At times I was left wondering whether Conseil, eager to live and die by the whim of his master, was a fevered slave fantasy born from the mind of a classist imperialist, rather than the paid servant he’s apparently supposed to be. Pierre never shows interest in Conseil as a human being with, I assume, his own non-fish interests. Conseil unflinchingly supports Pierre’s every whim, certainly going beyond the bounds of an employer-employee relationship, and yet the pair are clearly not friends since this support only goes in one direction. On three separate occasions Pierre is on death's doorstep and passes out, only to wake up because Conseil saves him. Pierre casually uses terms like “savages” and “orientals” and expresses a “Europeans are the most civilized people” mindset at several points throughout the story.Īlso, Pierre’s servant Conseil has no personality other than being willing to die for Pierre. There are elements of this novel that have aged very poorly. While this book is nearly 200 years old, the creative concept of this science fiction classic as well as the easy to understand plot and prose really hold up.Ī Warning: If you are considering picking up this book… Regardless, the ever present tension surrounding the group’s ideas of freedom and the air of mystery around Captain Nemo kept my attention throughout the MANY detailed descriptions of marine life.
I wish there had been less focus on fish and more on Nemo's backstory. This is what I would consider a classic "dad book," complete with an all-male cast of characters going on an adventure and A LOT of long, dry descriptions of random fish and crustaceans. While Pierre thoroughly enjoys his globetrotting adventures with Nemo, Ned grows increasingly frustrated by their lack of freedom and longs for an opportunity to escape. With seemingly no other choice, they accept the deal. The submarine is owned by reclusive billionaire Captain Nemo, who offers the confused trio the opportunity to travel the world in his luxurious submarine, though they will need to leave society and their lives behind. French marine biologist Pierre Arannax, his servant Conseil, and Canadian harpooner Ned Land all get thrown overboard during an ocean expedition and are picked up by an ultra-fast, massive deepwater submarine.
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