Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Complete textReports of a mysterious object damaging ships draw Professor Aronnax into an expedition to identify it. With Conseil and the harpooner Ned Land, he encounters Captain Nemo and the submarine Nautilus, entering a submerged world whose marvels are inseparable from their host's secrecy.
Continue readingAbout Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Aronnax's scientific enthusiasm makes him an attentive guide but can also complicate his judgment of captivity. Classifying marine life offers a different satisfaction from the freedom Ned Land values. The voyage repeatedly sets the desire to know beside the need to question who controls access, movement and the terms of hospitality.
Reading focus
Compare Aronnax's fascination with undersea discoveries and Ned Land's continuing attention to their restricted freedom.
This reading edition contains 104,256 words in 46 original sections. Read the text online with adjustable type and three colour themes, or keep a printable PDF.
Author: Jules Verne. Language: English. Reading edition: 28 October 2026.
Opening excerpt
The year 1866 was signalised by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten. Not to mention rumours which agitated the maritime population and excited the public mind, even in the interior of continents, seafaring men were particularly excited. Merchants, common sailors, captains of vessels, skippers, both of Europe and America, naval officers of all countries, and the Governments of several states on the two continents, were deeply interested in the matter.
Contents
All sections- PART ONE — CHAPTER I A SHIFTING REEF9 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER II PRO AND CON8 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER III I FORM MY RESOLUTION7 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER IV NED LAND9 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER V AT A VENTURE8 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER VI AT FULL STEAM11 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER VII AN UNKNOWN SPECIES OF WHALE9 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER VIII MOBILIS IN MOBILI10 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER IX NED LAND’S TEMPERS4 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER X THE MAN OF THE SEAS22 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XI ALL BY ELECTRICITY8 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XII SOME FIGURES9 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XIII THE BLACK RIVER10 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XIV A NOTE OF INVITATION11 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XV A WALK ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA9 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XVI A SUBMARINE FOREST11 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XVII FOUR THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE PACIFIC8 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XVIII VANIKORO12 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XIX TORRES STRAITS10 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XX A FEW DAYS ON LAND12 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XXI CAPTAIN NEMO’S THUNDERBOLT14 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XXII “ÆGRI SOMNIA”10 min
- PART ONE — CHAPTER XXIII THE CORAL KINGDOM10 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER I THE INDIAN OCEAN12 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER II A NOVEL PROPOSAL OF CAPTAIN NEMO’S7 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER III A PEARL OF TEN MILLIONS15 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER IV THE RED SEA15 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER V THE ARABIAN TUNNEL11 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER VI THE GRECIAN ARCHIPELAGO14 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER VII THE MEDITERRANEAN IN FORTY-EIGHT HOURS5 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER VIII VIGO BAY15 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER IX A VANISHED CONTINENT13 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER X THE SUBMARINE COAL-MINES12 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XI THE SARGASSO SEA8 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XII CACHALOTS AND WHALES13 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XIII THE ICEBERG14 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XIV THE SOUTH POLE16 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XV ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT?10 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XVI WANT OF AIR15 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XVII FROM CAPE HORN TO THE AMAZON11 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XVIII THE POULPS11 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XIX THE GULF STREAM12 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XX FROM LATITUDE 47° 24′ TO LONGITUDE 17° 28′9 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XXI A HECATOMB13 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XXII THE LAST WORDS OF CAPTAIN NEMO11 min
- PART TWO — CHAPTER XXIII CONCLUSION3 min
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