20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Tor Classics)

Book Description

Tor Classics are affordably-priced editions designed to attract the young reader. Original dynamic cover art enthusiastically represents the excitement of each story. Appropriate "reader friendly" type sizes have been chosen for each title--offering clear, accurate, and readable text. All editions are complete and unabridged, and feature Introductions and Afterwords.This edition of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea includes a Foreword and Afterword by T. A. Barron.Jules Verne is considered the "Father of Science Fiction" because of the power of this--his most famous novel."The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Not to mention rumours which agitated the maritime population and excited the public mind, even in the interior of continents, seafaring men were particularly excited. Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, both of Europe and America, naval officers of all countries, and the Goverments of several States on two continents, were deeply interested in the matter.For some time past vessels had been met by 'an enormous thing,' a long object, spindle-shaped, occationally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale."It is this "something" that Professor Aronnaz sets out to encounter--and thus begins the most incredible underwater journey ever. From Atlantis to the South Pole, the reader is taken through dangers, surprises, and the unsurpassed majesty of the marine world.

Download Description

An American frigate, tracking down a ship-sinking monster, faces not a living creature but an incredible invention -- a fantastic submarine commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Suddenly a devastating explosion leaves just three survivors, who find themselves prisoners inside Nemo's death ship on an underwater odyssey around the world from the pearl-laden waters of Ceylon to the icy dangers of the South Pole . . .as Captain Nemo, one of the greatest villians ever created, takes his revenge on all society. More than a marvelously thrilling drama, this classic novel, written in 1870, foretells with uncanny accuracy the inventions and advanced technology of the twentieth century and has become a literary stepping-stone for generations of science fiction writers. From the Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-09-01

A group of men come to misfortune at sea. They have the dubious misfortune to come to the attention of Captain Nemo and his highly advanced submarine, Nautilus. While this prevents them from drowning, they do get caught up with some of the odd Captain's other pursuits. Ned and company do certainly get some education in oceanography and marine biology along the way.

They do have to worry about what the antiheroic supergenius Nemo is actually up to, though.

Awesome!.......2007-08-06

I purchased this book to read to my five year old son. It is a great adaptation and there are pictures on every three to four pages which keeps him interested in the book. Great illustrations! We are loving every minute of it and read 2-3 chapters a night!

A great book.......2007-06-05

Twenty Thousand Leagues under The Sea by Jules Verne is one of the best
science fiction books. I would recommend the movie starring James Mason
as Captain Nemo. It is well written as all of Jules Verne's books are.
Danny Fleming, author of How to Prove The Collatz Conjecture.

20,000 leagues under the boring.......2007-05-11

The good author believes the gentle reader is fascinated by detailed descriptions of underwater flora, fauna, and geology when, in reality, gentle reader is wondering when something is going to happen. Many is the retired gent who has come to me with his list of a kabillion classics he is supposed to read before he dies and I suggest he also check out maybe a cowboy and a mystery, but he does not and he never checks out anything again. Well, a "classic" is merely a book that is still in print, possibly because the publisher does not have to pay royalties on public domain titles. Now, this book is still in print; so, by golly, it indeed qualifies as a classic. And, it is just the thing to give to a reluctant reader to prevent him from ever checking out anything again. It is definitely not a fast read by modern standards. Not that TLUTS is not a great read, but it is hard work for an average reader and should not be required of the inexperienced reader. Thus the book deserves, perhaps, a 5 star for the experienced classic reader but only a 1 star for the novice.

Wonderfully illustrated, very informative, kids love it!.......2007-03-16

My husband bought this book for our son at a visit to an aquarium, even though I thought it was too advanced for him because he's only four and half. I was wrong - my son LOVES this book! I know the age range on it is 9 to 12 and I have no doubt those ages would also enjoy reading the book themselves, but my son is constantly wanting me to read this to him and is always begging for me to read one more chapter because we usually only read one or two at a time (I will admit, I tone down the scarier parts just a bit for him because he's only four). The illustrated pages help hold his attention while I read to him even though there is a significant amount of text per page, and even my two and half year old can manage to sit through a chapter most days. I love the combination of illustration and text that allows me to read my sons more involved and advanced stories without them becoming bored because there isn't enough to hold their attention to the story. My older son loves asking questions about the pictures, especially the ones in the inserts that have information related to different aspects of the story, and I have learned a lot from those too! I definitely recommend this book and am currently looking into buying my son some more books from the DK/Eyewitness Classics series.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Unabridged Classics)

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Good choice
Good Read, But Long Read

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Unabridged Classics)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 140272599X

Book Description

Originally published in 1870, Verne’s amazing undersea adventure is one of the earliest science fiction novels ever written. Since that time, generations of readers have plunged below the ocean’s waves with Captain Nemo and his first-ever submarine, The Nautilus. It’s a voyage of exploration and the imagination.

Customer Reviews:

Good choice.......2007-01-21

A classic is a classic, but additional features in this edition make it a great choice. Nice illustrations, too!

Good Read, But Long Read.......2006-12-29

I thought that the book had one of the best plot lines I've ever seen, reguardless of the fact that there is only slight building up to the climax. The only thing that I didn't think was that good about the book was that about every other page, Jules Verne would go into a paragraph description of the animals. For example, he would say something like: I just saw a tuna. But not the normal tuna, it was yellow-bellied, had dorsal fins that went at a downward angle, etc." Otherwise, I thought it was a great read and well worth the money. I will be purchasing more of Jules Verne's books very soon. I highly suggest for you to read this book. Another thing, if you enjoyed watching the 1954 "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea Film," I highly suggest the book because the movie only gives a small picture of what actually occurred during their submarine venture and the book tells you everything, and the occurrences are just amazing.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Enriched Classics)

Average customer rating:

The Almost Perfect Book I Have Ever Read!!!!
This Version of a Great Story is Garbage
Don't buy this book!
DREADFUL TRANSLATION, UNRELIABLE NOTES

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Enriched Classics)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 1416500200

Book Description

ENDURING LITERATURE ILLUMINATED

BY PRACTICAL SCHOLARSHIP

A group of men set sail to solve the mystery of a sea monster in this amazing underwater adventure.

EACH ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES:

• A concise introduction that gives readers important background information

• A chronology of the author's life and work

• A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context

• An outline of key themes and plot points to help readers form their own interpretations

• Detailed explanatory notes

• Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work

• Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction

• A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience

Enriched Classics offer readers affordable editions of great works of literature enhanced by helpful notes and insightful commentary. The scholarship provided in Enriched Classics enables readers to appreciate, understand, and enjoy the world's finest books to their full potential.

SERIES EDITED BY CYNTHIA BRANTLEY JOHNSON

Customer Reviews:

The Almost Perfect Book I Have Ever Read!!!!.......2007-03-02

This book is about a detective name Nemo.He is at an underwater submerine,and they used a lot of math.They are trying to capture a realy long seamonster.The rest I won't tell.

The things that I like about this book is everything,some you'll hate.

The things that I hate about this book is that yhe ending wasn't the best thing for me,but I think you'll love it.Also the math part I don't like it only if you like the math part.

This book was is the great adventure\underwater detective book. I wish that They would make a movie out of it.THIS BOOK YOU'LL LOVE!!!!
I hope you will ENJOY this book!!!!!!!!!!

This Version of a Great Story is Garbage.......2006-03-25

Shameful. To use a widely discredited translation when better exist, and to have such horrendous errors in the notes is just shameful. There is absolutely no reason to REprint a discredited translation that is full of outrageous errors and huge omissions, and to "enrich" the text with completely erroneous notes. Abysmal. This butchered version of a great story deserves a negative five star rating. No school should purchase this edition, no library should have it on its shelves, and no individual should waste their hard earned money on this when better editions already exist, and when better editions can be easily and readily reprinted by the publisher, Simon & Schuster, Inc.

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. _Much_ better editions exist. Read the excellent reviews below by J. M. Margot and F. P. Walter to discover what editions you should be looking for.

And if you are a fan of Verne, or just a fan of quality publishing, please write Simon & Schuster, Inc., and tell them to replace this absolutely abysmal edition:

Jack Romanos President and CEO
Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
Phone: 212-698-7000
Fax: 212-698-7099

Don't buy this book!.......2006-03-24

If you're going to read one of the great classics of literature-and you should-don't pick up this edition. It is a reprint of a version that dates back to the 1870s and was exposed more than 40 years ago for cutting nearly one-quarter of Verne's story and mistranslating much of the remainder. Its reappearance in this edition is all the more amazing considering Tor's status as a leading science fiction publisher, and the company's willingness to perpetrate this fraud on is many readers is truly stunning. If you want to truly get to know Verne's novel, pick up the elegant Naval Institute Press edition, in a modern, complete, updated translation, with commentary by the leading American Verne expert today, Walter James Miller. That book also comes with many of the artistic engravings that illustrated the original French first edition (no illustrations are to be found in the B&N Mercier reprint). Less attractive but more academic is the Oxford Classics version of Twenty Thousand Leagues. This review is posted on behalf of the North American Jules Verne Society by Jean-Michel Margot, president NAJVS.

