Journey to the Center ...

by
Jules Verne

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Journey to the Center of the Earth (Extraordinary Voyages)

by Jules Verne

3.76 of 5 stars 3.76 · rating details · 50,083 ratings · 1,623 reviews

The intrepid Professor Lindenbrock embarks upon the strangest expedition of the nineteenth century: a journey down an extinct Icelandic volcano to the Earth's very core. In his quest to penetrate the planet's primordial secrets, the geologist--together with his quaking nephew Axel and their devoted guide, Hans--discovers an astonishing subterranean menagerie of prehistoric...more

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Published July 1st 1997 by Turtleback Books (first published 1864)

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Dec 27, 2011 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: easton-press, lost-my-world, 1800s, science-fiction, classics-european, quests, classics

Gawd dim it, bollocks, ShazBot and shit snacks...I am so, SO bummed that I didn’t experience Jules Verne’s novels for the first time as a young man, rather than as an aging manolescent. Reading them now, as a 41 year old, I still find myself carried away in the rollickingness of his well crafted adventures, but part of me knows deep down in my nethers that there’s a warm, gooey nostalgia that will always be missing. This giant load of empty in my core, if filled, would likely have elevated this...more

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Jul 26, 2011 Shovelmonkey1 rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: old skool sci-fi fans

Recommended to Shovelmonkey1 by: 1001 books list

Shelves: 1001-books, bookcrossing-books, travel-books

I've tried to make The Journey to the Centre of the earth myself people, and let me tell you, it is fraught with danger! It should be a warning to you that I'm writing this from the bed of a Burns unit by typing with two chargrilled finger stumps, because the centre of the earth is not some wonderfully hollow, sparkly geode, oh no! In reality its a burning hot ball of lava, so hot that it makes the centre of a Pop Tart feel like a skinny dipping spree at the North Pole. You have been warned. Geo...more I've tried to make The Journey to the Centre of the earth myself people, and let me tell you, it is fraught with danger! It should be a warning to you that I'm writing this from the bed of a Burns unit by typing with two chargrilled finger stumps, because the centre of the earth is not some wonderfully hollow, sparkly geode, oh no! In reality its a burning hot ball of lava, so hot that it makes the centre of a Pop Tart feel like a skinny dipping spree at the North Pole. You have been warned. Geology may rock but it can also get bloody warm as well!

If you don't believe me, and are still prone to believe the Jules Verne school of geological thought, I'm backed up by the Wikipedia page :(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Journe...)
where the person who wrote the entry for the book clearly states that Verne's description of the fantastical middle earth has been "soundly refuted". Let's face it, if the centre of the earth really was some kind of lost world of wonders, Disney would have sunk a two and a half mile deep elevator shaft down there sometime in the 1960s and we'd all be queuing at the edge of a lava tube to pay £500 per ticket to get down there.

If on the other hand you are still tempted to make a journey to the centre of the earth from the comfort of your own armchair then I'm sure you'll be charmed and thrilled by the subterranean world of wonders which await. Lava tubes (like dried out waterflumes)provide direct access to the labyrinthine maze of geological fun. Middle-world primordial seas (which would have left modern day scientists to ponder the fact that the earth really resembles a partly filled laundry detergent ball), filled with giant fishes the likes of which would have had Hemingway weeping for mercy. Dinosaurs wander through ancient primeval forests of petrified wood and giant mushrooms and barren shores of bleached bones reveal the true nature of humanities origins. Essentially Verne has gathered together all the best and most interesting bits of Early World Prehistory (the bits that you loved as a kid) and created a memorable if scientifically confused master piece. Ok, it's now a bit dated and yes the centre of the earth really is not quite a Verne would have us believe but this is old school story telling at its best. (less)

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Dec 29, 2010 Chris rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 un...more

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Aug 25, 2008 Robert rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: scifi, french

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 subte...more

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Nov 17, 2008 Werner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of 19th century fiction (esp. science fiction), and of adventure fiction

Shelves: science-fiction, classics, books-i-own

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 of those...more

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May 25, 2013 Mandy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked this book enough to make an earth-layered cake in it's honour, complete with an icthyosaur on top. That should say enough. I ate poor prostrated honey-bear cookie Axel first, upon his raft of chocolate squares. Stoic Hans remained 'til the end, though the icing Ichthyosaur may have given me diabetes.

