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Jules Verne's all-time bestseller "Around the world in 80 Days" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (100)

It will work
I ordered this as a book to use to plan a lesson for a ninth grade language arts class and it worked.Not to tattered and worn enough i could easily hold open pages.

Around the world in 80 days
First published in 1873, Verne's narrative describing an eccentric gentleman's pursuit of a saloon wager is charming in its simple and straightforward presentation of what may be seen as typical 19th-century views and expectations. Although many of the stereotypes and presentations of British imperialism would be viewed as politically and socially incorrect to a modern audience, the innocence and casual frankness of Verne's depictions allow readers a glimpse at how the British may really have viewed their place in the global community. For this alone, I find the novel intriguing.

The characters of the novel are strangely underdeveloped, which allows the reader to focus more on the excitement of the journey as opposed to the emotional consequences suffered by the protagonists. Passepartout, Mr. Fogg's French valet, is arguably the most developed character, and proves to be an interesting addition as readers not only discover information about his rather colorful past, but are likewise pacified in the desire for emotion that is markedly absent from the figure of Phileas Fogg himself.

In the end, I enjoyed Around the World in 80 Days much more interesting than our reading of Journey to the Centre of the Earth, despite (or perhaps because of) its simplicity of plot and character. Verne's 1873 novel frequently appears on reading lists for young teenagers, and I strongly agree with the recommendation; I can't wait until Brooks has a chance to read it for himself.

Good Payoff to a Somewhat Lackluster Adventure
The ending is one of the best things about Jules Verne's AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS, but don't worry! I'm not going to spoil the fun. The journey, I'm afraid, isn't always quite as exciting as its conclusion.This didn't come as a great surprise.It's been my experience in reading the children's "classics" (e.g., SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, LITTLE WOMEN, even LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE) with my daughter, ten, that they can be surprisingly dry at times.Nonetheless, even when I've begun to lose my patience with the books, my daughter has always found it worthwhile to persevere.

AROUND THE WORLD concerns a wager of 20,000 pounds made by one calm, indeed imperturbable, and extremely punctual English gentleman, Phileas Fogg, with his friends at London's Reform Club.His money is staked on his being able to achieve the book's eponymous journey within the given time limit.It seems a fool's bet by all concerned, except, of course, by Mr. Fogg and, perhaps, by Mr. Fogg's loveable, faithful, pugilistic, and gymnastical servant, Passepartout (whose name means, "passes through all").Mr. Fogg's already demanding time schedule is complicated by his having been mistaken for a bank robber and so chased by a British inspector throughout his journey.What's more, Mr. Fogg tarries in India to rescue a woman in distress, and is delayed in America when he likewise has to rescue Passepartout from the Indians.Note Mr. Fogg saving the lives of the two people he comes to most love, on opposite sides of the world, and yet on both occasions from "Indians."

Aouda (the woman Mr. Fogg has rescued), Passepartout, Mr. Fogg, and the inspector Mr. Fix travel the world on various conveyances, especially trains and ships, but also more exotic transportation such as an elephant and a sailing sledge (on snow).(Alas, there is no balloon--that seems to have been a Disney invention.)Though the world's their stage, the characters only occasionally indulge in the local color of the places through which they travel, such as Passepartout and Mr. Fix's visit to a Hong Kong opium den, Passepartout's brief employment in an American circus in Japan, and the traveling quartet's experience of raucous American politics in San Francisco.Frankly, though, this all sounds a little more fun than it actually is to read.The author, it would seem, resonates with Mr. Fogg's lack of interest in the places along his journey.As I noted above, though, there's a good payoff (even though many readers will have anticipated it), so the reader's journey feels worthwhile in the end.

Like other volumes in the Sterling series, this is a nicely produced hardback volume with a ribbon to keep one's place.The illustrations are very well done if too few in number; one greedily wishes that the publishers had commissioned more.

Loved thi sbook
this book was a very good book. My 5th grade teacher 5 years ago assigned this book to me for a book report. I didn't want to read it, but I did anyways. I was just interested in reading the first chapter, but read the whole book in a couple of hours. Loved it!

Nice Trip!
It is no wonder this book written in 1873 is continuously reprinted. The story of Mr. Phileas Fogg and his journey to transverse the earth in 80 days just sparkles with wit and exciting plot convolutions.
We are so complacent with the ease of traveling great distances quickly and in comfort; it is very instructive to read what it was like before automobiles and jet planes. I particularly enjoyed the description of the train trip across the American West.
Most of the times I avoid books labeled "classics". Somehow the term connotes for me someone saying, "read this, it's good for you".Therefore I will avoid the "classic' label and just conclude that this is an extremely entertain novel for all ages and long may it remain in print.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (6)

Alex not Axel
There is a misprint in the book we received.The name is supposed to be Alex---not Axel.

Amazon is replacing.No problem. Was great to deal with as far as exchanging.

As far as the book itself.Great story.My son loves it.My children love these Classic Unabridged books. They have several in the series and the books are very nice.In the back of each book is a set of questions for the reader. As a parent, home schooling mom, and book collector----I really like these books.They have many more titles for boys and for girls.We have bought some from Vision Forum and some from Amazon.

Great classic novel
This is a great classic novel.It is a fun read and much better than the movies based on it.Give yourself a treat and read this book regardless of what you might have thought of the Hollywood versions.

