Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a timeless classic by Jules Verne, combining undersea wonder and mystery with fast-paced, thrilling adventure.

Bringing a combination of brain and brawn to the daring voyage is the scholarly Professor Aronnax, his loyal and devoted acolyte Conseil, and the strong and stalwart Ned Land - a Canadian harpooner with an eye for destroying the monster aboard. Their missions changes after a dazzling twist: the aquatic beast they pursued was in actuality an enormous submarine, controlled by the eccentric Captain Nemo.

Hailed as the 'Father of Science Fiction', Jules Verne's stories have inspired hundreds of writers since their original publication toward the end of the 19th century. This inexpensive edition allows readers to peruse and enjoy the genius of Verne's storytelling at a low cost, confident of the book's essential quality and durability.

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From School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-Performed in radio theatre style, this audio version is a fine retelling of the Jules Verne classic. The St. Charles Players, composed of four actors, play a variety of roles with hammy gusto, although the dialogue is a bit rushed in the opening sections. This adaptation by Jeff Rack does a good job of capturing the feel of Verne's sprawling epic tale. The story is told by Professor Aronnax, who agrees to investigate a series of attacks by a mysterious sea monster. He joins the crew of the ship Abraham Lincoln. The men encounter what they believe is the monster, but turns out to be a large, state-of-the-art submarine, the Nautilus. Aronnax and a hot tempered harpoonist, Ned Land, are imprisoned on this vessel, captained by the misanthropic recluse, Nemo. Nemo takes them around the world. Verne's descriptions of the underwater world, with its exotic creatures and sunken ships, shine thanks to clear narration and evocative sound effects. As the journey continues, becoming monotonous, the program's midsection sags a bit. It picks up steam again with sequences involving a monstrous octopus and a storm. While not an essential purchase, this is an impressive attempt to adapt a classic.

Brian E. Wilson, Oak Lawn Public Library, IL

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

Novel by Jules Verne, first published in French as Vingt Mille Lieues sous les mers in 1869-70. It is perhaps the most popular book of his science-fiction series Voyages extraordinaires (1863-1910). Professor Pierre Aronnax, the narrator of the story, boards an American frigate commissioned to investigate a rash of attacks on international shipping by what is thought to be an amphibious monster. The supposed sea creature, which is actually the submarine Nautilus, sinks Aronnax's vessel and imprisons him along with his devoted servant Conseil and Ned Land, a temperamental harpooner. The survivors meet Captain Nemo, an enigmatic misanthrope who leads them on a worldwide, yearlong underwater adventure. The novel is noted for its exotic situations, the technological innovations it describes, and the tense interplay of the three captives and Nemo (who reappears in The Mysterious Island). -- The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature