A review by melancholymegs
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and other Classic Novels by Jules Verne

adventurous challenging informative mysterious reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

I had picked up this book due to its method of story telling via a travel log/diary, because i had enjoyed Bram Stokers “Dracula”, (5⭐️) which makes use of the same format.  Curiosity to read more literature that takes place in the sea/ocean was also a factor when i picked up this book.  However, if you are expecting lush descriptions of the sublimity of the sea and its creatures, you will be disappointed.
Trudging through the mass amounts of scientific terminology as well as maths was not worth the pay off. The vaguely hinted at end reward would have been more impactful had more description and build up been provided; instead you get a bunch of anticlimactic explanations dumped into the last 20-30 minutes of the book.
I definitely can see why this book is enjoyed by many people.  It does present the interest of sea travel, specifically submarine travel, during the 19th century, as well as giving insight into the scientific idiosyncrasies of various forms of sea life.  However this book simply was not enjoyable to me🙃
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