Enjoyable
Over the decades, I have read "Journey ..." a few times. Despite the years since it was written, it holds up quite well as a fantasy / Adventure! It is an enjoyable book and I think today's teenagers would like it.

Didn't receive shipment or answer to my online question
I sent an email asking for why this book wasn't processed or shipped. If there was something that I did wrong on my end, please tell me. I would like to have this book.

Nathan

A great book for all ages!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Jules Verne or sci-fi books. This book will definitely raise your curiosity levels. If you are like me, and are a die hard fan of the unknown, then this book is for you. I recently came across a site that is offering this book in digital format, which gives you the ability to read the book from your cell phone, or any other portable device you may have. Here is the site, JourneyIntoEarth dot com Enjoy! ... Read more

Product Description
Subjects: Science fictionNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

It would have been easier to teach my son French and get the original
There has GOT to be a better translation out there than this!
Here is an excerpt:
"The cheaper journals replied keenly and with inexhaustible zest. These satirical writers parodied a remark of Linnaeus, quoted by the adversaries of the monster, maintaining that "nature did not make fools", and adjured their contemporaries not to give the lie to nature, by admitting the existence of krakens, sea-serpents, "Moby Dicks", and other lucubrations of delirious sailors."

The whole book is written like this. Also, it takes the book a whole page or more just to convey something as simple as "people were scared", and it uses obscure vocabulary to do so.I mean, seriously, is "lucubrations" the best word the translator could come up with there? It makes me think he does not speak English and was using babelfish online to translate it.

However, if you enjoyed reading the excerpt I provided, then by all means go ahead and buy this version of the book.

Great story...not like any of the movies.
Many others have left very informed reviews, so I will simply say that it was a very interesting look at human relationships. My wife and I listened as we drove accross America, enjoying hearing words that are all but lost in modern culture.
Rae

A very reader-friendly classic
The classic undersea adventure doesn't disappoint. Full of mystery, both in terms of the unknown element of the seas, but in the behavior of cagey Captain Nemo.Easily engaged, the reader will travel beneath the sea, visiting places of the imagination, and seeing phenomena that I hope a lucky few may have witnessed.

Horrible narration
The narrator should have a European (french) accent. Instead he has a gravely American accent. It just does not fit the story at all. I was not happy with this purchase.

Captain Nemo went away
Submarines as we know them didn't exist in 1869. But Jules Verne had an almost eerily prophetic knack for knowing what technology would be used in the future -- and he put it to work in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea," a slow-moving adventure tale with plenty of proto-steampunk and almost fantastical undersea life.

Ships in the middle of the ocean are suddenly seeing -- and being attacked by -- "a long object, spindle-shaped, occasionally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale."

Eventually the US government sends out a ship to capture the object, and during a sea battle Professor Aronnax, his manservant Conseil and harpooner Ned Land go overboard. Soon they're picked up by the Nautilus, the vast submarine that has been causing all this trouble, and introduced to Captain Nemo -- an intelligent, charismatic man who belongs to no nation.

Aronnax becomes fascinated by Nemo, his ship and his library -- as well as the amazing underwater adventures that Nemo introduces them to, like pearl-hunting and fighting a giant squid. But the captain's free, lawless life has its dark side, and the three men begin to realize that they must get away from the Nautilus no matter what.

It's actually rather amazing that Jules Verne not only dreamed up the idea of a semi-modern submarine long before they existed, but thought out the applications, the stealth, and the vast size. And since nothing like the Nautilus existed at the time, there's a slightly fantastical, steampunk flavor to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

And as usual, Verne painstakingly studies everything about his imagined world, filling it with science (although he obviously didn't know about water/air pressure) and lovely descriptions of the Nautilus and the eerie underwater world (giant oysters, forests, Atlantis). The only flaw is that he tends to ramble on about exact measurements and travel details; there are boring patches here and there.

But Captain Nemo is probably one of Verne's most fascinating characters -- a charismatic, embittered man who is a sort of noble sea pirate. He does some stuff that is totally unacceptable (sinking a random warship), but he also has little spurts of kindness and generosity towards poor and powerless peoples of the world. He's scary but fascinating.

Giant submarines, charismatic pirates and an undersea world just waiting to be explored -- "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" is a fascinating sci-fi classic, if you can get past the dull patches. ... Read more

Product Description
A message in a bottle relays an urgent plea from the long-missing Captain Grant. His ship, the Britannia, has sunk. He is alive but is being held hostage. Captain Grant's children, Mary and Robert, along with their friend and benefactor Lord Glenervan launch a rescue expedition. But where do they begin their search? The original SOS message written in three languages is partially destroyed by sea water. The remaining fragments can be interpreted several ways. Only one clue is certain, Captain Grant is somewhere along the 37th parallel. Racing against time, risking their lives, the brave adventurers are determined to find and save the shipwrecked captain. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Review
A must read, as is the case with all other novels written by Jules Verne.

One of Jules Verne's very best!
This is simply a great edition of a fantastic book. It is an easy and fun read with as many twists and turns to the plot as Verne fans have come to expect from him. A definite must for any serious library!

