Since 1979, Verne has been the second most-translated author in the world. Ranking between Agatha Christie and William Shakespeare.

20,000 Leagues under the Sea is an ocean voyage thriller. The book opens with news reports about ships being destroyed by a large thing. A debate raged over whether this massive instrument of destruction was a sea monster or an advanced military vessel. Both explanations seemed equally plausible and impossible simultaneously; for example: its ability to cut large ships in two implied it was a manmade war machine. But the way it moved and behaved in the water implied it was a graceful sea creature, possibly a narwhal. And yet it often glowed at night and its average length was estimated at two-hundred feet. It was faster than any known vessel and no nation admitted to building it. And it captivated the author who became convinced he was born to slay the monster and tell the story. Ultimately his journey took him a distance of 20,000 leagues and he was blessed with sea adventures of unspeakable magnitude. He saw the underwater continent of Atlantis for example.

Jules Verne was a French novelist, poet, and playwright. He was born in February of 1828, and died at age 77

Fiction readers: you will love this book particularly if you enjoy thought provoking twist endings.

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