DREADFUL TRANSLATION, UNRELIABLE NOTES.......2005-04-11

A sorry example of the laziness and irresponsibility of many trade editors today -- and it's especially shameful in a publication targeted to students and youngsters.

First, the basic text is dreadful: though unidentified, it's the long-discredited translation signed by "Mercier Lewis" and rushed into print in 1872 by the London firm of Sampson, Low. As modern scholars have documented on numerous occasions, Verne's original French was politically censored, drastically abridged, couched in stilted Victorian prose, and riddled with hundreds of inane translating errors. Its clunky, antiquated English is something no American student could possibly enjoy ("I own my heart beat," says the narrator, who actually means, "I admit my heart was pounding"). As for the translating blunders, some are asinine beyond belief -- Verne's characters start a fire with a lentil (Verne: lens) . . . loosen bolts with a key (Verne: wrench) . . . and claim iron is lighter than water (Verne: the opposite, of course).

Are these obscure facts? Anything but. Over the past four decades, this translation's inadequacy has been bemoaned repeatedly in basic reference works (Taves & Michaluk's JULES VERNE ENCYCLOPEDIA), online (the Jules Verne Forum at http://jv.gilead.org.il/forum/), and in readily available MODERN translations of this novel (e.g., the paperback editions from Signet, Oxford, and the U.S. Naval Institute). What's more, not only has Simon & Schuster's current editorial staff shirked the most rudimentary homework, they're apparently too lazy even to double-check their OWN publishing files: as long ago as 1966, S & S issued a revised edition of the Mercier Lewis translation; they hired NYU expert Walter James Miller to correct and reword Lewis's text -- which, in a specially written preface, Miller denounced as a "botched up translation . . . slashed and slapdash." Lewis's renderings, he said, "bristle with technical errors and omit whole passages vital to the technical integrity, the character development, even the humor of the story."

In short, Simon & Schuster could easily have reprinted their own 1966 version, not ideal but vastly better than Lewis's original. Or, alternatively, they could have reprinted either of the other two English translations in the public domain, both superior in accuracy and completeness. But, these days, indolence and ignorance apparently rule in the halls of S & S.

So, though this Enriched Classics series boasts on its back covers about its "practical scholarship," the said scholarship, not surprisingly, often works out to be dismally unreliable. The "helpful notes" and "insightful commentary" can range from the useless to the ridiculous. On p. 425, the explanatory notes can only tell us that such sea creatures as tubipores, gorgones, and spondyles are "various kinds of marine life." Big help. (They're corals, sea fans, and oysters, folks.) On the other hand, when the notes attempt more, they're often worse: on p. 426, for instance, I was amazed to learn that porphitae and asterophytons are "igneous outcrops." Nooo!!! These aren't rocks, people, they're animals! (Jellyfish and starfish, for Lord's sake.)

If you're as astonished as I am that such bluff and nonsense is being palmed off on our kids as "scholarship," write S & S this week.

Meantime, what edition of 20,000 LEAGUES should you acquire? First, in addition to this Enriched Classics version, also avoid those other student editions (!) published by Scholastic, Tor, and Apple -- they don't identify it either, but they all blindly reprint this same hopeless 1872 Mercier Lewis translation. Fortunately, however, there are four sound paperback texts of 20,000 LEAGUES, all readily available, all immeasurably superior in accuracy, completeness, and readablility. For general readers the Bonner (Bantam) and Brunetti (Signet) translations are both worthwhile. For readers wanting an annotated edition, there are two good ones: Butcher's (Oxford), which is strong on the novel's genesis and manuscript record, and Miller's own illustrated retranslation (U.S. Naval Institute), which is strong on the marine biology -- and on which I myself collaborated. All are competitively priced, so there's no need to settle for something inferior.

By the way, the above-cited deficiencies may well be typical of this Enriched Classics collection as a whole -- I note that their edition of Dumas' MONTE CRISTO also features a seriously inadequate text. Students, parents, and teachers are warned to proceed with caution vis-à-vis the entire series.

