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    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (A Graphic Novel Audio): Illustrated Classics
    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (A Graphic Novel Audio): Illustrated Classics
    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (A Graphic Novel Audio): Illustrated Classics
    Audiobook56 minutes

    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (A Graphic Novel Audio): Illustrated Classics

    Written by Jules Verne

    Narrated by Saddleback Educational Publishing

    3.5/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    When seamen were sailing only wooden ships, Captain Nemo was the master of his incredible, futuristic submarine, the Nautilus, which journeyed through many strange and adventurous voyages...
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSaddleback Educational Publishing Audio
    Release dateJan 1, 2006
    ISBN9781612474625
    20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (A Graphic Novel Audio): Illustrated Classics
    Author

    Jules Verne

    <p><b>Jules Verne</b> nació en Nantes en 1828, hijo de un abogado. Estudió y se doctoró en Derecho en París, siguiendo los derechos de su padre, pero, cuando decidió dedicarse a las letras, éste dejó de mantenerlo. Con la ayuda de los Dumas, padre e hijo, obtiene un empleo en el Théâtre-Lyrique de París y consigue estrenar en 1850 una comedia, <em>Les pailles rompues</em>. En 1851 empieza a publicar relatos en la revista <em>Le musée des familles</em>. En 1857 se convierte en agente de bolsa y empieza a viajar por Inglaterra, Escocia, Noruega y Escandinavia. En 1862 propone al editor Pierre-Jules Hetzel su novela <em>Cinco semanas en globo</em>, que se publica al año siguiente con un éxito extraordinario, y se liga a él con un contrato para escribir novelas y cuentos para el <em>Magasin d'éducation et de récréation</em> durante veinte años. Ahí inicia su serie de <em>Viajes extraordinarios</em>, que llegaría a ocupar sesenta y cuatro volúmenes. Nuevos viajes por Europa, África y América del Norte le servirían de inspiración. <em>Viaje al centro de la Tierra</em> (1864), <em>De la Tierra a la Luna</em> (1865), <em>Los hijos del capitán Grant</em> (1868), <em>Veinte mil leguas de viaje submarino</em> (1870), <em>La vuelta al mundo en ochenta días</em> (1873), <em>La isla misteriosa</em> (1874-1875), <em>Michel Strogoff</em> (1876) o <em>Las tribulaciones de un chino en China</em> (1879) son algunas de sus más célebres novelas, que cautivaron a los lectores y entraron a formar parte del imaginario universal de lo siglos XIX y XX. Padre de la ciencia ficción, su interés por la tecnología y sus posibilidades es visible en <em>El castillo de los Cárpatos</em> (1892; ALBA CLÁSICA núm. CXVIII). Verne murió en Amiens en 1905.</p>

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    Reviews for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (A Graphic Novel Audio)

