Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

By: Jules Verne

Narrated by: Alan Munro

Length: 17 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's Summary

A mysterious sea monster, theorized by some to be a giant narwhal, is sighted by ships of several nations; an ocean liner is also damaged by the creature. The United States government finally assembles an expedition to track down and destroy the menace. Professor Pierre Aronnax, a noted French marine biologist and narrator of the story, master harpoonist Ned Land, and Aronnax's faithful assistant Conseil join the expedition.

After much fruitless searching, the monster is found, and the ship charges into battle. During the fight, the ship's steering is damaged, and the three men are thrown overboard. They find themselves stranded on the "hide" of the creature, only to discover to their surprise that it is a large metal construct. They are quickly captured and brought inside the vessel, where they meet its enigmatic creator and commander, Captain Nemo.

Public Domain (P)2017 Trout Lake Media

The Deadpan of Alan Munro

Great novel, always been a favorite and deserving of its status as a classic. This was my first encounter with the narrator, and I have endured him through many since. The novels he narrates are always priced cheap, so if you can tolerate him then it's a good deal.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Unabridged & so rich in 19th C. scientific detail!

What made the experience of listening to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea the most enjoyable?

Jules Verne was clearly brilliant, captivated by new discoveries and the possibilities chemical and mechanical engineering presented 150 years ago. This work was prescient in many respects, yet full of natural "flaws" from the science of the day. The narrator rolls dreamily through the myriad Latin names for creatures, imparting the character's awe at the wonders of the deep. I loved it.

What about Alan Munro’s performance did you like?

Here's the only fault I found: the volume was insufficient! I had to amplify by connecting my Kindle to my radio. Otherwise, the recording was excellent.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

a literary classic?

I have to admit I was very disappointed with this book. I have been told what a literary classic it was my whole life, it was one of the most driest books I have ever listened to and the narrator was extremely monotone wich did not help. if you are into identifying and classifying sea species you might like this, if you're looking for a classic action book this is certainly not one.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Moby Dick Lite

This book was probably a great descriptive odyssey of the unknown ocean in 1870, but the content today just seems so outdated and already known. The memoir writing style and lack of inter-character dialog makes for a boring book. Alan Munro has a slow choppy drawl, so much that I speed up the audio 1.5x just to get to flow better.

not what I expected

I had always wanted to read this book. I expected adventure and a great story. what it is, is mostly a listing of all the fish and fauna he sees along the way, a few adventures that were good but overall rather boring. Also not happy with the ending, i would have expected better.

Can't go wrong with Jules Verne

This book is fascinating. I never thought I would learn so much about fish lol. The narrator did a great job and the story is exciting and interesting. I love it.

Beautifully written

The narration was kind of drab, but slightly got better as the story went along. I enjoyed it despite any deficiencies of theatrical emphasis.

Horrible narration

I couldn’t even make it through the second chapter. This narrator’s voice and expression is so monotonous.

Great book.

Great book. I liked it a lot. Wow. What a book. Review Over and Out.

a nautical masterpiece

An excellent work rich in scientific detail and descriptive figures that will fill your imagination with an exciting narrative odyssey

my first audio book 20000 Leagues Under the Sea

the audio book of 20000 Leagues Under the Sea was very captivating most most rememberable moment was about sea creatures being described very interesting to listen about the battles Wars Islands visited in all it was a captivating the narrator was very strong voiced in his Reading kept me interested and I finished the whole book very good I reckon thank you very much audible

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Great reading, strange book

The book contains many many lists of sea creatures and Latin names, which can get a bit long. Read very well, the narrator's voice suits the story style

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Painful narration

A classic ruined by very poor choice of narrator. I found this painful to get through and only persevered due to it being one of my favourite tales from childhood. The narration reminded me of Captain kirk's stuttering delivery with emphasis on every.... other.... word. The narrator abandons the written grammar and inserts his own pauses every couple of words, which loses the impact of the writing. Top that off with his dry monotone voice with very little expression, and you have a very painful listen.
I increased the speed to 1.3 as this helped reduce the length of the many unnecessary pauses and made it just about listenable.
Such a wasted opportunity to make a classic come to life.

Fascinating novel, banal narration

The book is riveting if you are a Victoriana/Steam Punk fan yet Alan Munro’s narration is the most monosyllabic, inexpressive voiceover I have ever heard. It’s a crying shame.