For adventure lovers everywhere
Few writers can compare to Jules Verne's imagination, flare for drama and sheer staying power. This novel, among his most famous in Europe, has been all but overlooked in North America (a silly film adaptation in the 1960s notwithstanding). Over a century after it was written, Captain Grant's Children captivates the reader, delights him and takes him along on an unforgettable journey. This edition is what's been missing all these years.

A Timeless Classic
I absolutely loved this book as a kid and it took me years to find it in English -- who knew that it was renamed "In Search of the Castaways?" This is a clear, engaging edition, with all the elements of adventure, glimpse into 19th century scientific knowledge, great storytelling and humor that Verne is known for. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
Around the World in Eighty Days has been a bestseller for over a century, but it has never before appeared in a critical edition.While most translations misread or even abridge the original, this stylish version is completely true to Verne's classic, moving as fast and as brilliantly as Phineas Fogg's own race against time.Around the World in Eighty Days offers a strong dose of post-romantic reality but not a shred of science fiction:its modernism lies instead in the experimental technique and Verne's unique twisting of space and time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Ce livre est parfait pour s'améliorer son français !
C'est le premier livre qui j'ai lu pour savourer et apprendre la langue française. Il a le vocabulaire simple pour que comprendre aux débutants. L'histoire est bien dit par Jules Vernes ET le livre fut à l'origine écrit en français ! Si vous aimez les classiques de littérature, lisez-le particulièrement en français, n'est-ce pas ?

Gavin, thanks for telling people how it ends.
This is a wonderful book. In my opinion, one of Verne's top 2 or 3. I absolutely loved 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. Then, I read this book...Again, in my opion, Around The World In 80 Days is much, much better. This book has to recieve a 5 star rating. I've scarcly, if ever, read better. 20,000 Leagues was my first Verne book. This was my second. Now, I have read almost every Verne book I have been able to get my hands on. This book keeps you flipping pages late into the night. If you want to read a real classic filled with adventure, humor, and drama. Then I should definetly recommend this book, which, I am doing right now ...read Around The World In 80 Days by Jules Verne, and I promise you, you won't be able to put it down.

awesome book
This book was one of my favorite books of all. This book kept me on the edge of my seat till the verry end. Philias Foog maks a wager that he can travel around the world in eighty days. His peers take the wager thinking that there is no chance he can do it. He takes all the transportation you can think of. HE gets back and he thinks that he did not do it but he really did. He did not take in account that they were traveling east. That means you lose a couple of minitues a day. he finnaly realizes that and he goes into the club just as it turns 9:00.He did it!!

An excellent translation
This is Verne's classic story of the trip of Phileas Fogg (who is obsessed with time), Passeportout, Aouda, and Detective Fix around the world on a wager. The book is filled with beautiful time and space imagery throughout(I would bet that one could write an entire thesis on all the time andspace references in the novel). Thirty-three years after its publication,the world first learns of the space/time continuum (although I'm certainVerne was not anticipating Einstein). Fogg bets his fellow club membersthat he can circumnavigate the globe in a mere eighty days. He leavesimmediately with his valet Passeportout and is pursued by Detective Fix,who thinks he is a bank robber. Through many adventures, including therescue of Aouda from immolation, they all return to London. Interestingly,a few years later, after a number of improvements had been made in railwaysand roads, a U.S. journalist named Nellie Bly (the pseudonym of ElizabethCochrane) decided to attempt to break Fogg's "record." Leaving New York onNovember 14, 1889, she was able to circumnavigate the globe in 72 days, 6hours, 11 minutes, and 14 seconds. But, she didn't rescue a Hindu princess!It should be noted, however, that one has to be very careful concerning thetranslations of this novel. There are some terrible ones being sold. Thistranslation by William Butcher appeared in 1995. ... Read more

Product Description
Through the eyes of young Gilbert, a peasant boy who Robin takes under his wing, readers will meet the world's most famous outlaw as he does battle with the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham and his evil friends. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (135)

If you are thinking Arlene Dahl, you will be shocked.
I grew up on the James Mason movie, "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1959), so it was quite a shocker to read the book.You could imagine to my dismay the absents of quite a few characters and the center of the story is Germany not Scotland.

Now for avid readers you could care less about old movies, I can truthfully say that this is one of Jules Verne's best stories and well told.

What you will find more interesting and fun about this tale is the characters and their interaction. One of my favorite parts is when Harry who did not want to go to the center of the earth with his uncle, Professor Hardwigg; he turned to his affianced, Gretchen, and was planning on her to stop him. Her answer is shockingly disappointing to him.

"While there is life there is hope. I beg to assert, Henry, that as long as man's heart beats, as long as man's flesh quivers, I do not allow that being gifted with thought and will can allow himself to despair"

Be prepared as the bulk of the book is really a geological journey back through time and forward again painfully spelled out by Harry whom is the first person narrator.

