content: This book is a classic. No question. That's why I chose to read it. When it came out in the 1860s, it was science fiction and gripped the imaginations of many. A ship that could travel under the water! But reading it in 2010, much of the novelty of the book has been realized. We have had submarines for nearly a century.But even aside from that, there is little plot to the novel. It reads as if it were written by a committee at National Geographic. It's a survey of all the unique items and places in the world's oceans. The little plot there is involves the protagonist trying to escape from the ship. And the ending (not to ruin it...) is a total cop-out and disappointing.I was hoping this book would stand the test of time, like The Time Machine or even Around the World in 80 Days. But I found it a rather boring and drudging read.