Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

This was so fun! I haven't read a lot of sci-fi from the days of yore. Mostly Burroughs, I would say. I didn't have many expectations about this book. I do have a board game called Nemo's War which is inspired by this book, but that didn't really tell me much I didn't already know from just absorbing popular culture.

Having been in the Navy and served on submarines for 10 years, and grown up in New England with whaling and the sea as a backdrop, and having just finished reading Middle Passage by Charles Johnson I was primed for a seafaring yarn, and this delivered quite remarkably well.

My favorite part of the book was the delightful turn of phrase. I know it was translated from French, and the version I read was translated by Lewis Page Mercier. I don't know how much license he took or whether the original was so clever and at times non-sensical, a majority of which centered around Ned.

“...friend Ned is busy making a kangaroo-pie which will be a marvel.”

“All these pigeons are only side-dishes and trifles; and until I have killed an animal with cutlets I shall not be content.”

“Friend Conseil, I like you much, but not enough to eat you unnecessarily.”

“Ned Land did not speak, but he opened his jaws wide enough to frighten a shark.”

“Ho! ho!” said Ned Land, moving his jaws significantly.

Ned and his jaws are apparently very impressive. I made assumptions that the translator was probably a “very proper British chap” and indeed, he was a Reverend from London educated at Oxford University. I recently read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and many passages were reminiscent of Carroll's intended approach to literary silliness.

I devoured many exciting passages, and loved that Captain Nemo remained an enigma throughout. While I have heard that some people were turned off by it, I never minded all of the listing of scientific names of fishes and seaweeds and other discoveries. I could imagine Professor Aronnax carried away by the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see such wonders, and was amazed at his knowledge of so much geography, being able to identify islands by the mountains and other features. I am amazed at the thought that this book was published around 1870 considering how much Monsieur Verne got right or nearly right. I'm also amazed at the idea that this was written at a time when there was no Internet, no Google, and even maps and reference books were potentially inaccurate and hard to get. Verne truly was a scholar. I mean, really, Spoilerhow much did we know about Antarctica in 1870?

As a former submariner I scoffed at some of the things he got wrong, but for the most part was very willing to grant a large amount of leeway considering the date of the book. Inaccuracy regarding the speeds and depths of submarines, for example, are part of what make it science fiction. For me the most egregious wrongs were that when you are on a ship or submarine of any kind you would need to “stow for sea” and couldn't just Spoilerhave a museum of priceless spoils on display like you were in a living room, and you can't play demolition derby with your submarine. There were many scenes of using it to batter ships and ice that had me cringing.

Despite those issues, I loved it. I couldn't give it five stars, mostly because of the sense of European colonialism that informed various interactions. Spoiler”I could easily have knocked down this native, who was within a short length; but I thought that it was better to wait for real hostile demonstrations. Between Europeans and savages, it is proper for the Europeans to parry sharply, not to attack.” That quote perfectly encapsulates both the highs and lows of the book, but as someone who wrote many years before several of my favorite early 20th century science fiction and fantasy authors, I look forward to further exploration of his work and more from that era.