by Minh Tran

Created on: June 25, 2008

"Twenty thousand leagues under the sea" is probably the most famous and popular works of Jules Verne. A look at Wikipedia tells us that the book has been translated into quite a few languages (indeed I first read it in my mother tongue Vietnamese), adapted many times into other media, and referred to in other creative works. To me, it is the work that introduces me to the world of science fiction, my favourite genre. It is also one of the books that most strongly impress me. Verne's masterful writing displayed in this work has never ceased to enchant me even when I have read it many times.

"Twenty thousand leagues under the sea" is typical for Verne's style: vivid imagination, plot that is both entertaining and meaningful, and persuasive storytelling. In my opinion, the work shows how science fiction should be written. It is exotic and fascinating yet not so far off from real life. In fact, the story seemed so real to me that when I was in elementary school, I used to believe that it really happened (although in retrospect, that was also partly due to my lack of knowledge in history). The flow of the plot is well-conceived and logical, and the first person narration really fits the type of the story. That narrative style also builds up the impression of a "real story". I especially like the dialogues, which at times can be remarkably witty or moving. They well display the personalities as well as the relationships between characters. The use of "scientific facts" real or made up, for which Verne is so famous, is just right. It is well-grounded, detailed and consistent enough to be convincing, but not so overdosed that it will tire out a not-so-technically-inclined reader (one can still keep track of the story without them but the charm of the book will definitely reduce). For curious children like some I personally know, those "scientific facts" may even pique their interest in technology. However, skillful as it is, Verne's employment of technology is not completely faultless under scrutiny, but to his defense, he is a career writer, not a technician. Along the line of "technical" matters, it should also be noted that for an imaginary journey like "Two thousand leagues under the sea", the geographical and ecological details of the places our heroes passing by are exact. That and the insightful technological information proves the author's seriousness: he researched before he wrote.

The pattern of the story of "Twenty thousand leagues under the sea" is not really

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