I first became interested in this book after reading Rick Riordan’s Daughter of the Deep, his own version of a modern-day sequel. Also, after reading Moby Dick by Herman Melville, I now have a bit of sea-faring fiction under my belt, so I was sure I’d enjoy this book.

This novel starts with a sort-of third person perspective to give the reader an idea of what’s going on in the world, then switches to first person perspective from the eyes of Dr. Aronnax, who tells the tale in the form of journal entries (in a casual way, as a continuous narrative rather than being sectioned by dates).

I took this book along on vacation to Mexico (I thought it a perfect choice for reading right next to the ocean), and mistakenly chose to start it ahead of a different book because I thought it would be a faster read—since I was listening along to the audiobook I found on Spotify by Great Audiobooks. In reality, the three parts f the recording equal almost 17 hours, so even at 2x speed, it took quite a long time to read. Luckily, it was enjoyable enough that I could read and focus on it for several hours in a row (unlike some books that make my brain check out after one hour).

Dr. Aronnax is extremely passionate about the sea, so he is constantly vexed with the conflict of wanting to learn more about the ocean on this tour and wanting his freedom. His two companions, Ned Land and Conseil, are split as well. Ned Land doesn’t care much for the sea. He (like his name suggests) longs for the land and its comforts, and is constantly scheming to escape the Nautilus. Conseil, despite befriending Ned, is happy enough to do whatever Dr. Aronnax wants to do—since Aronnax is his master/employer. The only reason Conseil is even on the Nautilus in the first place is because he jumped overboard after Aronnax was thrown off the Abraham Lincoln. His extreme loyalty is admirable at the same time as it is frightful.

Because of this loyalty, I can say that Dr. Aronnax and Conseil have a very tight-knit relationship because it is definitely not one-sided. Conseil’s insistence of referring to Aronnax in the third person as “master” and his complete obedience don’t go to Aronnax’s head. Aronnax seems more like a mentor and father-figure on his end, treating Conseil with admiration and respect in return. Aronnax and Ned Land sometimes butt heads, but for the most part they’re on good terms. Meanwhile, Aronnax holds great respect but also fear and trepidation for Captain Nemo, who is generously taking him on a tour of the world for research purposes but also holding him prisoner. This dynamic is quite complex.

The writing style of this novel is told in a casual way, though with a lot of scientific jargon and the listing of many, many marine plants and animals. Despite this, it runs very smoothly; the sentence structure is well done, and the technical talk is never so overbearing that the plot is cast aside. I love the exploration of the deep and the diversity of their adventures.

This was an intensely information-heavy book, but the overarching plot kept things moving, and the different adventures ran almost like weekly TV episodes, which gave it the feel of multiple short stories stitched together. This structure did wonders for the pacing.

I was extremely pleased with this book, and I almost wish I’d taken more time with reading it rather than rushing. It’s on my list of “potential rereads” in any case.

Related Reviews:

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan
The Odyssey by Homer