Journey to the Center of the Earth (Graphic Classics)

by Jules Verne

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3176 ratings, 3.58 average rating, 229 reviews (more data...)

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4		34%
3		35%
2		9%
1		2%

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published

April 27th 2007 (first published 1864) by Barron's Educational Series

binding

Paperback, 48 pages

isbn

0764134957 (isbn13: 9780764134951)

description

A world-famous classic novel is the basis for this brand-new, dramatically illustrated book. Transformed from Jules Verne's original text into a graph...more

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Qt rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

07/24/08

bookshelves: action-adventure, science-fiction

Read in July, 2008

Great book--a fun tale of Professor Lidenbrock's determined attempt to reach the center of the earth, as narrated by his nephew in often-amusing language. Plenty of traces of geology, anthropology, and archaeology, but without getting bogged down. It was a surprisingly easy and fun read, and descriptive too. Good adventure story!

P.S. My version was published in 1954 and translated by Willis T. Bradley.

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13 comments

Francis rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

04/16/08

Read in April, 2008

I'm not going to go into a description of the plot because the title says it all. I will only give my overall opinion.

In picking this book up from the library I had fantastic preconceived images burned into my mind of what I might expect to read (prehestoric animals, humanoids, battles, escapes, etc.). I was more than a little disappointed to find it lacking most of those mentioned. I have read books like "Snowcrash" that blow my preconceived notions away with more than expected...more

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Chris rated it:

04/03/08

Read in March, 2008

What sounds more adventurous than taking a journey to the center of the earth? Not much can compare. Although this novel is fiction, there is so much detail in the description of the journey and the characters that you are willing to go along with all the impossible trips they make under our lands and oceans and really hope that the characters succeed. Axel, the narrator, is not very excited about taking this trip and believe me, you’ll figure that out right away from the way he narrates. His...more

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Werner rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

11/17/08

bookshelves: classics, science-fiction

Read in January, 1995

recommends it for: Fans of 19th century fiction (esp. science fiction), and of adventure fiction

This book suffered, at the hands of the older English translators, many of the same indignities and mutilations that I mentioned in my review of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (for instance, in the version I read, the Professor's name was Hardwegg, not Lidenbrock!), and this no doubt produces a reading experience much inferior to the one Verne actually intended; but even reading it in one of these impaired translations, it came across to me as one of Verne's better books, and one o...more

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Chris rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

01/05/08

Read in August, 2007

recommended to Chris by: previous book by author
recommends it for: calm someone down.

When I go on a Great Adventure, I like to bring a book with me which also chronicles a great adventure. This is for two reasons; first, to urge me on in my own adventure and push the boundaries of what is expected on said adventure, and second, to give me something entertaining to read about a great adventure should mine turn out less than spectacular. After reading From The Earth To The Moon by Verne and finding it totally awesome, I figured another Verne story couldn’t go astray to satisfy...more When I go on a Great Adventure, I like to bring a book with me which also chronicles a great adventure. This is for two reasons; first, to urge me on in my own adventure and push the boundaries of what is expected on said adventure, and second, to give me something entertaining to read about a great adventure should mine turn out less than spectacular. After reading From The Earth To The Moon by Verne and finding it totally awesome, I figured another Verne story couldn’t go astray to satisfy these criteria.

I was wrong on all accounts this time; the trip I took with Jess’s family to Podunk, Wisconsin to go canoeing and partying was a dismal failure, mainly because her hick family couldn’t get their act together and spent the majority of the time shuttling to and fro between our campsite and her relatives about 45 minutes away. An hour and a half round trip, and in 3 days we made that trip about 5 times, once simply to bring her dad some fricking lunch since her recently-divorced parents weren’t speaking. That was ridiculous. So, during these drives, and while sitting alone in a canoe on a placid lake smoking roughly a carton of cigarettes, I killed off Journey to the Centre of the Earth. And it was about as fulfilling as the Wisconsin trip was turning out. Wonderful, stuck in Wisconsin, bored as hell, reading a clearly inferior book. Just what I needed.

