Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea – Jules Verne

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The Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea book is a classic science fiction novel written by Jules Verne and was first published in its original French in 1869. Along with Around The World In Eighty Days and Journey To The Center Of The Earth, it is considered one of Jules Verne’s greatest stories.

The book follows the exciting underwater adventure of Captain Nemo and his submarine, Nautilus. Download a copy of the Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea PDF for free down below. We hope you enjoy it!

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea PDF

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea PDF Book Download

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Is Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea PDF Free To Download?

Yes, it is! The Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea story was first published in 1869 so it is now in the public domain. You are therefore welcome to download and read it for free. We hope you enjoy it!

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea Book Summary

The book begins in 1866 when sea-faring ships start to spot a mysterious sea creature out at sea. Initially, it is thought that the monster is a giant Narwhal. However, when the monster starts attacking ships, the United States government puts together an expedition to go find and kill the monster. The expedition crew consists of the ship’s captain, Captain Farragut; Professor Pierre Aronnax, a French marine biologist (who is also the narrator of the story); as well as Ned Land, an expert harpooner who is famous for his whale hunting skills. Dr. Aronnax’s manservant, Conseil, also joins them.

The expedition leaves the U.S and travels into the Pacific Ocean. After searching for five months they eventually track the sea monster down between Japan and North America. They attack the monster but their ship is damaged in the process. Aronnax, Conseil and Land are flung into the sea and they survive by climbing onto the “monster” only to find that it is in fact a submarine!

They are captured by the ship’s crew and meet the captain of the submarine, Captain Nemo. Captain Nemo is a mysterious character and we don’t learn much about his past. We do however find out that he has a deep hatred of imperialism and that he is still grieving the loss of people he loved from his past.

We see that Nemo has devoted himself to scientific research and traveling the seas with his devoted crew. He himself built the submarine which he named Nautilus and has little interest in anything that happens on land.

He tells Aronnax, Conseil and Land that, because he wants to keep both his existence and the Nautilus a secret, he cannot let them leave the Nautilus. Although they are Nemo’s prisoners, they are given a lot of freedom aboard the Nautilus.

From here the book tells the stories of their different adventures and they travel to many places, some factual and some fictional. They even travel as far as the South Pole, discovering the lost world of Atlantis along the way! Although Aronnax, Land and Conseil try to escape many times they are not successful.

One day the submarine is attacked by a warship. Nemo rams into the ship and sinks her. However, after his victory, Aronnax sees him crying in front of a picture of a woman with two small children.

One morning Ned Land spots land and the companions believe that this might be their chance to escape. Aronnax can’t wait to leave Captain Nemo behind. As they begin their escape they realize that the Nautilus has been caught in a deadly Whirlpool. They still however manage to escape and land on an island just off the coast of Norway. We are not told what happens to the Nautilus or Captain Nemo and his crew.

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea Movies & Adaptations

There have been a couple of movie adaptations of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea over the years but the most popular one seems to be the 1954 Disney adaptation. The movie was directed by Richard Fleischer and starred Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas and Peter Lorre. It was a great success and won Best Art Direction and Best Special Effects at the Academy Awards.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – 1954

Conclusion

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea is one of Jules Verne’s best books and it should be on everyone’s to-read list especially if you love science fiction! Join Captain Nemo aboard the Nautilus by downloading your free copy of the Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea PDF here.


More Free Classic English PDF Books to Enjoy:
Around The World In Eighty Days
The Great Gatsby
Frankenstein
Jane Eyre
Pride And Prejudice
Alice In Wonderland