The Kindle version does not have actual picture of the runes in chapter 1. Moreover, a tad off on pronunciations. Other than that, it is more than worth obtaining along with a hard copy for your library.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

More Fun Than Harrison or Fasier
I've seen both screen versions of Jules Verne's classic book, "Journey to the Center of the Earth", both the Rex Harrison and Brendon Fraiser versions; while both films are enjoyable, neither capture the fun and fantasy contained in the book - although the Rex Harrison version comes closer to achieving this feat.What I particularly like about the book versus the movies are the descriptive elements and dialogue of the main characters using the vivid language captured so well by Verne.The description of Hans, the Icelandic guide, and some of the commoner Icelanders met in the story, are particularly entertaining.There are key differences as well.For instance, the lead characters, Professor Lidenbrock and his nephew Axel, are German - not English or American as the films depict.Read along with "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and "Around the World in 80 Days", a person can really capture the full wonder that is Verne.

how ifeel about this book
this was the first book i bought using my kindle and i am happy to say the i made a fine choice by buying this book. it made me feel like i would want to do that for a job.

Allegory of man and man's technology vs. nature
Why take a journey into space, when you can take a journey to the most mysterious place on earth.Actually it isn't on earth...but in it.Looking back 100 years, Journey to the Center of the Earth can be seen as an allegory of man and man's technology set against the awesome power of nature.In Jules Verne's 1864 iconic book Journey to the Center of the Earth, an unconventional professor and his nephew find an ancient book and a riddle on parchment that leads them on the strangest expedition.Upon solving theriddle, their findings lead them to a remote mountain in Iceland, where they enter an extinct volcano into the bowels of the earth.When entering the mysterious realm of the earth they are confronted by prehistoric animals and numerous natural hazards produced by the parallel environment.However, the explorers try to overcome their challenges with the use of their technology, which proves to be more useless than beneficial.Do the heroes survive by their own wits or the charity of nature?
Journey to the Center of the Earth, is one of the first of its kind in the genre of modern science fiction, which was revolutionized by Jules Verne.His revolutionary writings brought about many ideas explaining the unknown of the day that has just recently be proven wrong.That being said, this novel is a scientific masterpiece that would be enjoyed by all sci-fi fans young and old."Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth"--Jules Verne.Jules Verne was a product of his times.In the mid-19th century, European civilization believed it could achieve any goal by application of modern technology.

Fast paced, exciting, original and charming
I think that this book is excellent. This story is fast paced, exciting, original and charming. When I read this book I it was very simple for me to imagine the pictures that were describing in this book. As a matter of fact, this book is outstanding because it was written in 1864 and at that time, it was impossible to imagine a journey to the center of the earth, so this book is really cool. Therefore, we can understand how far ahead of his time Jules Verne was in comprehending science.

Before reading this book, I have not ever thought that inside our planet may be something like a hidden world with oceans and ancient animals, but now it is not very hard for me to imagine this. Consequently, this book has changed my imagination and understanding of the world in general.

When I try to place myself on the place of one of the characters and imagine myself deep under the Earth, my heart sinks and I am starting to understand feelings of Harry who was alone in the heart of the planet. And I also think, that this book shows very well the deep knowledge of sciences of the author who wrote this excellent book. When you read it, you learn a lot of new information about geology and physic.

I have a very good impression of this book because I have learn't a lot of new information about world, I read about national traditions of people who live in a mountain of Iceland. And it was also very interesting to read a story that was written more then hundred years ago. Therefore I want to advise everybody to read this book.

There is also a hard cover version of this title: A Journey to the Center of the Earth (AD Classic) ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
In this 1870 science-fiction classic, obsessed Captain Nemo and his prisoners descend beneath the sea in his secret submarine, the Nautilus, for nonstop adventure and suspense. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Awesome!
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! ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Very LONG
This was a good and very graphic read.At times I found myself being bored but I kept reading.It is a very long book and I was kinda glad to be done with it.

The Mysterious Island
This was a great boot. I enjoyed reading it from start to finish. I would recommend it to everyone.

Still enjoying
Only half way through reading this book but thoroughly enjoying it. McIyver meets the Swiss Family Robinson. A bit far fetched in parts - I'm not quite sure that you would ever get such a spread of flora and fauna on the one island but the story is a great read.

Entertaining
Very interesting.I kept thinking of what I would do if trapped on an island.I loved the inventions.

This is the better free edition
This is Jules Verne's attempt at writing a Robinson Crusoe / Swiss Family Robinson castaway story, with the twist that the five castaways crash-land a balloon and thus come to the island with almost nothing -- unlike Crusoe or the Swiss Family, the castaways here don't have a boat-full of resources, tools, etc., to fall back on, and have to make *everything* themselves, from the ground up, armed only with their knowledge of science and engineering. Since it always seemed to me that Crusoe and the Swiss Family cheated a bit by bringing so many tools and so forth along with themselves, I really enjoyed the more scientific focus, and this has now replaced Swiss Family as my answer to the "what one book would you want with you on a desert island?" question.

Parts of the novel drag a bit, but it's a Jules Verne novel so there's a good story here -- the Island has a mysterious unseen inhabitant, also, there are pirates, which is always awesome.

This translation is also the better of the two available for free in the Kindle store -- unlike the Kingston translation, this one (I believe based on the 1875 White translation) preserves Verne's character names, cuts less of Verne's text, and retains Captain Nemo's anti-English and anti-imperialist rhetoric, often cut from other period translations.

Oh, yeah, Captain Nemo. This book is in some ways a sequel to Verne's _Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas_, as well as to his _In Search of the Castaways_. The sequence isn't direct -- really more a case of cameo characters than a direct plot sequel to either book -- but you might want to read those two books first before picking this one up. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

excellent service
received book in perfect condition!! fast delivery!! would definitely order from you again :)thanks!

20,000 leagues under the sea
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
By: Jules Verne

I read the book "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne.It was about a professor who is shipwrecked onto an under water submarine.On the submarine the professor figures out that the Captain uses the sub to destroy other ships.But also on the sub he goes on excellent adventures such as hunting sea otters in the middle of the ocean.He also gets to study fish from a wild under water view.Also they go on an island and get chased by savages back to the Nautilus just for hunting on the island.They also try to sail around the world and are successful after being stuck under ice for two days in the North Pole.And finally they killed a shark when it attacked them when they were searching for pearls.The professor and his comrades are told that they can't go back home so the professor and his friends try to escape and whether he does you're going to have to read the book.

I didn't like this book at all.I didn't think it was exciting at all.I almost fell asleep every time I read it.He didn't really use any hard vocabulary, it was all a lot of old time slang.The main conflict didn't interest me at all because this book wasn't exciting at all.The characters were very real because they seemed like they would be people that go to sea.The ending was stupid because it didn't really have an ending, it just ended.

The author used third person talk from two characters.The author uses vocabulary in an interesting way because he uses a lot of old slang.The author used a good amount of dialogue but he should have used a little more.

I would rate this book a 0/10 because it was so stupid that I pretty much fell asleep.I don't recommend this book to anyone because it was horrible and no one should have to read this garbage.

In conclusion the author used good writing technique but his book was terrible and was not interesting at all.

Rather disappointing
Sad to say, I expected a lot more from this much-renowned book. Yes, Verne's lenghty and detailed descriptions of marine life are amazing, and one can truly appreciate his brilliant imagination in having conjured up all those underwater scenes. However, it gets really redundant and dull after the first 30 pages of above said descriptions, and the plot just fails to really take off. I was torn between times when I was deeply curious as to why Captain Nemo was the way he was, and at other times, I just really didn't care. I still think this work is good considering it was written over a hundred years ago; however, for a better read and appreciation of Verne's work, check out his Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
PLOT: 19.5 / 25
Though often scientifically intriguing and educational, the plot of Jules Verne�s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is, at times, slightly dry. To the votary of marine biology, this fantastic tale would be a masterpiece of literature, but to the reader of relatively modest aquatic knowledge, the plot at times seems to come almost to a standstill. At times the storyline seems to branch off to situations which, though they are truly fascinating, do not seem to pertain very directly to the advancement of the plot.

INTEREST: 20 / 25
Much like the amazing journey of Captain Nemo and his companions, this tale is thoroughly unpredictable. Unfortunately, the interest pertaining to any given part of the tale is equally unpredictable. When the story is good, it�s great: beautiful undersea jungles, a myriad of aquatic creatures of every shape and description, the mysterious past of Captain Nemo and his crew. When the story is bad, it terrible: lengthy and dry descriptions of sea life, detailed measurements of various parts of the Nautilus, trivial descriptions of everyday life aboard the Nautilus.
In spite of this seemingly lukewarm review of such a renowned tale, none can deny that Jules Verne has a particular ability which is scarce at best among authors; that of mingling fact with fiction. This exceptional ability, possessed only by authors of advanced learning in a particular field, H.G. Wells or Isaac Asimov being such authors, can transform a seemingly ridiculous yarn into a convincing, credible document. This is illustrated effectively throughout 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, for at times the reader must remind themselves that this the story is fiction, not fact.

CHARACTERS: 18.5 / 20
The characters of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea are, obviously enough, deeply explored; they spend a good 230 pages together aboard the Nautilus. At first, they are seemingly simple, shallow characters but this is later disproved as the story progresses. Each have their own quirks and interests and traits, particularly the mysterious Captain Nemo, but these traits are variable and hence make the characters more realistic than the average story character. Their emotions change from day to day, their attitudes transform as the novel proceeds. This gives the characters and in turn the story a stunning realism; a trademark of Jules Verne�s books.

STYLE: 13 / 15
Style, as any reader worth his own books knows, is as subjective an area as they come. Though certain aspects of style can�t be denied as impressive - graphic imagery, apposite metaphors, etc. - style is, for the most part, an area of subjectivity. It is for this reason that I must confess to the reader of this article that though the style of this story is, for the majority, quite impressive and eloquent, there are times when it becomes slightly long-winded. Nonetheless, this book is skillfully written and thoroughly enjoyable.

ATMOSPHERE: 13 / 15
Though atmosphere is on offshoot of style, it is, in a sense, a completely different area. The atmosphere of
this story is quite impressive. This area, though, is once again unfortunately, and perhaps unfairly, marred by the constant variance of quality of this tale. At times, the atmosphere is awe-inspiring; Verne�s style virtually places the reader among his undersea kingdom, its circumambient wonder and beauty surrounding them. At other times, though, the pages are dry and lifeless; they are dead to the reader.

