20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne, 488 pages

After joining an expedition to hunt down the mysterious "monster" that is destroying ships around the world, Professor Arronax is shocked to discover that the creature is instead a submarine piloted by the unpredictable Captain Nemo, a man who has made the sea his home. When Nemo sinks the ship they're traveling on, Arronax, his servant Conseil, and Canadian whaler Ned Land are taken aboard Nemo's Nautilus, with no hope of escape. But Nemo does give them a grand tour of the world's oceans, exploring and interacting with thousands of sea creatures and geological formations.

Let's face it: everyone is familiar with this book, and anyone who knows anything about it knows there's a giant squid attack (heck, it's depicted on the cover!). But the squid attack happens REALLY late in the book, after way too much scientific description of every type of fish, mollusk, sea mammal, and coral in the ocean. I appreciate the role this book (originally published in 1870) played in introducing people to the oceanic realms, and the role it played in helping establish the science fiction genre. However, I really could have done without the lists of scientific names, as well as the gleeful slaughter of various sea creatures and the depiction of any non-white people as "savages." So this one gets a "meh" from me.

The Devil and the Dark Water

The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton, 463 pages

Sailors in the 1600s were a suspicious lot, so when strange symbols appear on an eight-month voyage to Amsterdam, the crew and passengers of the Saardam begin to suspect that the ship is cursed and that a demon walks among them. Thankfully, they have one of the world's greatest detectives, Samuel Pipps, on board — unfortunately, however, he's a prisoner confined to a dark, uncomfortable cell. Nevertheless, Pipps' loyal bodyguard Arent Hayes begins investigating the symbols, aided by Sara Wessel, disgruntled wife of the governor general. But a few "unholy miracles" later, and they're fighting storms, mutiny, and possible murder. Will they be able to solve the mystery and arrive in Amsterdam safely?

This is a fun historical fiction novel, perfect for fans of swash-buckling adventure stories. But the flap copy and cover descriptions can't be said to be correct. "A murder on the high seas" is splashed across the back cover, though such a murder doesn't appear until well past the book's halfway point, so don't put this book in the "murder mystery" pile. That quibble aside, it's a fun story and worth a read.

Moby Dick, or The Whale

Moby Dick, or The Whale by Herman Melville, 507 pages.
Melville's classic novel, written in 1851 stands up well to the test of time. Sure it has the racism and sexism of its time, but less so than many works written much later. The broad strokes of the book reflect the prejudices of its time more than the more detailed portraits of the principle characters. Queequeg, Tashtego, and Daggoo are judged by the author (to paraphrase the great MLK) more for their character as whalers than for their color of their skin.
Among these characters, Ishmael, the narrator, and Ahab, the obsessed captain have entered the shared consciousness, as have Starbuck, and Queequeg to a lesser degree. In the book itself we find the other wonderful characters that are also deserving of our attention and acclaim, Pip, Stubb and Flask, are there, as are Tashtego and Daggoo.
Melville's language is as strong as the characters he has drawn. Attributing the formality and cadence of his characters' speech to the Quaker roots of the Nantucketers among them, we encounter  many resounding, colorful, and hyperbolic speeches that jump off the page. Likewise, in his lengthy discourses on "cetology," and other nautical topics, Melville keeps the lengthy narrative flowing.
Not the slog I was expecting at all; a joy to read and / or listen to. The audio, narrated by Anthony Heald, is a lengthy, but enjoyable listen.