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Jul 24, 2008 Qt rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action-adventure, science-fiction

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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Jul 03, 2012 Amalie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: translations

Firstly, I'm not reviewing this edition, I can't seem to find the edition I read, it is a Puffin. The reason why I talk about the edition is: There are different versions with more than one English translation. It's just like when you read the Russian classics or any other foreign classics, you just have to find a decent translation!

If you want to find the best for one this, go for Robert Baldick's translation. I am very familiar with the basic plot by reading an abridged version several times...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Nenia Campbell rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 1001-books, x-1860s

Professor Hardwigg: Good news, everyone! I've discovered an ancient code that will take us into a forgotten world beneath a dormant volcano full of unspeakable dangers! You'll be coming with me as my guinea pi — I mean, fellow “adventures” (ahem) — to help me go down in faaaaaaame.

Harry: Awww, Uncle! Can't I stay home and wait until it comes on the Discovery Channel? I'm allergic to danger!

Professor H: Shush, you ninny. Are you a man, or are you a woman in men's clothing? To the volcano!

Harry: I...more

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Apr 16, 2008 Francis rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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 surprises, but "...more

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Jan 05, 2008 Chris rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: calm someone down.

Recommended to Chris by: previous book by author

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 the...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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Mar 31, 2013 Ranioucha rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

لا أدري لما أحب هذه الرواية
رغم أني لا أحب الفيلم أو حتى الرسوم المتحركة
لكن الكتاب يعجبني جدا
لا أمل من قرآته و تكراره مرات و مرات
و لعلي سأحفظه في يوم من الأيام
عن ظهر قلب لكثرة ما قرأته

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Mar 06, 2013 Kerry rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 11bookclub, adventure, iownthis, scifi, ya

It wasn't bad, per se, but it was a little boring. And certainly there is not enough to discuss for two hours! Oh well.

I was surprised at all of the legit (though outdated) science in it. I thought this was going to be more like The Time Machine, and that they were going to discover an entire civilization under the earth or something. I'd've been interested in an annotated version that talked about all the science presented, in terms of a) what was thought to be true at the time it was written a...more

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Oct 18, 2011 g rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-e-book

You have three characters in this novel: Professor Lidenbrock, his nephew Axel, and their trusty Icelandic guide, Hans. Hans is like Andre the Giant's character in The Princess Bride--strong, capable, there for the heavy lifting, but doesn't really drive the plot. Admiring his single-minded devotion and cool head, we can put him aside. Professor Lidenbrock is the unhinged scientist willing, at the drop of a hat, to believe some coded marginalia about the attainability of the center (or "centre,"...more You have three characters in this novel: Professor Lidenbrock, his nephew Axel, and their trusty Icelandic guide, Hans. Hans is like Andre the Giant's character in The Princess Bride--strong, capable, there for the heavy lifting, but doesn't really drive the plot. Admiring his single-minded devotion and cool head, we can put him aside. Professor Lidenbrock is the unhinged scientist willing, at the drop of a hat, to believe some coded marginalia about the attainability of the center (or "centre," if you will) of the earth. Axel is his beleaguered nephew and assistant, reluctantly along for the ride, which takes them to a volcano in Iceland.