TOTAL: 84 / 100

The Great Adventure Under the Sea
The main character of the book is Captain Nemo.He had hard time obeying the laws.So he came up with the idea to hide in the sea where nobody could find him.He built a submarine with the help of his partners.In those days scientists only new about tiny sparks of electricity.Captain Nemo figured out how to use it for his submarine.Unfortunately his submarine was ruining other ships.People thought that the submarine was a sea monster with a horn that swam very fast.
Ned was a sailor on the explorer boat.When submarine went up for air it broke Ned�s ship with its horn.Ned landed on emerging submarine right when Captain Nemo opened hatch to get air.Nemo took Ned and his friends inside of the submarine.Nemo showed them around the submarine and said he would not let them go, because he did not wont to spoil his secret.Ned�s two friends had wonderful time on the submarine.They like to go under water in the suits Captain Nemo invented and search for pearls and animals.But Ned was nervous and he would not go anywhere.He wanted to go back home.He was afraid what he will be killed by the army ship which was searching for sea monster.He was able to signal for help to army ship with the flag.
I love this book because it has a lot of adventures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Restored Translation from the original of Lewis Mercier
The original 1872 English translation by Rev. Lewis Page Mercier omits about 20% of the story, including all the science and mathematics which Verne included. This restored translation, uncredited, but listed in bibliographies as by Harald Salemson, is a restored version including the material which Mercier left out and correcting many of his blunders. This edition converts all of Verne's various units into English units and Fahrenheit degrees, thus destroying part of the original flavour of the book. Also the French expletives do not translate well into English equivalents. Long out of print, this 1970 edition is the first in the 19th century to do justice to the original French of Jules Verne. If you grew up with the original Mercier version, you may want to read this to see what you missed. ... Read more

Product Description
25 of Jules Verne's major works in one collection, with active table of contents:

The Adventures of a Special Correspondent
All Around the Moon
Around the World in 80 Days
The Blockade Runners
Dick Sand, A Captain at Fifteen
Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon
Facing the Flag
Five Weeks in a Balloon
FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON
Godfrey Morgan
In Search of the Castaways
In the Year 2889
A Journey to the Centre of the Earth
The Master of the World
Michael Strogoff
The Moon-Voyage
The Mysterious Island
Off on a Comet
The Pearl of Lima
Ticket No. "9672"
Topsy-Turvy
Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea
The Underground City
A Voyage in a Balloon (1852)
The Waif of the "Cynthia"

... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Title is a Lie.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0024NLFXW/ref=cm_cr_rev_prod_img

Jules Verne wrote 54 novels, plus a considerable number of essays and plays. This is by no means the complete Jules Verne. I dislike liars. It could have been called THE ESSENTIAL JULES VERNE without lying.

The editing and proofreading make my head hurt. The rating is not for the author, who gets five stars in my book. It is for the editor(s) and publisher(s), all of whom need to go back to school, study grammar and mechanics, and take at least one course in business ethics.

I would be ashamed to post such a debacle. When I post THE COMPLETE ELSIE DINSMORE whenever I finish editing it, it will be in three or four volumes, because even the first half of the books are too long for Kindle to handle. But I will darn well TELL THE TRUTH with my title. I cannot understand the chutzpah that would cause someone to deliberately post a lie.

Poor Translations
In spite of the value moneywise, this is a very poor translation of Verne's works. It is full of typos and awkward grammatical errors. Unfortunately, it does no justice to the talent of Verne as a writer. I read the equivalent compilation of his work translated by the Christian Workshop (I think) from Mobipocket. This was far far superior.

Formatting errors, no navigation
With the multitude of Jules Verne compilations available for Kindle, I count myself very unfortunate to have purchased this one first. There are terrible formatting errors with attempts at italics done like hypertext, with the code still visible and no italics present. Furthermore, there is no navigation available for the Table of Contents, which is no small complaint for such a huge compilation. In short, there are much better alternatives for a Verne fan, and I would definitely stay away from this one.

If you like only 2 of Jules' works, buy this collection!
If you get some of his works from [...] as public domain titles for free and put them manually on your kindle or if you purchase some of his works for 99 cents each and have them sent wirelessly to you, you will have several titles filling the HOME page of your kindle.

Buy this collection and you have 1 item in your kindle's HOME page AND got 25 of his books for only 3.45$ (compared to 2.30$ for EACH book via whispernet if you live in Europe)

You like "Around the World in 80 Days"? Then you will probably like "The Mysterious Island" and will surely want to read "Michael Strogoff", "Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea" or "A Voyage in a Balloon" whidh are all by him and included in this collection.

After that you might want to search out wikepedia about this amazing writer and find that was a French author who lived from 1828-1905...

... Read more

Product Description
The works of Jules Verne in one giant Kindle book with an active table of contents.

Works include:
20,000 Leagues Under the Seas
All Around the Moon
An Antarctic Mystery
Around the World in Eighty Days
Dick Sand - A Captain at Fifteen
Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon
The English at the North Pole
Five Weeks in a Balloon
From the Earth to the Moon
The Fur Country
Godfrey Morgan
In the Year 2889
A Journey to the Interior of the Earth
The Master of the World
The Moon-Voyage
The Mysterious Island
Off on a Comet
The Pearl of Lima
Round the Moon
In Search of the Castaways
The Secret of the Island
The Survivors of the Chancellor
Ticket No. 9672
Travels of Jules Verne
The Underground City
A Voyage in a Balloon
A Winter Amid the Ice ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Corrupted Download
This item was ordered over my computer and downloaded from the Amazon-provided storage area.The item arrived at my Kindle in corrupted condition: it opened in the middle of one of the 27 items, and there was no index included.

