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Synopsis:
A strange creature is wrecking havoc on the world's shipping. M. Aronnax (which my brain persisted in pronouncing as 'Anoraks'), a marine expert, and his dogsbody Conseil, join the hunt.
Review:
I'd never read any Jules Verne before. I was also completely ignorant as to the plot of this particular book. It was therefore a little annoying that someone thought it would be a good idea to summerise the entire plot in the guise of a foreword, which removed the element of surprise to some extent...
It was OK. A nice style, very readable, especially considering it's age. My main problem was that nothing happened for most of the time. And when things did happen, they were over very quickly and one was left to wade through yet more lists of fish.
On the topic of lists of fish, it would probably have helped if I knew anything at all about marine life generally. Also, having recently read Moby Dick and the Deep Range, not to mention watched almost all of Blue Planet, it was difficult to feel any great sense of wonder when they, for example, found a snail shall that spiraled the wrong way.
Conseil needs some sense smacked into him. Hands up all sane people who'd throw themselves into the sea because their employer went and got themselves washed overboard? Also, doesn't Conseil mean 'to use' in French? (My French dictionary is on the other side of the room otherwise I'd check)
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