Axel is like Scully in early X-Files episodes: he constantly doubts his uncle, always reciting the party line about physics and geology, how none of this is possible, even when he sees it with his own eyes. You want to smack him for his constant interruptions and return to your wistful adoration of the unshackled genius of Lidenbrock/Mulder. Thinking more on it, though, a writer needs an Axel/Scully whipping boy character in any story that features a Lidenbrock/Mulder type for the purposes of triangulation: s/he voices--even preempts--the readers' own skepticism. The author then gets to contradict, and sometimes even shame, the character within the framework of the narrative--without ever having directly to engage or convince the reader. Let's face it: who wouldn't, in reality, react as Axel does to Lidenbrock's crazy talk? But who are you going to identify with: whiny Axel, who passes out and gets himself lost and is, in general, pretty useless, or the fearless, mad genius Lidenbrock? Axel is Verne's get-out-of-jail-free card. (Scully's not nearly as bad as Axel, not only because of Gillian Anderson's ethereal loveliness and the makeup artist's demonstrated ability with her lipstick.)

Anyway, the writing remains remarkably vivid and fresh: it's easy to see why this story remains popular in its original form. Verne's imaginative creations even overshadow his unfortunate tendency to obsessively catalog the group's scientific equipment and how each piece works, and what befalls each piece along the way, etc. (less)

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Apr 12, 2011 Ruth rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

First off, this edition has some issues with the names. The cover names the characters from the original French version while the text itself changes them (which they did when they translated it into English for some reason). So not only was that confusing, but the narrator is sometimes called Henry and sometimes Harry. So if you're going to read this or buy it, get a better edition.

The story was drier than I expected. I grew up watching the Pat Boone, James Mason movie of the book which is pre...more

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Jan 13, 2011 David Shaw rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Before reading this book, I had taken a glance at some of the reviews posted by others. To my surprise, there had been a lot more negative reception than I had expected, even though at some time or another, any novel will find its detractors.

One of the criticisms I came across was that of this novel "being too descriptive, and long-winded", and comments of that nature.

Now, after having just finished the book, I feel at liberty to respond to these statements as being misguided or unwarranted. By...more Before reading this book, I had taken a glance at some of the reviews posted by others. To my surprise, there had been a lot more negative reception than I had expected, even though at some time or another, any novel will find its detractors.

One of the criticisms I came across was that of this novel "being too descriptive, and long-winded", and comments of that nature.

Now, after having just finished the book, I feel at liberty to respond to these statements as being misguided or unwarranted. By reading only a fraction of Jules Verne, it shouldn't take too long to recognize that his style of writing is of the 'hard-science fiction' approach. That is to say he has a greater focus on approach of scientific explanation, theorem and objective analysis of the conditions to which the characters are exposed.
Rather than having a storyline more driven by plot and a character's reactions and observations. In other words, this "long-windedness" that people are criticizing is more of a self-deflecting mechanism of their inability to accept and/or comprehend this style of writing.

I will sound biased by saying this, but I truly believe there is nothing you can criticize of this book or Verne's style and approach. He was ahead of his time and is just as impressive and remarkable 145 years later. To criticize him is really to ignore criticism of yourself for having found incompatible material to your liking, or for having little patience.

ALL OF THIS, is to stress to others who may be interested in this to definitely give 'Journey to the Center of the Earth' a chance, at least once in your lifetime. It is 'science-fiction' that deals with extraordinary situations that occur to characters during their time periods which they lived in. Not during some futuristic-imagined reality
(not to say those books aren't good either).
It's all the more reason to be fascinated, in addition to the fact that the adventures within deal more with the past than with the future.
I would venture to say this is 'historic-science-fiction'. It involves the history of the world, and having said that, it is relevant to everyone existing.

I for one am humbled to have had the experience, not to mention it has opened new doors for learning and discovery.

