The complete twenty thousand leagues under the sea : a new translation of Jules Verne's science fiction classic /

Here is a delightsome tome, a pleasure to review. Mickel, a medievalist by training, brings to the task all the concomitant background and respect for the text. It is now about 120 years since Verne published his classic in French, which was subsequently cut, expurgated, and even subjected to several Hollywood remakes. Mickel provides an intelligent introduction to explain the history of the French text, a chronology of the novel, a chronology of Verne's life, and an extensive bibliography. It is a pity Mickel could not include a reference to Andrew Martin's truly brilliant book The Mask of the Prophet (CH, Apr'91). Enhanced by illustrations from the earlier editions, the English text under review is appealingly presented, with explanatory footnotes throughout. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is one of the original page-turners, an exciting, breathtaking, underwater adventure with Captain Nemo and Professor Aronnax, among several others, each of whom seems to represent a facet of Verne's own personality proud and arrogant, inquisitive and pedantic, courageous and magnanimous. Appropriate for large research, upper-division undergraduate, and large public libraries.-R. J. Cormier, Wilson College