Here's a review of the book, located here
https://thebookreviewstation.com/201...y-jules-verne/
which goes into why he appreciates it so much. I read the book years ago and was captivated by it. He writes:
"The book can become monotonous when it goes into pages and pages of fish and sea animal descriptions. There is a lot of race stereotyping based on the circumstances of the time during which it was written. I say race stereotyping and not racism because it was more matter-of-fact, and was based on actual global conditions, rather than hatred born out of the personal inability to accept diversity. There is a lot of hunting involved which, I suppose, was the norm then, but can come across as a bit barbaric today."
Author Margaret Drabble says that it is a book "I have read and re-read with unfailing pleasure and interest."
I can't remember what version I first read all those years ago, but it was probably the one put out by Bantam Classics (1962), as translated by Anthony Bonner. I remember that I thoroughly enjoyed it, but for some strange reason I didn't pursue much of his writings at that time. I've only read a total of 3 or 4 books by him.
As already mentioned by one member, there are many PD titles here at Mobileread, and they're filled with wonderful illustrations.
(For the translation of the title, here's an interesting Wiki entry:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk%3..._Under_the_Sea)