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There's more Under the Sea than you think

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Quiet Vision Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 157646279X

Customer Reviews:

There's more Under the Sea than you think.......2006-03-03

The book 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was an amazing book. Jules Verne explores the wildness of the sea, telling the adventure of explorer Captain Nemo and Professor Aronnax aboard the Nautilus. The book starts with Aronnax sailing on a ship to find and destroy a certain "animal" that men have told stories about every time a ship has disappeared. Their ship succeeds in finding this monstrous and follows it. Suddenly the writer takes the book in a different direction, from perusing of a undetectable "object" when Aronnax and his two other friends, Conseil and harpooner Ned Land, fall into the sea only to be taken by captive by Nemo. Now, these three friends have to either live with the submarine explorer Nemo in his submarine fascinated by the wild jungle of the depths of the sea, or find a way to escape. Captain Nemo, however, doesn't hold them as prisoners as one would think. Reading further along, you'll find that Nemo at first seems to be a soft, caring man who has experienced true pain, true hurt and true jubilance. Having lost his wife and children, he hides away from his feelings under the sea. He takes the travelers through the most amazing, exquisite and, most of the time, life; threatening adventures. They visit the lost island of Atlantis, are visited by a gargantuan squid and venture under the freezing ice of the South Pole. Later, sailing under the ice, they experience trouble that threatens their lives. Will they make it out of the ice alive, run out of air or be crushed by the collapsing ice? Although welcoming the explorers to accompany him on unforgettable adventures, Nemo still holds them in the small prison of the submarine. Read the book to find out whether Aronnax and his friends make it out alive from Nemo's clutches. Even if these men escape, will Nemo himself make it out alive from a dangerous life trap?
I enjoyed this book immensely and would recommend it to anyone who has a love for suspense and thrill. Reading the book as a child, whether 11 or 50, you'll find this book hard to put down. A wonderful story to have on a shelf, keep this book for your entire life. A classic and reaching great heights of excitement, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, however long ago it was written still takes you on a thrilling adventure. These four men together make a real friendship. Nemo finally realizes the beauty of having a family outside of the deep waters. Everyone needs something. Aronnax, Ned Land, Conseil all want to return to their beloved home. What do you think Nemo wanted? He has riches, a life beneath the waves, almost everything. But everyone needs a family. Nemo learns that the hard way.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Illustrated Classics)

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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Illustrated Classics)
Jules Vern
Manufacturer: Saddleback Educational Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1562549502

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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Illustrated Classics)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Saddleback Educational Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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Journey to the Center of the Earth (Illustrated Classics)

ASIN: 1562549510

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Naxos Audio)

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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Naxos Audio)
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Naxos AudioBooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 9626342331

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20,000 Leagues Under The Sea
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: 0706420942

Classic Starts: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Classic Starts Series)

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Classic Starts: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Classic Starts Series)
Jules Verne , and Lisa Church
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1402725337

Book Description

Jules Verne’s classic science fiction fantasy carries its hero—Professor Aronnax of the Museum of Paris—on a thrilling and dangerous journey far below the waves to see what creatures live in the ocean’s depths. In the process, Verne imagined a vessel that had not yet been invented: the submarine.

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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea [MP3 CD]
Jules Verne
Manufacturer: Tantor Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: MP3 CD

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ASIN: 1400150701

Book Description

French Professor Aronnax and his servant join the Abraham Lincoln, an American frigate, on a mission to find and destroy a "sea-unicorn of colossal dimensions, armed not with a halberd, but with a real spur, as the armored frigates." The undersea monster is thought to be responsible for the disappearance of over 200 ships. When they encounter the "gigantic cetacean" it disables the Abraham Lincoln and knocks Professor Aronnax, his servant, and the hot-tempered harpooner, Ned Land overboard. The three must cling to the beast or drown; soon they realize that it is really a man-made underwater vehicle.
Captain Nemo captures the men on his incredible submarine, the Nautilus. The captain and his unwilling passengers thus embark on a deep-sea odyssey that stretches from the palm-strewn Indian Ocean to the frozen peril of the South Pole. But the villainous Nemo has a darker purpose for his voyage.... revenge on humanity.
Not just a suspense ridden drama, this classic novel, written in 1873, predicts with astonishing accuracy the advanced technology and inventions of the 20th century and has inspired generations of science fiction writers.

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