20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
1872

This novel has graced my too-read list for many years.  Alas, I downloaded the entire Jules Verne collection to my Kindel and devoured this from page to page.  Sadly, the book wasn’t exciting as I was hoping it to be.   Much of the book is Professor Aronnax describing in absolute nauseating detail all the observations of the sea life while he is aboard the Nautilus.

Understanding that at the time this was written, that would have been very fascinating for many people since they would have never seen any of the fish nor the lands/sea’s that Verne describes in the book.

Still, the novel is a fun read if you are a fan of Jules Verne.  If you have never read any of his books, I would start with Journey to the Center of the Earth.