I haven't found any Amazon instructions on dealing with this problem.I removed it from the Kindle and downloaded it several times but it arrives in exactly the same condition.I cannot delete it from the storage area. Trying other ways into the document caused the Kindle to have to be rebooted.

I could re-order the same item, another $1.00 is not a big deal, but will it overwrite the item on the storage area?

Looking for help.

First translations
This omnibus from Avenel collects five of Jules Verne's most popular novels, and three stories from one of his first collections.These are all the earliest translations into English of his works, often appearing just months after the original French editions, containing many of the original illustrations.Oddly enough, the cover painting, although of Captain Nemo (a main character in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea) is actually taken from an edition of The Mysterious Island which is not included in the omnibus.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a translation of Vingt Mille Lieues sous les mers by Mercier Lewis (1873), illustrated by Alphonse de Neuville and Édouard Riou.It is 6th in the Voyages Extraordinaires series, preceded by In Search of the Castaways, and followed by Around the Moon.

A Journey to the Center of the Earth is an anonymous translation, first published in 1871 by Griffith and Farran, of Voyage au centre de la Terre, illustrated by Édouard Riou. It is 3rd in the Voyages Extraordinaires series, preceded by The Voyages and Adventures of Captain Hatteras, and followed by From the Earth to the Moon.

Around the World in 80 Days is a translation of Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours, by George Makepeace Towle (1872), illustrated by Alphonse-Marie de Neuville and Leon Benett.It is 11th in the Voyages Extraordinaires series, preceded by The Fur Country, and followed by The Mysterious Island.

From the Earth to the Moon is a translation of De la Terre à la Lune by Louis Mercier & Eleanor E. King (1873), illustrated by Henri de Montaut.It is 4th in the Voyages Extraordinaires series, preceded by A Journey to the Center of the Earth, and followed by The Children of Captain Grant (In Search of the Castaways).

Round the Moon is a translation of Autour de la Lune, by Louis Mercier & Eleanor E. King (1873), illustrated by Émile-Antoine Bayard and Alphonse-Marie de Neuville.It is a sequel to From the Earth to the Moon, and is 7th in the Voyages Extraordinaires series, preceded by Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, and followed by The Adventures of Three Englishmen and Three Russians in South Africa (Measuring a Meridian).

Three short stories are included from the collection, Dr. Ox's Experiment, and Other Stories, translated by George Makepeace Towle (1874), with various illustrators: Doctor Ox's Experiment (translation of Une fantaisie du docteur Ox);Master Zacharius (translation of Maître Zacharius);and A Drama in the Air (translation of Un drame dans les airs).

Although the illustrators are identified in the introduction to the omnibus, the translators are not, and I was able to identify the translations with the aid of the Internet and various web sites.

Great collection, but
Thanks to the Kindle I recently purchased I've been rediscovering Jules Verne and this collection is a great collection and value however, having just begun reading through the collection from the beginning I'm made to think that this experience is analogous to the Journey to the Center of the Earth (which is later than I've read so far).

My analogy is that just as the rising temperature experienced by the adventurers in the journey to the center of the earth, the reader in this collection seems to experience increasing amounts of typographical errors as one proceeds "deeper" into the volume.

I'm hoping that there may reach a "limit" that is not passed before I get much further, or else the stories of which I have no knowledge or recollection will be unintelligible. ... Read more

Product Description
With little more than courage and ingenuity, five Union prisoners escaped the siege of Richmond-by hot-air balloon. They have no idea if they'll ever see civilization again-especially when they're swept off by a raging storm to the shores of an uncharted island. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Entertaining Castaway Classic
This book lands in the category of Robinson Crusoe and Swiss Family Robinson.It's a great concept with an intriguiging start and finish.However, some of the inbetween gets a little slow.It is definitely worth the read and is educational as well.The resourcefulness of the castaways is remarkable and somewhat unbelieveable at the same time.(spoiler alert) The book has a great tie-in to 20,000 Leagues which made things even more mysterious.Also, Issac Asimov has an afterword which thankfully was an afterword rather than an introduction, making it easy to skip.

Variation on a timeless theme. . . .
Just finished reading this book and a grand tale it is!Verne is a master
craftsman!He justly deserves the title (together with H.G. Wells) of
"Father of Science Fiction."But whereas Wells developed science fiction
as a means of conveying definitive utopian visions, for Verne the genre
facilitates the exploration of classic dilemmas confronting humankind.

Think of "Mysterious Island" as "Robinson Crusoe" meets "Twenty Thousand
Leagues Under the Sea" and you'll get an idea of where Verne is headed
with this story.There is certainly the emphasis on technology, science
and learning with which all sci-fi fans are familiar.What makes the
book worth reading, however, is the variation it represents on classic
themes found throughout literature."Mysterious Island" is essentially
the age-old story of man versus nature and man versus his fellow man and
what consequences these confrontations have upon the human condition in
general.The interaction of these opposing forces constitutes the
enduring appeal of "Mysterious Island" and make it much more than just a
science fiction story.

