From School Library Journal
Gr 4-8-Performed in radio theatre style, this audio version is a fine retelling of the Jules Verne classic. The St. Charles Players, composed of four actors, play a variety of roles with hammy gusto, although the dialogue is a bit rushed in the opening sections. This adaptation by Jeff Rack does a good job of capturing the feel of Verne's sprawling epic tale. The story is told by Professor Aronnax, who agrees to investigate a series of attacks by a mysterious sea monster. He joins the crew of the ship Abraham Lincoln. The men encounter what they believe is the monster, but turns out to be a large, state-of-the-art submarine, the Nautilus. Aronnax and a hot tempered harpoonist, Ned Land, are imprisoned on this vessel, captained by the misanthropic recluse, Nemo. Nemo takes them around the world. Verne's descriptions of the underwater world, with its exotic creatures and sunken ships, shine thanks to clear narration and evocative sound effects. As the journey continues, becoming monotonous, the program's midsection sags a bit. It picks up steam again with sequences involving a monstrous octopus and a storm. While not an essential purchase, this is an impressive attempt to adapt a classic.Brian E. Wilson, Oak Lawn Public Library, ILCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
The music is grand, uplifting, and often epic, especially in undersea and open ocean scenes. An organ is used effectively for the interior of the submarine, and one can almost see Captain Nemo caressing the keys. This is a full-cast recording of Verne's classic. The narrating professor is cleverly articulated with a slight foreign edge to his English. The harpooner is snappily portrayed, and Captain Nemo's voice is adamant and slightly sinister, as the character requires. Only the professor's servant is unconvincing--too young, to this reviewer's taste. Still, this is a vivid reminder of Jules Verne's narrative grandeur. D.R.W. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


Book Description
The adventure begins when Professor Aronnax accidentally becomes a prisoner of the very monster he is seeking to destroy -- the submarine Nautilus, commanded by the mysterious Captain Nemo. Invited to experience the marvels of the Nautilus' magnificent undersea world, Arronnax struggles to piece together Nemo's tragic past. This exciting retelling captures the essence of Verne's visionary and unforgettable story, while also explaining the fascinating facts and fantasies of Captain Nemo's marvelous ocean realm. A unique cross-section of the Nautilus, color photographs, diagrams, and narrative illustrations explore Verne's unique vision and knowledge of the deep.


Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French


The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature
Novel by Jules Verne, first published in French as Vingt Mille Lieues sous les mers in 1869-70. It is perhaps the most popular book of his science-fiction series Voyages extraordinaires (1863-1910). Professor Pierre Aronnax, the narrator of the story, boards an American frigate commissioned to investigate a rash of attacks on international shipping by what is thought to be an amphibious monster. The supposed sea creature, which is actually the submarine Nautilus, sinks Aronnax's vessel and imprisons him along with his devoted servant Conseil and Ned Land, a temperamental harpooner. The survivors meet Captain Nemo, an enigmatic misanthrope who leads them on a worldwide, yearlong underwater adventure. The novel is noted for its exotic situations, the technological innovations it describes, and the tense interplay of the three captives and Nemo (who reappears in The Mysterious Island).


Card catalog description
Retells the adventures of a French professor and his two companions as they sail above and below the world's oceans as prisoners on the fabulous electric submarine of the deranged Captain Nemo. Illustrated notes throughout the text explain the historical background of the story.


From the Publisher
This book is in Electronic Paperback Format. If you view this book on any of the computer systems below, it will look like a book. Simple to run, no program to install. Just put the CD in your CDROM drive and start reading. The simple easy to use interface is child tested at pre-school levels. Windows 3.11, Windows/95, Windows/98, OS/2 and MacIntosh and Linux with Windows Emulation. Includes Quiet Vision's Dynamic Index. the abilty to build a index for any set of characters or words.

ANNOTATION

An adaptation of the nineteenth-century science fiction tale of an electric submarine, its eccentric captain, and the undersea world, which anticipated many of the scientific achievements of the twentieth century.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A tale of a fantastical, underwater world of mythical monsters and a mysterious sea captain, this adventure by Jules Verne is a timeless classic. The action-packed story lines retain all the impact of the author's own words, while photos and narrative illustrations help readers to absorb the full flavor of the original novel. Full color.

SYNOPSIS

A huge sea monster has attacked and wrecked several ships from beneath the sea. Professor Arronax bravely joins a mission to hunt down the beast.He goes aboard the Nautilus, a secret submarine helmed by the mysterious Captain Nemo. At first, the mission is exciting, as Nemo takes Arronax on a voyage around the underwater world. But when things start to go wrong, Arronax finds there's no escape from the Nautilus. He is now Captain Nemo's captive--20,000 leagues under the sea!

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot