creature at all, but the most spectacular vehicle ever created by man. It is the Nautilus, a gigantic submarine, and the proud creation of the enigmatic Captain Nemo.

Captain Nemo holds the three as his prisoner. They are instructed that they may never leave the Nautilus, yet will be treated with hospitality and respect by Nemo and his crew. The Captain keeps his word, and treats the Professor and his fellows to all the wonders of the ocean depths. Captain Nemo has made the sea his home, vowing never to return to the distasteful world on land. The Nautilus has everything you would need to live and prosper; infinite supplies of water through its seawater processing machines, and an abundance of exotic seafood dredged up from the deep.

Captain Nemo himself is as mystifying and brilliant as his creations. He is one of the greatest villains ever put on paper, and Verne?s skill as a storyteller brings him to life. Nemo?s motivations are clouded in mystery. I can?t stress enough how excellent this character is, and the sly way Verne allows for Nemo?s true motivations to remain as unfathomable at the end of the novel as it was at the beginning.

The Professor doesn?t want to leave the Nautilus. He is enthralled by the sea life and the wonders of Nemo?s brilliant submarine. Conseil goes where the Professor goes, and is pleased to assist him in their adventure. Ned feels like a prisoner. He longs to walk on firm ground again, and considers his imprisonment as a violation.

The action is blended well alongside the exploration and discovery. This book reads and feels like a grand adventure in ways few books can equal. The language is crisp and clear and so is the humor, which is a unusual for a novel written well over 100 years ago. It flows perfectly in English as a result of a superb translation. One thing that all readers may not be keen on is the over-long descriptions of creatures and scenes beneath the waves, however to me, this was the most interesting part of the book. Even in these modern days of TV and deep-sea diving, our knowledge of what goes on beneath the seas of our planet is severely limited, and Verne paints a beautiful, romantic picture of it.

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