By Critic-of-Far-Away-Things James Zheng
When Editor Doreen ordered the Blog Staff to WRITE ABOUT FAR-AWAY THINGS, James responded with a book he read long ago that took place far, far away . . . .
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is the most profound book I have read. I still remember the time I was studying in middle school that we were required to read tons of literary works, and I was completely not interested in reading. One day, we were told to grab a book in the school library. I randomly grabbed this blue-covered book and flicked through the pages. Then I looked at the title. It caught my interest and made me read this science-fiction novel. I still can’t believe that I finished this 1,000-page book for an extra-curriculum reading assignment.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Vingt mille lieues sous les mers) was published serially in 1869-1870. It was written by French writer Jules Verne and belongs to the second series of the Verne Trilogy (the other two are In Search of the Castaways and Mysterious Island).
From my perspective, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is one of Verne’s best works. Verne’s rich imaginative and meticulously delicate writing characteristics have made it into a masterpiece. Jules Verne creates a thrilling underwater adventure. His protagonists travel through ocean regions. During the process, whether it’s frustration or joy they experience, they learn about nature and humanity. The elements in the novel are strange; the language mainly focuses on vividly depicting an underwater world full of mystery. The description of everything is detailed and interesting, both artistic and scientific language make the image appear in front of you. Verne writes confidently of human beings recognizing and conquering the ocean, and shows the tenacity and courage of human will. The overall story includes technical knowledge of the underwater world associated with biology, geography, etc.
Let’s take a look at the reviews given by other bloggers. (Note: This is translated from the original Chinese.)
- “‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’ is the farthest distance a wandering heart can pursue. When reading, we follow the author hunting albatrosses on the seafloor, catching birds of paradise on desert islands, watching flowing fish flash phosphorescently in the night, . . . We feel the protagonist’s loneliness.” -Blogger GuiGuiXi. https://baike.baidu.com/tashuo/browse/content?id=0cbc6fa2b3fdc838f20e0448&lemmaId=64843&lemmaId=64843&fr=qingtian
- “I was amazed at the author’s comprehensive and extraordinary knowledge and understanding about everything of the ocean. In many places, things, customs and culture can be counted as a treasure. In reading this book, we feel like we are back in the 1800s and actually have an image of everything that belongs to that era. . . . . I saw a little bit of the historical background [of] that time and [was] astonished by the extensiveness of the author’s thoughts. To create a series of interlinked, closely related and non-existent things . . . requires a strong imagination and knowledge . . . . I saw the sadness of the protagonist . . . . He holds his own hatred towards the world and isolates himself from society.”–Blogger Siwangqishidetongchu. https://www.zhihu.com/question/285823396/answer/498167494
I truly feel the loneliness of actually going under the sea for twenty-thousand miles. Maybe sometimes we choose to isolate ourselves from human civilization and try to be more in tune with the natural world. I cannot think of more reasons to recommend this book but for its undiscovered “depth.”
Far Away Editor: Doreen Yuan
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