'I am going to sink it.'
'You will not!'
'I will,’ he coldly replied. ‘Do not take it on yourself to judge me,
monsieur.’
French naturalist Dr Aronnax embarks on an expedition to
hunt down a sea monster, but discovers instead the Nautilus, a
self-contained world built by its enigmatic captain. Together Nemo and
Aronnax explore the underwater marvels of the globe, undergo a transcendent
experience in the ruins of Atlantis, and plant a black flag at the South
Pole. But Nemo’s mission is finally revealed to be one of revenge—and his
methods coldly efficient.
Verne’s classic novel has left a profound mark on the
twentieth century. Its themes are universal, its style alternately humorous
and grandiose, its construction masterly.
This new and unabridged translation by the father of Verne
studies brilliantly conveys the range of this seminal work. The volume also
contains unpublished information about the novel’s genesis.
Dr William Butcher, previously Head of Languages at Hong Kong Technical
Colleges, is the father of Verne studies in English. He has also published
Journey to the Centre of
the Earth (1992) and
Around the World in Eighty
Days (1995) for OUP. |
Reviews
'By far the
best translations/critical editions available' Science Fiction
Studies
‘expertly
translated . . . illuminating scholarly apparatus’ Vector 200
‘I enjoyed
the novel very much’ Daily Telegraph
‘brilliantly
conveys the novel’s varying tones and ranges’ Tandem
‘the only version of Twenty Thousand Leagues in English worthy of
serious attention . . . a mine of information’ Professor T Unwin,
Australian Modern Languages Association Journal
'a leading
authority on the great French author' South China Morning Post
‘truly
ambitious ... high-standard scholarship . . .masterpiece . . .
unprecedented standard’ Foundation
les premières
éditions critiques, dignes de ce nom . . . aucune édition française n'existe
qui soit comparable . . . travail exemplaire BSJV |