20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

[Divin'Papaw]

My wife, a non-diver, is reading '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' by Jules Verne. She is having a hard time slogging through it given all of the intricate technical details. She insists that every diver should read it. So ... how many of you have read '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'? From the excerpts she has read to me, it seems like a phenomenal book given that it was first published in 1870! Oh, and yes, I'll be reading it once she's finished!

 

[Gary D.]

Good book and Good movie.

Gary D.

 

[Barracuda2]

So ... how many of you have read '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'? !

I'm an ex English teacher and have used this novel in my literature classes. I read it a few times as a kid and several times as an adult, and I'll probably read it again. I saw the movie with Kirk Douglas at least 5 or six times and have it in my video library along with many others: Beneath the Twelve Mile Reef, The Big Blue, etc. Jules Vern did use an extensive vocabulary writing this prophetic story.

 

[Damselfish]

I think I read that the first time when I was a little kid. Great book. I should read it again. Would probably be a good book to listen to in the car, actually.

 

[ProfessorAronnax]

A classic! Jules Verne was way ahead of his time! Movie was also cool (Peter Lorre's a personal favorite)

 

[tlawler]

Read it for the first time in 5th grade and twice since then. Great book...as movies based on a book go, pretty good movie, too.

I'll bet many of you don't know that the patent for the periscope was awarded to Verne for his very graphic technical description of it in the book.

I say many of you because I know a whole lot of scuba boarders will know this little tidbit of trivia already.

 

[Supernal]

I never read it but saw the movie when I was a kid. I don't remember that many technical details.

 

[tlawler]

I never read it but saw the movie when I was a kid. I don't remember that many technical details.

The movie eschews technical details for cinematic drama.

If you've ever read any Verne, you'd know of his penchant for technical minutiae.

 

[Wayward Son]

It's a great book, but I don't see it as having any real relevance to a modern recreational diver.

 

[Jim Lapenta]

First read it about the age of 8. About the time I was really getting into sea hunt also. That would be about 36 yrs ago. It should be must reading for every middle school kid along with cry of the wild, moby dick, and robinson crusoe. I also read the complete works of sherlock holmes by the tenth grade.