20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

“I ask no more than to live a hundred years longer, that I may have more time to dwell the longer on your memory.”

This is my second experience with Jules Verne and one of his renowned Victorian era travelogues (my first being Around The World in Eighty Days.) It was a very different experience, being oceanic in focus. But it carried the same undertones of a keenly intelligent fiction author who is not only telling a story, but is also trying to use part of his work to impart real world knowledge upon his readers. For my particular tastes, the results are mixed…

To my surprise, my favorite stand-out aspect of this story centers around not simply the mysterious Captain Nemo, but the effects of social isolation on him and his crew. I wasn't expecting the psychological depth, or the questions surrounding human morality when cut off from "civilized" society. I think this early-on commentary regarding the captain captures the gist of the intrigue:

“God, if he believed in Him, and his conscience, if he had one, were the only judges to whom he was answerable.”

The psychosomatic impact on the three very different men being forced to remain on the Nautilus is another point of fascination. The French naturalist, Dr. Aronnax is beyond charmed by the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the uncharted ocean depths and survey it’s wild variety of life. The Dr.’s servant, Conseil, is amicable to his master’s whims. But the Canadian harpooner, Ned, is restless for his freedom—and even appeasing forays allowing him to hunt fail to satiate his resistance for long.

On the flip side…

While I’ve no doubt this book was meticulously researched (during the time period in question)—Verne was perhaps a bit too in love with his data. The book could have easily been trimmed down at least 1/3rd had he not gone to such long-winded lengths listing every plant and animal species that crosses Aronnax’s line of sight. Too often it feels as though this dry listing of facts is somehow substituting for description, which effectively bogs down the pacing.

Another problem with this fixation on the scientific has to do with the immaturity of science at the time Verne wrote this tale. Things considered “facts” at the time may have since been disproven or reworked through more extensive observation. (Examples: The mention of Ceylon peal divers not being able to hold their breath more than a minute, and the assertion that sharks can only bite if they are swimming upside down…)

Personally, this reader didn’t love the nebulousness of the ending. Especially when compared to the brilliance of the wrap-up for Around The World in 80 Days.