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Apr 25, 2008 Kristen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 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 scree...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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Apr 06, 2013 Nada Morad rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

نظرتك للكتاب وانت بتقرأه لغرض القراءة .. وانت بتقرأه أو بالأصح تذاكره لإنة بيكون مقرر عليك ضمن منهجك الدراسي وبتمتحن فيه بيكون مختلف 180 درجة ..
دي تعتبر أول رواية خيال علمي اقرأها في حياتي وانا لسه في نصها .. ورأيي المبدأي فيها ان الفكرة حلوة اننا نلاقي عالم مغامر عنده رأي و نظرية بيدافع عنهم وبيجتهد عشان يثبتهم .. أما اكسل فحسيت انه شاب يافع مسكين أٌجبر على حاجة هو مش عايزها وده غلط من البروفيسور .. أما نشوف هيحصل ايه في الترم التاني =)
**********
هذا وقد انتهيت من هذه القصة .. طبعا انا قريت أو ب...more

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Mar 11, 2009 Darshan Elena rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Verne's discussion of scientific discoveries and knowledge in the 1860s was fascinating. In addition, the novel's professor was brilliant - and I say that as a former professor. His quirks, his speaking patterns, his anxieties. Spot on perfect. A wonderful book made all the more wonderful by its impeccable historical details.

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May 26, 2013 Blake rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics, fiction

Despite the advent of fresh and enthused scholarship, the ease with which the width of Verne's diversity is narrowed by benevolent prejudice will probably continue. Yet, even as a voice of mere adventure, some of his best powers are at work audibly. His wonders have the red tooth and claw of H. G. Wells; his characters, attendant animals as they are to this sense, close around a humanistic heat that is not at odds with it but finally volcanic.

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Apr 13, 2012 Robin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

How did I not read this as a kid? Loved JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH by Jules Verne. Yes, the language is a bit hard to follow sometimes since it was written nearly 150 years ago, but I adapted and reaquainted myself with a more scientific voice. Was completely intriqued in that the journey starts off in Iceland and ends up...........Well, lets just say the ultimate journey!

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Nov 24, 2008 Svitlana rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Svitlana by: My friend

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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Mar 31, 2009 Shauni Marie added it · review of another edition

It was AWESOME I want to go to the center of the Earth now!!

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Jan 07, 2013 Jenny Burridge rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: jules-verne

Excellent.

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Sep 28, 2011 Dhe rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

la mia non sarà un'opinione con tanto di trama, anche perchè penso che sia un libro di quelli che tutti, chi più chi meno, sappiano di cosa si sta parlando. la mia opinione sarà solo il mio punto di vista, soprattutto considerando che questo è per ora l'ultimo dei libri di verne che ho intenzione di leggere, gli altri che mi ispiravano aspetteranno, non perchè non mi piaccia l'autore ma perchè, purtroppo, l'ho conosciuto con un'opera che mi ha a tal punto impressionata positivamente che qualunqu...more la mia non sarà un'opinione con tanto di trama, anche perchè penso che sia un libro di quelli che tutti, chi più chi meno, sappiano di cosa si sta parlando. la mia opinione sarà solo il mio punto di vista, soprattutto considerando che questo è per ora l'ultimo dei libri di verne che ho intenzione di leggere, gli altri che mi ispiravano aspetteranno, non perchè non mi piaccia l'autore ma perchè, purtroppo, l'ho conosciuto con un'opera che mi ha a tal punto impressionata positivamente che qualunque altro suo scritto non mi entusiasma allo stesso modo e quindi rimango un po' delusa.