    3.5/5

    52 ratings63 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Great book, full of undersea adventures, can't wait to read Jules Vernes original.
    • 4/5
      As much an underwater travelogue as it is a sci fi/steampunk classic, Jules Verne takes us around the world, thru the depths of the ocean with the enigmatic Captain Nemo at the helm. Narrated by a Professor Arronax, a French naturalist accidentally swept into the world of Captain Nemo, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is thought to be an allusion to Homer's Odyssey- and I suppose it is- but it's theme of one man's defiance of humanity, especially after being disappointed and devastated by it, is a theme repeated time and again throughout ALL literature and entertainment.The story begins with the Professor joining a hunting expedition for a large underwater creature menacing the ships traversing the waters of the world. After a brush with the strange sea creature sweeps Professor Arronax, his companion Conseil ,and the brutish Canadian whaler, Ned Land, overboard their ship, they find themselves unexpectedly rescued not by the large narwhale they were chasing, but rather a man-made creature instead- Captain Nemo's underwater ship, the Nautilus.Unsure of their three new companions, Nemo keeps them imprisoned till he decides what to do with them, but when he finds at least one of the ragged men to be a man of thinking, he decides to let them have free roam of the ship- with a couple conditions: They must go back to their rooms when asked- with no questions asked by them- and they must never leave the Nautilus.Ned Land, a lover of freedom, is furious and Professor Arronax is worried as well, but quickly finds himself enraptured with the amazing sights to behold and the chance to be the first to catalog them!Soon months fly by with Ned getting more restless and approaching an inevitable crisis point, although just as caught up in the new adventures around them.Hunting in underwater "forests", amazing underwater creatures never seen before, underwater volcanoes, caves and hidden channels, along with natural terrors like hurricanes, icebergs, and a spot aptly named the navel of ocean- all of this to be borne until the Nautilus's fierce implacable captain reveals his heart of vengeance in an all out battle with another ship.When confronted with the true nature of Nemo, that archangel of hate as Professor Arronax calls him, the professor agrees it's time to leave and they make their plans only to be thwarted by a squid of colossal dimensions. But Nemo wrestles his ship free in his usual efficient manner and now it is only Nemo himself left to block their escape.Written in the late 1800's, 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is a marvel. Verne imagined self sufficient underwater vessels, electric "bullets" (that's tazers to you and me) and all kinds of things that is norm to modern man, but to a man on the brink of the 20th Century only fantastical. He also surprised me with his outright admonitions of humanity for its over fishing/whaling and the dire consequences if left unchecked.Although I could have done with less of the eye-glazing cataloging and info dumping, when the action hits, it hits in a big way.Truly a man ahead of his time, Jules Verne deserves his unofficial title as the father of science fiction as he teaches, imagines, admonishes and entertains generation after generation- but isn't that what good sci fi is supposed to do?
    • 4/5
      I read the abridged version with my 6-year-old son. What a great adventure--we both enjoyed it.
    • 3/5
      As a piece of proto science-fiction 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was more or less what I expected. There is some adventure here, but mostly Verne uses the book to discuss his imagined designs of a submarine, diving suits, and other nautical equipment. Also explored is Verne's knowledge of ocean life and the wrecks that have happened therein, as well as his speculation as to the nature of the South Pole and Antarctica. Most of this (besides Antarctica) is quite accurate for the time, though this stopped being so impressive to me when I did some research and found out that much of the equipment Verne described actually existed in at least the prototype stage when Verne was writing this. There is a degree of Verne foreseeing the future of marine technology here, but it is a lesser degree than you might expect. Otherwise the narrative takes the form of a travelogue, hitting a large number of underwater adventure scenarios, but these segments were not overly engaging. Anyway, this might be a good read for you if you are interested in early science fiction or submarine life as conceived in the 1800s, but be prepared for lots of mechanical specifications, discussions of sea currents, and catalogues of fish and not so much in the way of actual excitement.
    • 4/5
      A crazy man guiding the ship who has given up on mankind and who refuses to stand on dry land. A coral cemetery. Passing through the Suez. Atlantis. An iceberg. The South Pole. Ice that almost traps the ship. A battle with poulps. A terrible storm. A ship with all her crew sunk. A maelstrom. These are just some of the adventures you will experience when you read this zany book. At times, you will feel like you are reading from an encyclopedia of the time and at times you may wonder whether Jules Verne just made up random creatures and random facts about the underwater world. But I think, in the end, you will be glad you made this voyage.
    • 5/5
      What a wonderful amazing story!!
      ~Stephannie
    • 4/5
      Book on CD performed by James Frain

      Professor Aronnax and his valet Conseil embark on an American frigate in search of a mysterious narwhale that has attacked several ships. Arronax is an oceanographer and uniquely qualified to classify the monster once it is captured/killed. But they, along with the Canadian harpooner Ned Land, are thrown overboard when they confront the beast, and soon discover the truth. The “monster” is actually a sophisticated submarine – the Nautilus. Captain Nemo saves them from the open sea but tells them they may never leave, although they have the full run of the ship and are included in various experiences. From the South Pacific they travel the world, witnessing wonders at the depths of the ocean.

      This classic adventure tale was first published in 1870. Verne creates an imaginative and wondrous world; in this and other books, I marvel at what he creates, especially because so many of the things he envisioned actually came true. There are scenes that had me literally on the edge of my seat (the trip beneath the South Pole, the encounters with giant squid, and the hunt through an underwater forest to name three), but there were also long passages that detailed the scientific classifications of the many varieties of underwater life that just about had me nodding off.

      Nemo is a marvelous villain – with a seductive genius and a capacity to be charming and welcoming, and yet with a narcissistic bent which makes him rather insufferable. More importantly is his deep-seated hatred of man and all things “earth-bound.” His skewed view of the world and mankind makes him a very dangerous man – to himself and to others. Verne never really explains what drove Nemo to his drastic decision to live solely aboard the Nautilus. I would read a novel that explored the situations that resulted in the man presented here.

      James Frain did a fine job narrating the audiobook. There are many passages of scientific data, and he managed to sound excited even about those! I definitely got the sense of awe that Arronax and his companions would have felt at witnessing these things “that no man has seen before.”

      As is my habit with audiobooks, I also had a text version handy to check for spellings or unusual phrases. But the text I had did NOT include much of the scientific data that Frain was reading in the audio version. Long passages were simply left out of the text. I’m sure it makes for easier reading, and probably does not detract much from the story or from the central conflict.
    • 3/5
      "At ten o'clock in the evening the sky was on fire. The atmosphere was streaked with vivid lightning. I could not bear the brightness of it; while the captain, looking at it, seemed to envy the spirit of the tempest."

      A disappointment, albeit one with some treats. The book is slow and wilfully digressive (all those fish), but in its characterisation of Captain Nemo it is superb: a man who would shut himself off from the world but is too angry to leave it alone; frustrated by the fact his anger does not mean more, using his grief to justify a position of moral arbiter despite his obvious crimes. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a terrific character study entombed in an almost interminable record of imagined oceanography.

    • 2/5
      there is only so many report on fish you can take in a book. After a while every coral looks like the other. And lots of unanswered questions. Where did Capt Nemo come from. What about the strange language? What happened that he decided to hide in his submarine. Maybe for 1860, this was a great adventure book, but now it is simply dated.
    • 5/5
      This book is so close to my heart. It's the second time I've read this book, but it's as bold and beautiful, as memorable and deep as I felt it was the first time I read it. Nonetheless, I am filled with so many emotions right now upon completion of this book that I'm nearly at a loss for what to say. This story is one of adventure, indomitable and evoking so many sights of creation in your mind's fantasy! Your imagination is constantly at a whirl with this book! Half the time while reading it I wanted to be sitting near a computer to look up the fantastic and intricate names of the species of life found in this underwater world I've never before known possessed so many wonders! And the other half of the time, I chose not to because I was in awe, imagining the colors and designs of these wondrous creatures so very few of us ever think about, and could ever know. It is no fish tale, but a tale of wonder that makes any reader marvel, no matter how scientific it may seem. Though I did not myself understand many of the classifications and "fancy" names that were mentioned, it was all secondary to the amazing world that you were able to travel through for the first time on this journey beneath the oceans.

      Yet while the greatest part of this tale is adventure and exploration of a world unknown, the other half is represented by its few, but remarkable main characters. Professor Aronnax, Conseil, Ned Land... and Captain Nemo, of the Nautilus. These first three characters create what you can fast see is a harmony between themselves that keeps the book flowing. Whenever one part may begin to get trying or dull, another one of the three comes in and will change the pace of the book, keeping it going. And while for some the classification and description of myriads of fish and plants may grow tiring, the infinite variety and pictures in my mind of these creatures are what make up a rainbow of realism and delight me in the more action-oriented parts of the tale. It is kept moving swiftly, and yet tells so many parts of a long story, that you are able to experience truly an entirely full realm of thoughts in a book so short for the many wonders it has certainly left out. After reading this, one can never look at the ocean the same way again, nor at the simplest of things that inhabit it. It brings a magnificence of life to something so taken for granted today by most of us, and the steady majesty with which it's presented gives one the sense that they have learned more than they ever could have before, once they come to the end of this seemingly "endless" tale.

