20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

I just finished Verne's masterpiece today. I would have liked to have had a 19th century dictionary (or a very good current one!) with me while reading it, as some of the old words for different marine life were confusing for me. The ship-talk was a little dull, but I would have probably enjoyed it more if I'd been plotting the Nautilus's course on a map with latitude and longitude.

That being said, however, I really enjoyed 20,000 Leagues. I read it as part of a Barnes & Noble online discussion group and the variety of discussion was very thought-provoking. The idea that Verne created science fiction is really exciting to me and that so much of what he imagined has come to pass is inspiring.

I would definitely recommend the book to those interested in studying the science fiction genre. Also, I think that the book would be excellent for parents trying to teach geography & introduce classic literature to kids in a fun way. It would have been great to plot the Nautilus's course on a map and look up all the different sea life P. Arronax (the narrator) describes!

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