la storia è decismente fuori dagli schemi sia nell'epoca in cui è stata scritta che nell'epoca odierna, un viaggio al centro della terra è qualcosa di inimmaginabile, molto interessante l'idea, meno, a mio modesto parere il modo in cui è stata congeniata. pochi i colpi di scena, la lettura, per quanto mi riguarda è andata avanti a rilento fino alla fine del libro, non c'è stato un momento di vero interesse in cui non vedevo l'ora di vedere cosa sarebbe accaduto divorando le pagine, è stata piuttosto una lettura lenta, un po' forzata in alcuni punti, in cui ciò che sarebbe accaduto era piuttosto prevedibile. immagino però che la stessa lettura in mano a un bambino o a un ragazzo sia qualcosa di completamente diverso: verne ha il potere di far volare la fantasia, su questo non ci sono dubbi. io sono rimasta piuttosto fredda rispetto allo stupore e allo stato d'animo del protagonista, poco colpita dallo zio che lo trascina in questa avventura, forse sono rimasta affascinata dall'islandese che fa loro da guida, dal suo sangue fredfdo e il suo sapersi adattare perfettamente ad ogni situazione. il loro viaggio ha dell'incredibile, e proprio perchè è così incredibile il libro mi ha appassionata poco. la presenza di dinosauri e uomini primitivi al centro della terra è un'idea che ormai è stata presente al cinema, in molti libri, insomma un'idea che ormai non riesce a stupirmi, ecco perchè dico che lo stesso libro in mano ad una mente più giovane, che magari certi film e certi libri ancora non li ha incontrati sicuramente si rivela un altro tipo di lettura, decisamente più piacevole.
altro aspetto che non mi ha particolarmente entusiasmata (ma mi rendo conto che è inevitabile considerando l'autore) è la capacità di questi uomini di cambiare il mondo a loro gusto. per riuscire ad arrivare a questo fantomatico centro della terra riescono a creare un'eruzione senza precedenti del vulcano di stromboli! da una parte mi piace molto questa assoluta fiducia da parte di verne nelle capacità umane e nel riuscire in ogni caso a tirare fuori dalle risorse naturali a disposizione ciò di cui si ha bisogno, ma dall'altra questa idea (che il mondo sia a nostra disposizione) è quanto di più lontano ci sia rispetto alla mia idea di rapporto fra uomo e risorse naturali...

non mi rimane che consigliarne la lettura, sebbene, a mio parere altri libri di verne siano molto più appassionanti.(less)

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Jul 03, 2010 Bryan added it · review of another edition

An Enjoyable and Charming Read that has Earned its Place Among the Classics: When Professor von Hardwigg discovers an ancient parchment suggesting a journey to the center of the Earth is possible, he wastes no time dragooning his dubious nephew and ward, Harry, into an expedition, first to Iceland, and then into the Earth. Harry, a young man, sees no good that can come of this expedition, but dutifully agrees.

So begins one of the most beloved classics of science fiction ever published, Jules Ve...more An Enjoyable and Charming Read that has Earned its Place Among the Classics: When Professor von Hardwigg discovers an ancient parchment suggesting a journey to the center of the Earth is possible, he wastes no time dragooning his dubious nephew and ward, Harry, into an expedition, first to Iceland, and then into the Earth. Harry, a young man, sees no good that can come of this expedition, but dutifully agrees.

So begins one of the most beloved classics of science fiction ever published, Jules Verne's "A Journey to the Center of the Earth". I'm hardly a Verne expert, but I've read many of his other classics. "Journey" is unique among his work. It's one of the few books to feature a first person narrator in the form of Harry. Moreover, unlike his other books, "Journey" is less grounded in science and more interested in the fantastic. Verne, through his various characters, slyly implores his readers' indulgence, reminding us that there is plenty about the center of the world we don't know.

Verne was an author who dealt in archetypal characters. From "20,000 Leagues Under the Seas" on, Verne generally concentrated on three types of characters as his protagonists: the brilliant and calm professor; the professor's loyal apprentice, and; the non-scientific, cantankerous, pragmatic, but steadfast man of action. Here, Verne mixes and matches these traits, making for a more interesting cast. Hardwigg is a brilliant scientist, but he's also a ball of barely restrained emotion and energy, demanding his fellow travelers press on, perhaps beyond all reason. The man of action, the Icelandic Hans, is loyal, but by no means cantankerous. He simply does what must be done, and is steadfastly loyalt. Finally, Harry, rather than the unquestioning apprentice, is quite skeptical of this expedition. Hardly steadfast, he proves to be quite cowardly and panics at inopportune times. Thus, with these interesting characters in the mix, the plot of the novel proves frequently unpredictable.