Considering Verne's reputation and how well he writes I am surprised his
works are not more often taught in school.Perhaps the moniker "Father
of Science Fiction" hangs too heavily with him.Maybe it would just be
too easy to write a report on his ideas.Whatever the case, many people
are acquainted with his works only through their movie versions, and that
is a lost opportunity!Verne's works seem worthy of consideration
equally great as those of Mark Twain, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Daniel Defoe,
or Jonathan Swift.It is a joy to read Verne's works to see how he
develops many of life's classic oppositions in his tales.

"Mysterious Island" does not represent Jules Verne's best work.Even the
Verne fan may find it somewhat dull or overwritten when compared with
better known works such as "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" or
"Around the World in Eighty Days."The latter two works do greater
justice to Verne's style and grace, especially his powers of characterization.But Verne's ability to create the classic oppositions
of the human condition and present them to the reader makes "Mysterious
Island"--along with his whole body of work--worthy of reading among the
best in world literature.

A Very Poor Translation
This is the 1875 translation, by WHG Kingston, which cuts sections of text, changes the names of the characters and is generally not faithful. Choose instead Sidney Kravitz's version for Wesleyan University Press to really understand what Verne intended to say.

Best Jules Verne Novel
I love the work of Jules Verne, and this is by far his best work. The island is really a symbol for the world, and how we could make use with it and still live in harmony with it. This translation (Signet Classic version) was very readable, and I believe that it was not edited in any way, but I can't find that anywhere on the book itself. I only mention this, because some Jules Verne novels are shamelessly cut apart, and censor the reading before the reader even has a chance to judge. The introduction and afterword are negligible. The characters are great, and even though they may be a little unbelievable by today's standards, the whole point of the novel is about what GREAT men can do even with nothing to start with. A MUST read after 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (be especially careful which version of that book you get) ... Read more

Product Description
Jules Verne (1828-1905) est un écrivain français, dont une grande partie de l'oeuvre est consacrée à des romans d'aventures et de science-fiction (appelés du temps de Jules Verne romans d'anticipation) comme Le Voyage au Centre de la Terre (1864) et Vingt Mille Lieues Sous les Mers (1869). Il fait ses études de rhétorique et de philosophie au Lycée de Nantes, (actuel Lycée Clémenceau) puis des études de droit après le baccalauréat. Il commence à écrire, des poèmes, une tragédie en vers. Il va terminer son droit à Paris en novembre 1848, bien plus intéressé par le théâtre. Il y fait la connaissance d'Alexandre Dumas, qui accepte de monter sa pièce Les Pailles Rompues, en 1850, dans son Théâtre-Historique, où elle y est jouée douze fois. Jules Verne publie ses premières nouvelles dans la revue Le Musée des Familles: Les Premiers Navires de la Marine Mexicaine et Un Drame dans les Airs en 1851. En 1852, Il est engagé comme secrétaire au Théâtre- Lyrique. Il publie Maître Zacharius (1854), Un Hivernage dans les Glaces (1855) et Martin Paz (1874). ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
Your purchase helps fund free educational resources at BompaCrazy.com!!!

The Jules Verne Collection:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
A Journey to the Center of the Earth
An Antarctic Mystery (The Sphinx of the Ice Fields)
Around the World in Eighty Days
Dick Sands the Boy Captain
Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon
Godfrey Morgan
The Adventures of a Special Correspondent (Claudius Bombarnac)
The Blockade Runners
The Master of the World
The Moon Voyage (From the Earth to the Moon & Round the Moon) ... Read more

Product Description
Classic science fiction adventure novel, in the original French. According to Wikipedia: "Jules Gabriel Verne (February 8, 1828-March 24, 1905) was a French author who pioneered the science-fiction genre. He is best known for novels such as Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea (1870), and Around the World in Eighty Days (1873). Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before air travel and practical submarines were invented, and before practical means of space travel had been devised. He is the third most translated author in the world, according to Index Translationum. Some of his books have been made into films. Verne, along with H. G. Wells, is often popularly referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Classique & Amusant
Un professeur découvre un ancien parchemin sur lequel est indiqué le moyen de se rendre au centre de la terre, par le biais d'un cratère de volcan éteint. Enthousiaste, il tente lui même l'aventure, en compagnie de son neveu (narrateur de l'histoire) et d'un guide.
Le début est un peu lent et on se perd un peu dans les considérations minéralogiques, la descripton des paysages et les physionomies de personnages secondaires.
Mais passé ce premier tiers, le reste du livre est un bonheur total, qui mérite bien sa réputation de grand classique de la littérature française.
C'est un récit ou se mèlent les connaissances scientifiques de l'époque (par ailleurs très amusantes), les scènes d'action, de la pure fantaisie et une description très fine du caractère de chaque protagoniste.
Le tout se finit par une remontée vertigineuse, par le biais d'une eruption volcanique.
Trditionnellement recommandé aux lecteurs à partir de 12 ans. ... Read more

Product Description
Now available in a new translation, this classic of nineteenth century French literature has been consistently praised for its style and its vision of the world. Professor Lidenbrock and his nephew Axel travel across Iceland, and then down through an extinct crater toward a sunless sea where they enter a living past and are confronted with the origins of man. Exploring the prehistory of the globe, this novel can also be read as a psychological quest, for the journey itself is as important as arrival or discovery. Verne's distinctive combination of realism and Romanticism has marked figures as diverse as Sartre and Tournier, Mark Twain and Conan Doyle. ... Read more