In comparison to From The Earth To The Moon, this book falls very short of the high quality I expect from my main man Jules. There’s almost nothing even remotely humorous in Journey, a complete deviation from Earth To Moon. The trek that narrator Axel and his wise uncle Professor Lindenbrock embark upon is unbearably tedious, both to the daring, dauntless pair and to the reader. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is that it actually begins rather promisingly, as some ancient Icelandic runes confirm to the pair that there is a route to the Earth’s core, previously explored by some Scandinavian lunatic, and they prepare at once to follow in his footsteps by entering the mouth of the volcano Snafell. Believe me, the investigative wit they display and their academic tedium is actually pretty awesome, and all is going well when they enlist the help of a local maniac named Hans (who, throughout the story never wavers as the most solid and majestic character) but it isn’t long after descending down the path described previously by Arne Saknussemm that this story completely hits a brick wall. This is partially understandable, there really isn’t many ways you can make a trio of dudes crawling through the earth’s mantle very exciting, as sci-fi laureate Kim Stanley Robinson (author of a pretty good Mars trilogy) points out in the introduction; the repetition of them going deeper and deeper can put the brain to sleep. There are more references to going down than in most erotic literature, and they never quit; until the big pay-off; the discovery of a giant ocean they find over a hundred miles below the earth’s surface, and after sailing across it, discovering what can only be described as the Land of The Lost. While you would think that the conclusion at least offers some satisfaction, this isn’t the case. After dropping monikers involving their own names on everything they come across and skirting around the subterranean forests and fossils, the mighty ‘Snafell’ erupts, ejecting them into the Mediterranean, where they discover they were headed the wrong direction the whole time. Nothing but clowns and spelunkers.
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Kristen rated it:

(review of isbn 1575665328)

04/25/08

bookshelves: classics

It had been many years since I had read a Jules Verne novel, and to be honest, I couldn't recall his skill as a writer at all. When I dug this book off of my bookshelf I admit, I was simply bored and looking for something mindless to read while the children fought over gluing cotton balls to construction paper.

I admit that it took my mind a while to re-acclimate to the writing style of the time, not that it was difficult to read, it was just far too easy to skim. So, bringing my mind to a s...more It had been many years since I had read a Jules Verne novel, and to be honest, I couldn't recall his skill as a writer at all. When I dug this book off of my bookshelf I admit, I was simply bored and looking for something mindless to read while the children fought over gluing cotton balls to construction paper.

I admit that it took my mind a while to re-acclimate to the writing style of the time, not that it was difficult to read, it was just far too easy to skim. So, bringing my mind to a screeching halt, I sat down and began to truly read this wonderful novel. Let me begin with saying that the science in the novel is extremely outdated but at the time of it's writing, was plausible. If you can get your mind past the huge hurtle of your current scientific knowledge, you can appreciate this book for what it is: a brilliant science fiction/adventure novel. The conventions of the time include misunderstandings of the makeup of the earth, and the propensity to marry one's own cousins.

The book is written in the form of a diary at times, and a retelling at times, of events that had passed previously. The voice of the book is the character Harry, nephew and assistant to Professor Von Hardwigg. The novel begins with the professor's discovery of a secret parchment which when decoded gives the location that a previous explorer used to enter the bowels of the earth. The immediately set out to follow in the footsteps of this great explorer of centuries before. Joining them is Hans, the apparent superman of Iceland. He never complains, rarely talks, and saves the lives of those around him on a regular basis. I cannot help but to believe that this is Verne's ideal man, his "Adonis" if you will. The Professor, though he loves Harry, is a closet ADHD case hidden behind a brilliant and stubborn mind. There is great adoration for his nephew, on those occasions when he stops moving or talking long enough to notice him. Harry, who is telling the story, is easily written off as a coward; however he is so much more than that if you take into account the beliefs of the time. He is following his uncle on a dangerous journey into the unknown to a place he does not even believe exists. (Harry's beliefs are far closer to the reality that we understand, however in this novel they are all completely incorrect)

Upon entering the depths of the earth many hardships and terrors await the three, ranging from dehydration, starvation, dinosaurs, many falls, getting separated, raging storms on underground seas and volcanic eruptions. I won't go into great detail suffice to say that the movie, though highly entertaining, does no justice to this story. Spray painted iguanas with horns are far from what is described in this book. If you have spare time on you hands, this is an excellent read and I would highly recommend it to anyone. There is a reason that this is considered "Literature."
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Michael rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

05/09/08

Read in February, 2008

I am surprise at the depth and richness of this book written by Jules Verne nearly 200 years ago !. He is a really a futurist and explorer at heart. I would love to journey to the centre of the earth too with the good professor

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Svitlana rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

11/24/08

Read in January, 2007

recommended to Svitlana by: My friend
recommends it for: Everyone

This book was amazing! I enjoyed the way the author interpreted science and how many mysteries could be hidden behind a single puzzle. At first I thought it was crazy for professor to reach the center of the earth. But the struggle the professor and his nephew experienced actually brought them closer together in terms of understanding. I believe it is awesome to accomplish something so big!!!!!!!!!!! All those traps and the way professor outsmarted them made me really wonder what it is that the ...more

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David rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

09/27/07

Probably my second favorite Jules Verne book. I have always loved the idea of “Pellucidar”, the world in the center of the Earth. I prefer Edgar Rice Burroughs’ stories on it though.

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Josef rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

08/16/08

One of my all time childhood favorites.

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Jessie rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

09/07/08

I love the book and the movie!!!

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Lisa rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

10/17/08

bookshelves: fantasy, young-adult

Read in September, 2008

in a sentence: a professor and his nephew chance upon the directions leading to the center of the earth...so of course they have to check it out!

i was not sure what to expect at all with this book. and for the record, the cover image i have used for this post is not the version that i read (i wish), but i thought it looked pretty cool and spelled centre the way it did on my puffin paperback copy.

the writing style, though obviously dated to the time it was written (1860s), was easy to rea...more in a sentence: a professor and his nephew chance upon the directions leading to the center of the earth...so of course they have to check it out!

i was not sure what to expect at all with this book. and for the record, the cover image i have used for this post is not the version that i read (i wish), but i thought it looked pretty cool and spelled centre the way it did on my puffin paperback copy.

the writing style, though obviously dated to the time it was written (1860s), was easy to read and follow. having never read another jules verne book, i was a bit apprehensive of reading something that was a classic such as this one. would i appreciate it enough? would i even enjoy it? if i didn't enjoy it, would i have the guts to admit it? bizarre, i know, but true. in any case, i did enjoy it, which was an especially pleasant surprise after my previously stated anxieties.

especially with the new movie coming out so recently, i expected a heart racing adventure from start to finish...not the case. however, it was the fact that it was a paced and intentional journey that i really liked. the title is not misleading - it is not "the outrageously explosive and ridiculous journey", but rather "the journey". from the konigstrasse back in Hamburg to the inner depths of the earth, Verne does an amazing job of keeping the novel paced and interesting. he also has a desire to make sure that what the professor, Axel (the nephew) and Hans (the guide) encounter are scientifically possible...i'm not entirely convinced it was necessary for the story but it was interesting none the less.

the simplistic yet vivid descriptions from Axel, the narrator, added to the paced and intentional telling of this story. i appreciated Verne's balance of detail and plot - never too heavy on either side.

without throwing in any spoilers, let me say that the book is well worth the read - just don't expect something like you've seen from the recent previews (and be glad for it). the title is totally self explanatory, so much more summary from my part would be spoiler heaven. i should also note that i have not seen any movie version of this book, and would be super apprehensive to do so in a comparative sense. it would seem to me that there is too much temptation to turn the journey into something Verne did not intend it to be.

fave quotes: (not related to the actual journey at all...)"Oh how hard it is to understand the hearts of girls and women. When they are not the most timid of creatures, they are the bravest. Reason has no part in their lives" (44)
(resonated most with me as a reader) "Since the beginning of our journey I had had so many surprises that I might be forgiven for thinking myself immune to astonishment and incapable of amazement" (255)

fix er up: Hans seemed to me at times like a deus ex machina, which i am not the hugest fan of....less

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Abi rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

10/28/08

bookshelves: 19th-century, french

This was a good, fun read. What I especially loved was Verne's obvious boundless enthusiasm for science and the pursuit of truth. It made me quite jealous; to have lived in the 19th century, to have believed in the limitless progress of man must have been so exciting. Although maybe in our cynical age today Verne's optimism might strike some as a little naive, I think it's brilliant. I'm not a scientist, I really don't know much about it, but I think Verne captures (despite being a writer of fic...more

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bup rated it:

(review of isbn 0671010964)

10/16/08

bookshelves: 2008, audio

Read in October, 2008

Maybe this doesn't deserve only two stars, but maybe "Around the World in Eighty Days" didn't fully earn the three stars I gave it, either.

They go underground. IN CHAPTER 18.

Then...it's just not interesting enough. I don't know what I was expecting, but...

I tell you what. When I was a kid, I got water from the kitchen sink once and there was a spider in it. I thought that water came from the center of the earth, and this spider must have come from the center of the earth. T...more

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Cristina rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

09/10/08

Read in September, 2008

I already finished this book. It was amaizing, I really enjoyed reading it because it is a mixture of adventure, fiction and at the same time informative because of all the information it has explained about paleonthology, minerology and geography, etc. I think I was pulled toward the character named Harry (Henry), which is the nephew of Professor Hardwigg. I indentify with this character because he is in a way like me, has a hunger of knowledge, there are certain topics or subjects that I am ve...more

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Cristina added it (review of isbn 1561034932)

11/08/08

Read in November, 2008

So far I have read 31 pages of this book and it is very interesting. Although it has a lot of words that I am not familiar with I can understand the book. This book is about a boy and his uncle, who is obssed with the existance of the center of the earth. By obssed I mean he really believes there is a center of the earth and that it is possible to go there. So at the begining of the book the boy explains which are the hobbies and how is his uncle and what does he like to do. Then the story start...more

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Robert rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

08/25/08

bookshelves: french, scifi

Read in August, 2008

This is genuine science fiction from 1864. It is a straight-forward read about a man who's uncle, an eminent Professor of mineralogy, discovers a secret manuscript detailing the entrance to a passage leading to the centre of the Earth, written three hundred years before by a man who claims to have been there and returned. The nephew, reluctant and fearful, is dragged along on an expedition to re-discover the route - if it really exists.