      For it does come to an end. And I assure those of you who may seem weary or tired by the informative and scientific aspect of the book that there is a... an ending like none you've ever seen. An ending with so many questions wrapped up in them, so much emotion... that your heart will be either pushed to the brink or torn and bursting with the violent, writhing feelings that come up in the last few chapters. It's as though every wonder, every beauty we saw was all just leading up to this ever growing mystery of who this captain is, of what submerged a man like Nemo under the waves and brought him to a point of no return like none other. There is deep meaning and feeling in him that lies so turbulent and inexpressible underneath the surface. He is more than just mystery: he is the jewel polished by every wave and crevasse, every turbulent instance, every wonder.... He is a conglomeration so complex and fascinating that I cannot imagine any heart could stand unmoved by him and his story. For every greatness in him there are an infinite number of threads that lead down to his core that remains so very faintly unveiled for us throughout the story. And I must say, it is for him and to learn more and more about him that I read the novel half the time. For without Nemo, without his hidden and yet tangible self right there before us, we would never have gone to the places we did, either physically through the imagination, or emotionally through his unfolding story. He is a driving force unlike any other captured in a single character. It is no lie that countless people have been urged on solely for a love and fascination of this man. It is he who makes our adventures so vivid, and worth more than what they seem.

      No one who reads to the end of this book will be disappointed, except by a will to know more. To follow Captain Nemo down once more to the depths. Not to leave him. Or will you be glad to? *Smiles* That is the question you will know the answer to once you have ventured deep under the lands we know, far closer to life and peace than you ever imagined, into a marvel unlike you've ever experienced, all tied back to a single man, and his extraordinary life; his extraordinary story.

      For those with a love of adventure, for those who seek mystery in places unsought-for, this tale will fill you with so many things that you will be left forever the wiser and more experienced by the journey you take. For it is not the end, but the journey with this man that makes this book magnificent. It only reflects what admiration and wonder I have for everything else about this book. It is so silly... and yet, I will forever sit here and think of him, one of these greatest characters of all time. I will count the years and know that I have no chance of meeting him. But oh... Nemo. My heart goes out to you, in love and devotion. Find peace, good sir. You are worth it.

      This is worth it.
    • 4/5
      This book intrigued me more than I expect, given the profoundly boring first few pages. Once the narrator finally was aboard the Nautilus, Verne's ability as a science fiction adventure write bloomed. He described dazzling underwater worlds, strange men and animals, and mysteries of the depth with excellent prose. I can see why this is a classic science fiction novel. Recommend for the ocean lover and the nerd alike.
    • 4/5
      Given this tale's reputation, I was expecting a rip-roaring adventure of man against nature, technology versus beast, maybe even a bit of pirate-style swashbuckling excitement. Instead, I got a travelogue - the diary of a scientist classifying life below the ocean. The famed squid that seems to figure so heavily in every retelling of 20,000 Leagues factors into a single chapter out of forty-seven. That being said, I still enjoyed it. I just wish it wasn't so horribly mis-sold (kinda like when someone accustomed to Boris Karloff and Halloween costumes reads the original Frankenstein for the first time. It's still great, it's just...not what you've been told to expect).
    • 3/5
       An interesting enough story to some extent, and an example of early "hard" sci-fi full of ideas and imagination. There are interesting and adventurous events in there, the kind I enjoyed as a lad in things like the X Adventure series by Willard Price. On the other hand, it's a bit of a slog. There are many, many sections where the protagonist simply lists the names of species - rarely saying anything about them, and even more rarely anything interesting, but simply listing them as though that should be interesting in its own right. There are little lectures here and there too, largely dry and unable to rouse my enthusiasm, and I say that as a biologist. On the other hand, I'll admit it's impressive that in 1870 Verne was already railing against the thoughtless havoc wrought on the natural world - and depressing to see how little effect it's had. I really do think, though, that it would have benefited from a kindly editor's hand to cut away some of the word-crust, leaving an interesting and adventurous book behind. As it is, I'm afraid I can't really recommend this book as the adventure story it seems to want to be, but only as a historical artefact for people with an interest in the genre. There are other books now that touch on similar content, lighter on the eye and the hand, and for most people I think they'd be a better option.
    • 5/5
      I loved this story when I was a kid and my rating is based on those memories. I doubt I would rate it lower if I read it again.
    • 3/5
      I've long wanted to read the story of Captain Nemo and the undersea adventures of 20000 Leagues Under the Sea. I'm now glad to have read it and overall enjoyed the story. I can understand how this story had such a large impression on society in the late 1800s and early 1900s where life under the oceans was almost a complete mystery. I found the novel a bit dry and slow at parts but it was still a pleasure to read. For those looking to read a novel which had such huge impact on the development of science fiction one needs not look further than this.
    • 4/5
      Probably my biggest take away from this is that one must always watch out for the cult mentality. It's quite lethal.
    • 5/5
      I loved this story when I was a kid and my rating is based on those memories. I doubt I would rate it lower if I read it again.
    • 3/5
      I read this for the Steampunk category of the SF Reading Challenge on Shelfari.

      Although the story was very interesting and well-written, I found that it dragged at times due to the great amount of detail that Verne included. It often seemed that I was reading a natural history reference on the flora and fauna of the world's oceans.

      That said, I would recommend it since it was an enjoyable read. This would also qualify for the category of Work not originally published in English.
    • 4/5
       There's some unknown sea monster and it's destroying ships by gouging giant punture marks in them. Surmise is that it is a giant narwhal type creature and so the US Navy sends a boat out to chase it down. They do indeed find the creature, but it's not flesh and blood, it's a giant electric submarine. In the chase, our narrator, the french professor of biology, his servant and the Canadian harpooner get swept off the small boat and land on the submarine, where they are taken in and treated as captives, at least initially.They meet the ships captain, the enigmatic Captain Nemo and so begins a circumnavigation of the globe by submarine. You could argue that the descriptions of the South Pole and the passage between the Red and Mediterranean seas are quite unrealistic - but this was 50 years before men went to the South pole, and so is nothing more than an amazing flight of fancy. The descriptions of the fish became slightly dull after a while, (seen one & you've seen them all) but the story rolls along. Who Nemo is and what drives him to escape under the sea remains a mystery to me. A good read, and shows a hugely inventive mind at work.
    • 2/5
      Two stars is almost generous; given his importance in the history of the science fiction genre, it really seems like Jules Verne should have produced something that stood the test of time. Twenty Thousand Leagues is a chore to read; I read in another review that a total of 75 pages are devoted to lists of fish. This explains why it didn't take me very long to read this book, after the first few fish passages, I began jumping over them whenever I noticed they were starting again. Captain Nemo is an interesting character, but Verne practically wastes every chance to develop him into something great. I understand that in "hard" sci-fi, characters take a backseat to the science, but it's such a shame that Nemo wasn't fleshed out more. His presence alone (and deference to its position in literary history) is what saves this book from receiving only one star.The main character's servant is almost as annoying as the fish passages; he splits his time between sucking up to his boss and compulsively classifying marine life. I wanted to strangle him every time he opened his mouth.After suffering through this and Journey to the Center of the Earth, I considered myself well educated on Verne's contributions to the genre and returned Around the World in Eighty Days to the library without reading it.
    • 4/5
      This has to be near the sourcewaters of speculative fiction. As I read this book, I felt like I could feel Verne's mind working: "If I could travel under the sea, what sorts of marvelous things would I find?" Early chapters function as a kind of check-list for these imagined wonders: enormous underwater volcanoes, Atlantis, giant squids, the South Pole. And the wonders discovered really are the stars of the adventure. The technology is imaginative and interesting, but only to a point. Captain Nemo is mysterious and conflicted, but served more for me as background noise all all the delicious "what if?"s.
    • 3/5
      I didn't like this translation.
    • 5/5
      Vernes undersea adventure is an amazing trip that I've taken many times. Although history has proven his vision to be incorrect on many occasions in this yarn, it is still a mesmerizing odyssey. One of my favorite books.
    • 3/5
      I am so divided on my feelings about Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Starting with the positive, it was a groundbreaking novel when it was published in 1870. It foretold many pieces of technology that didn’t even exist including portable electric lights, SCUBA equipment and the centerpiece of the story, the submarine. Verne really was a pioneer of what we now know as Science Fiction storytelling. He also captures the character of Captain Nemo by making him so multidimensional. He is a scientist and adventurer who loves his crew like children and is a gracious host. But he is also a vengeful, dark, brooding madman. Verne captures that conflict so well.However, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea in many ways is a burden to read. The lion’s share of the story involves listening to Pierre Aronnax catalog every animal, vegetable, mineral, island, sea or line of latitude or longitude he comes across. Page after page of zoological classifications and atmospheric observations slows the story to a crawl. In all honesty, the missing element of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is a good editor. Half of the text could be cut out without losing one single element of the story.I feel that Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is an important work that everyone should read, if for no other reason than to see the birth of a genre. But I can’t say that it is a really enjoyable story to read. It is a flawed execution of a brilliant concept.
    • 4/5
      Another episodic book full of lists! But I didn't enjoy it quite as much as Moby Dick; the lists in that one were at least about a range of different things, but I can only read so many names of fish species before I start to fall asleep. I did mostly enjoy this one, especially because it's science fiction where the sciences that are fictionalised are like... electric motors and submarine construction. The chapter where they argue about whether electricity is as good as steam was particularly entertaining.The manservant Conseil did start to get on my nerves a bit towards the end, around the "if only I didn't have to breathe to leave more air for Master" section.
    • 4/5
      I first read this book when I was eight. While my classmates were rushing against one another to bring home Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, I was devouring our library's collection of Verne and Sherlock Holmes books. They were thick, with huge prints and illustrations - clearly intended for kids. One time, I took out a book in the morning, read it during breaktimes, then returned it in the afternoon of that same day before I went home.Of all the titles in that collection, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea ended up being my favorite. So, more than ten years later, when I saw it again in the bookstore, I knew I just had to relive the adventure again. It had been a light and fast read in that small, thick book from third grade, so I certainly didn't expect it to be long and, frankly speaking, quite dragging in its unabridged form. That said, it was still a better adventure than before. If Verne didn't expound too much on the sea creature naming, this book would've been paced faster, but less believable too since he wrote it in a professor's point of view.In all, I still loved it and I look forward to re-reading his two other books that I first read a decade ago: Around The World In 80 Days, and A Journey to the Center of the Earth.
    • 3/5
      A good story, a little slow at times but it never stops moving entirely. It was interesting to see how people viewed our ecology in the past. I would reccomend reading it with a dictionary at hand as the main character is a zoologist and uses terms not familiar to the common man. All in all, I'm glad I read it.
    • 3/5
      In 1866 there are a number of sightings of an unexplained object in the ocean. Some of these objects are far apart and with no other explanation, it is thought that it might be a sea monster.An expedition is established with the U.S. Naval frigate Abraham Lincoln under command of Captain Farragut. They are determined to find this sea monster and deal with it.Professor Pierre Aronnax of the Museum of Paris had written articles about this phenomenon of a possible sea monsgter and he his asked to join the others, along with his man Conseil and Canadian harpooner, Ned Land.Once they are out to sea and have traveled far in search of this monster, something is sighted and a small boat is launched. Ned Land is ready with his harpoon and Pierre and Conseil are with him. Ned realizes that this object is not a monster as their boat is swamped and they are picked up by the submarine, the Nautilus under Captain Nemo.They are kept in gentle captivity as the Nautilus travels around the world with Captain Nemo commenting as they reach various places. Pierre also comments on some of the things they find, such as a sunken ship with treasure aboard.The style of writing is dry and without much emotional comment. The style was so different from today's writing that It was challenging to get involved with the story.Jules Verne had some excellent ideas such as the deep sea diving equipment but when the Nautilus is said to go 20,000 leagues under the sea, that is more than the circumference of the earth.It was interesting to see where writing has changed in the last one hundred years and the changes in science fiction writing.
    • 3/5
      I read this because it was on a list of Great Classics. I saw the movie long ago but did not remember much of it. I thought the title meant 20,000 leagues down! It seems Captain Nemo and Professor Aronnax (and Conneil and Ned land ) went on a submarine for 20,000 leagues, often under the sea's surfacce. It has some exciting things, especially when they almost die at the South Pole. This book is nnotated, and corrects some things in the standard English translation. The sequel is The Mysterius sland, but I don't think I have to read it. Verne wrote 65 books. I think I've read enough bny him.
    • 3/5
      I liked the book because I AM fascinated by the sea, but everyone is right, the details of EVERYTHING are awful to sit through. You completely forget where you are in the "story" after pages and pages of detail on a fish, or a rock. A tough read, but a nice fantasy story. I personally don't think the details and monotony were NEARLY as awful as say Moby Dick, but they were pretty bad.