For the past 120 years, readers of English have known only a poor imitation of Jules Verne's classic French novel Vingt Mille Lieues Sous les Mers and consequently relegated the writer to the category of a "boy's author". Since 1873 the standard English version has been Lewis Mercier's mangled "translation," a work that's filled with errors, mistranslations, and bogus additions, and missing nearly a quarter of Verne's original text. Now, thanks to the life-long efforts of two Verne scholars, the English-speaking world at ...
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For the past 120 years, readers of English have known only a poor imitation of Jules Verne's classic French novel Vingt Mille Lieues Sous les Mers and consequently relegated the writer to the category of a "boy's author". Since 1873 the standard English version has been Lewis Mercier's mangled "translation," a work that's filled with errors, mistranslations, and bogus additions, and missing nearly a quarter of Verne's original text. Now, thanks to the life-long efforts of two Verne scholars, the English-speaking world at last has access to a definitive translation, the only English version based solely on the level of literary artist and scientific visionary, a category he has always enjoyed in Europe and Russia. Mercier's act of literary vandalism went unnoticed until 1965, when New York University English professor Walter Miller discovered the missing text and began the restoration of the Verne masterpiece. After nearly thirty years of work, including rigorous examinations of his translation by experts in marine technology and biology, Miller teamed that Frederick Paul Walter in 1992 to create this landmark scientific and literary achievement. Restored to the volume along with the original woodcut illustrations are the entertaining and often prescient drams of Captain Nemo, widely considered the prototypical science-fiction character. In this novel alone Verne has anticipated submarine diving planes, scuba gear, underwater laboratories, and marine ecological disasters. He also inspired large-scale underwater mining and farming of flora and fauna, and electricity from thermoclines, all currently in development. Restoration of these visionary ideas and some twenty-three percent of the original text is certain to elevate Verne's standing in American scientific and literary circles.
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Add this copy of 20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea (Signature Classics) to cart. $1.50, very good condition, Sold by Bookmonger.Ltd rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillside, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Worth Press.
Add this copy of 20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea (Signature Classics) to cart. $8.72, good condition, Sold by Reliant Bookstore rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from El Dorado, KS, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Worth Press.
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This book is in good condition with very minimal damage. Pages may have minimal notes or highlighting. Cover image on the book may vary from photo. Ships out quickly in a secure plastic mailer.
Add this copy of 20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea to cart. $11.99, new condition, Sold by lifeofaction rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Wilmington, DE, UNITED STATES, published 2019 by Worth Press Ltd.
Add this copy of 20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea to cart. $18.50, new condition, Sold by Pumpkin Wholesale Ltd rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Abingdon, Oxon, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2019 by Worth Press Ltd.
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New. 20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea was originally serialized in 1869 and 1870 in the French magazine called Magasin d'éducation et de récréation. The deluxe illustrated edition, published in November 1871, included 111 illustrations. It was received with high acclaim when it was released and still is; it is regarded as one of the greatest adventure novels and one of Verne's greatest works, along with Around the World in Eighty Days and Journey to the Center of the Earth. The description of Nemo's ship, the Nautilus, was considered ahead of its time, as it accurately describes features on submarines which at the time were very primitive vessels. The distance of 20, 000 leagues mentioned in the title is not a measurement of depth but of distance travelled. At the time of writing a league was approximately four kilometers.
Captain Nemo runs through the seas of the world striking at some hapless victims he despises. He has a sharp crew and a taut ship in his submarine. A tinge of mystery fills the tapestry of his life. :His visitors do not penetrate this veil.
ChrisAshley
Sep 4, 2008
Stimulating a childs immagination
I read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea aloud to my 7.5 year old son, and we both loved it. Its being simplified to a junior level, but the story is in no way lost and it still contains so many leading ideas that can spark the imagination and interest in numerous areas, such as science (the Nautilus sub), history (being written before many inventions came to pass), myths and legends (Atlantis), geography from around the world, politics, the meaning behind names (Nemo), and most of all adventure upon adventure. Numerous illustrations prevent pages of text becoming too daunting, for young readers, but don't turn it into a cartoon book.