Perhaps a little too much time is spent getting to the...more

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Trebro rated it:

(review of isbn 0671575554)

06/14/08

bookshelves: books

Read in June, 2008

My second and also very enjoyable evening with Alien Voices (the Leonard Nemoy and John de Lanceie combo) is this favorite subject of Rick Wakeman, Journey to the Center of the Earth. Once again, Nemoy takes the protagonist and de Lancie plays the role of narrator, though this time there is a greater balance between the two of them because the narrator is along for the adventure.

The story itself is exactly as described. Verne, using the rudimentary scientific knowledge of the time and twisti...more My second and also very enjoyable evening with Alien Voices (the Leonard Nemoy and John de Lanceie combo) is this favorite subject of Rick Wakeman, Journey to the Center of the Earth. Once again, Nemoy takes the protagonist and de Lancie plays the role of narrator, though this time there is a greater balance between the two of them because the narrator is along for the adventure.

The story itself is exactly as described. Verne, using the rudimentary scientific knowledge of the time and twisting it into faint possibilities, has his two characters stumble upon a way to venture to the center of the earth, following the path of a heretic whose works were burned. Joined by a foreign guide to do all the things Verne doesn't want to have his proper English gentlemen do, they make their way to the earth's center, failing quite a bit more than you'd expect a Victorian-era hero to do.

If there's a problem with the text, which de Lancie comments on in a brief afterward, it's that the story doesn't really have a lot of compelling narrative. Verne's world is too clinical, too distant, like all the things I dislike about Victorian literature in general. The protagonists watch as a weird lightning bug-like creature zaps their foreigner, two sea monsters do battle, a huge caveman meanders by, etc. Yes, it's cool to have those elements, but they seem like scenes from a movie the scientists are watching, not participating in. The story is too two-dimensional, unlike Wells, who, building on the idea of scientific possibilities, pushes his characters into the midst of the action. Doyle, in his science fiction, also brings his people more to fore.

This does not mean that Verne's work is not enjoyable, just that unlike Wells, he feels dated. Even in the context of a dramatic reading, there are times when things feel a bit droll. One can only take so many fatherly chastisements and comments of how "science got it wrong" from Nemoy's fine voice before they tend to blend a bit. In the end, the text is a satisfying evening's listen but not something I'd want to read over and over again.

As for the audio book, the pairing of Nemoy and de Lancie is spectacular and they do an excellent job conveying their parts. Nemoy is a bit more restrained this time, as befits his cold and distant character in this book. I continue to be impressed with these works and am eagerly awaiting the next one I "read" in the series. Even if you're not really into old science fiction, I recommend these works from a dramatic perspective. More audiobooks could stand this multiple-voice approach. (Library, 06/08)

Trebby's Take: Recommended more for the readers than the text....less

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Brett rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

05/26/08

bookshelves: literature-in-translation, sf-fantasy

Read in May, 2008

I would ask anyone who is reading this review if they knew that Jules Verne's writings were all translated from French. I didn't know that until I picked up this book. So it is officially literature in translation, which I am not a big fan of, generally, but this was a good book anyway.

There are many, many references to scientific terms. One of the trickiest sentences in the book is included in this paragraph:

"Now, in mineralogy, there are many names difficult to pronounce--half ...more

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L.J. rated it:

(review of isbn 0553213970)

10/26/07

bookshelves: take-or-leave

Read in February, 2007

recommends it for: science fiction, adventure

This is more a travel book than an adventure story but mixes in both. I have to admit that after delving deeper into the book as the characters do so in the Earth I found the story is not as griping as 20,000 leagues. The characters are well developed and believable, the storyline becomes tiresome when and at the point you expect it to start getting exciting. There is some interesting allusions to grand adventure, especially in the deep sea creatures and discovery of giant bones. This could be a...more

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In Jules Verne's Journey to the Centre of the Earth, the characters are following instructions on how to reach the centre of the earth found on a note inside which ancient text?
a. The Bhagavad Gita
b. The Bible
c. The Heimskringla
d. The Iliad
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Journey to the Center of the Earth (Graphic Classics)

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