While the premise is fantastic, the action of the novel is far less concerned with monsters that might be found at the center of the earth than the more realistic, albeit more mundane, threats of natural disaster. Rather than being chased by dinosaurs or hidden cave-men, our heroes must deal with being lost, the threat of starvation, underground lakes, exhaustion, and exposure. Naturally, just as all hope seems lost for our heroes, fortune takes a hand. Obviously, if Harry is narrating, they probably get out okay. Still, there are some moments of true white knuckle tension, as Harry is lost in the caverns, or the trio finds itself on a raft with only a piece of jerky as their food-supply.

Wisely, Verne lets the scientific explanations he used as the basis of his other novels go here. He's less interested in giving his reader an education in the latest discovery, and concentrates instead on a great rip-roaring read. Admittedly, the conventions of Victorian-era fiction don't always allow the book to rip or roar. The first third of the book is actually dedicated to getting Harry and the Professor to Iceland and recruiting an expedition. It's more of a travelogue than an adventure tale, which makes the book more realistic, although not consistently exciting. Once our heroes are underground, however, the book takes off.

In the grand scheme of things, "A Journey to the Center of the Earth" is probably not my favorite Verne book. It lacks a remarkable character, like Captain Nemo. It also lacks some of the sharper satire Verne brought to his other books, like "From the Earth to the Moon." It doesn't quite have the pacing of "Around the World in 80 Days." Nonetheless, it is an enjoyable and charming read, and certainly has earned its place among the classics.(less)

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Jan 06, 2009 Dusty Folds rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Seriously, what is this book? Is it a sci fi novel, is it a travel manual, is it a textbook? The only redeeming quality it had was that the narrative was written in such a way to make the reading rather quick.

With that being said, though, I was more than a little disappointed. I thought I would be reading a fantastical story about a mystical journey and what I got was a lesson on geology, geography, history, science, and more. Verne's narrator is not sympathetic at all. His persistent whining m...more

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May 23, 2013 Simon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Amusing enough, and with just about enough rip to be ripping, but for a book that’s blatantly about a fantastical journey it was a bit frustrating to be told by the main character on page 77 (of 185 pages) that ‘at this precise moment the journey commences’. Before that point they spend quite a lot of time on the train, or sitting indoors.

I haven’t read anything else by Verne so I don’t know if this novel is typical, and I know this is an arbitrary comparison, but the differences with Wells, tha...more

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Apr 29, 2013 Louis Monem added it · review of another edition

I highly enjoyed reading this book, this book was very engaging. The beginning was a bit slow because it took time for the characters to go on the journey but when they finally did it was a crazy journey. Axel found a book with his uncle, Professor Liedenbrock. This book was written in old Icelandic language but the Professor spoke many languages so he was able to read it. When they read the book they found coordinates to the center of the earth. They finally decided to go Iceland to see if the...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Boula Fahmy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Journey to the Center of Earth by Jules Verne. This book is the most awesome book I have ever read simply, this book tells the story about three main characters. First one is the professor Lidenbrock scientist, second one is his nephew Axel ,and third one Hienz the guide. The story began when professor Lidenbrock was reading an old book he found a skin of animal written on with Latin symbols. He and his nephew discover the secret of that writing and the result was, “Go to the Sneffels mountains...more

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About Jules Verne

Jules Gabriel Verne was a French author who pioneered the genre of science-fiction. He is best known for his novels "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1864), "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" (1870), and "Around the World in Eighty Days" (1873).

Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before navigable aircraft and practical submarines were invented, and before any means of spa...more

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“We are of opinion that instead of letting books grow moldy behind an iron grating, far from the vulgar gaze, it is better to let them wear out by being read.” — 1,724 people liked it

“Science, my lad, is made up of mistakes, but they are mistakes which it is useful to make, because they lead little by little to the truth.” — 214 people liked it

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