20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

It was after I watched the film, Journey to the Center of the Earth, that I bought this book from Powerbooks. I was actually looking for the book version of the movie. The sales lady said that they were out of stock. So I browsed through the other works of Jules Verne and  this one was the book that got my attention. 

The story is all about the journey of Captain Nemo into the unexplored parts of the ocean all over the world. It all started when his ship, the Nautilus, was thought to be a humongous sea creature that has been causing other ships to sink. The government has tasked experts to take on a major project of bringing down this so-called sea monster. Ned Land, a famous harpooner of whales was called to attention, as well as Monsieur Pierre Arronax, a professor and scientist and his faithful assistant, Conseil. The day they found the Nautilus was the day that changed their lives forever.

Naturally, they were not able to destroy the Nautilus for it is made of materials so far advanced that it really was indestructible. They were held as prisoners instead by Captain Nemo but not in the truest sense of the word.  They still had their freedom to move about the ship, explore the ocean depths with Captain Nemo and use the dinghy from time to time if they want to collect some fruits and meat from a nearby land. Since that day, they traveled the ocean where no one has ever dared travel before. From the Bermuda Triangle, to The Lost City of Atlantis, to the North & South Pole. It was an adventure of a lifetime. For the first time, they saw things and creatures that only legends and myths hold. 

But man, no matter how splendid and extraordinary the experiences you throw at him, will always yearn for his ultimate freedom. What would all these wonderful experiences be if not shared to the rest of the world? So, after traveling 20,000 leagues for ten long months all over the globe, this yearning was put to test. Will they leave the magnificent underwater exploration they have been living for so long? Or will they risk everything, including their lives, to regain the regular city freedom that they have so willingly lost?

It was a n exciting read for me. I never knew how much treasures our ocean depths hold, until I read this book. It was like having my very own sea encyclopedia! From giant squids and phosphorecent minute creatures, to petrified underwater trees and unexplored underground rivers, the story was definitely very enthralling! It was like being with Captain Nemo himself! Do read it!