Jules Verne is known as the father of science fiction, however this is one of the few novels that falls outside of that genre. Other non-science fiction works by Verne are sometimes lack-luster (specifically “Measuring the Meridian”) , but that is not the case for “800 Leagues on the Amazon”. While “800 Leagues” is a departure from Verne comfort zone he still delivers a novel that is full of intrigue and suspense.

The first 100 pages of “800 Leagues” reads very slow and is somewhat tedious, but the story does build suspense to and finishes strong. Verne is in his full glory has he paints the wildlife, fauna, and landscape of the Amazon region. Ulimately the story is one of family, honor, and loyalty despite the circumstances of life. Verne has always made “honor” a strong theme in his works and “800 Leagues” may be his finest exmple.

My final verdict - while this is not Verne’s best work (my favorite will always be “The Mysterious Island”) it is still in the top half of what I read of Verne. I would compare to “5 Weeks in a Balloon” with “800 Leagues” being slightly inferior. However, “800 Leagues” is still a must read for Verne fans.

Zip file of the entire book 296 MB

Tags: free audiobook, Jules Verne