So I just finished '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' for the first time since 8th grade

[Orrex]

Quite a fun read and a lot better than I'd remembered. I recall being bored to tears the first time through, but in retrospect I should likely blame the teacher. If the room had been ablaze and she was describing it, she wouldn't have generated enough interest to make us exit. But I digress.

Aside from my near-total contempt for the character of Conseil, I found the book greatly enjoyable, and this time around I think I was better able to imagine myself reading it in first release, when so much of the text described things that were cutting-edge or unknown at the time. Conseil's unrelenting obsiquiousness really grated on me, and I can't see how the role of willing quasi-slave could ever have been found noble or laudable, but perhaps that's an artifact of the time that's simply lost on me.

Several times throughout the course of the book Conseil puts himself directly in harm's way for no better reason than either to remain by his "master's" side or to interpose himself bettern danger and the narrator. At one point (page 304 of my edition) Conseil actually wishes aloud that he could breathe less so that there would be more oxygen for his beloved master. Creepy!

Anyway, I'm not a big enough fool to demand that the sensibilities of our time be exactly represented in a work written so many decades ago, so Conseil's servitude doesn't greatly detract from my enjoyment of the book or of Verne's style.


So here's the question: what Verne story or novel should I read next?

[ananda]

1. I'm very impressed.

Wow. What else did Verne write?

Around the World in Eighty Days?

Fantastic Voyage?

Those sound good.

I'm reading Vonnegut's Cat's Cradle right now.
It's light, funny, and easy to read.. but it
deals with very difficult and thought provoking
subjects such as family relationships, nuclear
bombs, and the nature of religion.

Take care,
Sue

[GreenArrow]

3. FWIW

Fantastic Voyage is by Asimov.

[YOY]

10. But Coolio performed it best...

http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=voyage+coolio&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv&ei=WHi4Sbf3M4qhtweJ8sWcBg&oi=property_suggestions&resnum=0&ct=property-revision&cd=1#

[Orrex]

11. You're out of your mind. David Bowie did it best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOL5BhRGoy8

[YOY]

12. Only if one is trying to fall asleep...

When I go on a fantastic voyage I want to shake my ass like Skee Lo after he gets his wish!

[Orrex]

4. I loved Cat's Cradle!

I finished God Bless You Mr. Rosewater in November, which I also really enjoyed, though it wasn't quite what I'd expected. I reread Breakfast of Champions earlier in the year, and I reread chunks of Slaughterhouse Five every few months. Good stuff!

I should have listed the novels in the bound edition of Verne:

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
A Journey to the Center of the Earth
Around the World in Eighty Days
From the Earth to the Moon
Round the Moon
as well as several shorter stories.

I'm tempted to read Round the Moon first because I'd never even heard of it. I'm also open to other Verne works that I don't currently own, if anyone has a favorite suggestion.


Thanks for your input! :hi:

[GreenArrow]

2. I just finished that a couple of days ago

myself. I also enjoyed it quite a bit. I'd offer Mysterious Island for your next read, wherein the secret of Captain Nemo is revealed. I plan to read it sometime this Winter. The only other Verne I've actually read is Journey to the Center of the Earth, which is also a lot of fun.

[Orrex]

5. I'll need to track down Mysterious Island

It's probably online somewhere, but I'd prefer a hardcopy. That reminds me--I saw the movie about 20 years ago; does that count? :P

I have to say that his style took a little while to grow on me, but now that I've gotten the hang of it, I kind of like it. It's light enough to be accessible even so many years later.

[evlbstrd]

6. War of the Worlds.

My favorite Verne.

[Orrex]

7. I think that was H.G. Wells' favorite Verne, too!

:evilgrin:

I read that one about two years ago, and I'll likely revisit it before too long. I've managed to acquire several different versions of the complete works of H.G. Wells, so I should have no trouble finding the story!

[evlbstrd]

8. D'oh!

Thanks. I should go to bed now.

[LWolf]

9. The Mysterious Island, and

Journey to the Center of the Earth.

:hi: