Told from the perspective of Professor M. Pierre Aronnax, the novel begins with an account of a huge "sea monster" which has been recently sighted at several locations around the globe and has left the scientific world bewildered as to it's origin or exact nature. Believing the monster to be giant cetacean (i.e. whale, dolphin) and wishing to rid the world of this nuisance, Professor Aronnax embarks on the Abraham Lincoln, with his trusty servant Conseil, on a mission to destroy the monster. Onboard the Abraham Lincoln, the pair meet Ned Land, a Canadian harpooner, keen to test his hunting skills. During an encounter with the monster, Aronnax, Conseil and Ned fall overboard; the `monster' in fact turns out to be a giant and fantastical submarine, the `Nautilus', constructed and commanded by Captain Nemo, a dark and mysterious figure who has rejected the terrestrial world. After rescuing the three men and taking them aboard the Nautilus, Captain Nemo informs the three that they are prisoners and can never leave the vessel, in order to ensure the secret identity of his submarine and crew, however are free to roam onboard and will be given quarters and food during the Nautilus's ongoing journey. The novel follows the Nautilus's voyage of twenty thousand leagues through the world's oceans, discovering shipwrecked treasures, visiting the lost city of Atlantis, the south pole and battles with giant whales and octopi. After Captain Nemo destroys a hostile vessel, linked to his dark and troubled past within a unspecified oppressive nation, he spirals into an increasing bout of depression. When the Nautilus ventures into the `maelstrom', a giant whirlpool off the Norwegian coast, the three men use the opportunity to escape the Nautilus and return to civilisation after months of adventure.
This was a really enjoyable read; Verne obviously had a keen imagination and his depictions of the Nautilus's exploits and fantastic underwater world in which the story takes place is vivid and exciting. Through his work, Verne predicted inventions such as the submarine and underwater diving-suit before their time. The novel is like a travel-journal; Aronnax provides us with rich descriptions of the underwater life he encounters. Underlying the journey, Verne builds the tension in the story as we gradually learn more about Nemo's dark past and through Ned Land's growing resentment over his imprisonment and plans for escape (while he's not trying to harpoon and eat every single animal he encounters). With so many different species described during Aronnax's journal, I wish someone would make an annotated/illustrated, online version of the book, where for each species described, you can click on the word and it automatically brings up a picture (i.e. straight from a google/wikipedia search?).
A classic (both in and out of the sf genre) that everyone with a sense of adventure or a love of the ocean should read.
