Journey to the Center of the Earth in The Complete Idiots Guide to the Ultimate Reading List

Mar 27, 2013 Cee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction, stand-alone, classics, science-fiction

Journey to the Centre of the Earth is Jules Verne's third book, first published in 1864. Axel lives with his uncle, professor Lindenbrock, in Germany. Professor Lindenbrock discovers a document from the 16th century, which describes the place of an entrance to the centre of the earth. Set on being the first to venture inside the earth's crust, Axel and his uncle travel to Iceland and enter the cave system of a volcano.

Heavily inspired by fiction from the Romantic period, Journey to the Centre of Journey to the Centre of the Earth is Jules Verne's third book, first published in 1864. Axel lives with his uncle, professor Lindenbrock, in Germany. Professor Lindenbrock discovers a document from the 16th century, which describes the place of an entrance to the centre of the earth. Set on being the first to venture inside the earth's crust, Axel and his uncle travel to Iceland and enter the cave system of a volcano.

Heavily inspired by fiction from the Romantic period, Journey to the Centre of the Earth is deliciously dramatic. I find it fascinating how a male main character like Axel is constantly fainting when things get too scary. Try to imagine a male character like that in contemporary fiction. Hard, no? Now, we would only ascribe properties like this to a female. Axel's fiancée, Grauben, is actually the rational, brave one. Unfortunately it's not acceptable in the nineteenth century for a woman to travel with men who aren't directly related to her without a chaperone, so Grauben doesn't join the expedition.

Jules Verne is often seen as the father of science-fiction. He blended thrilling stories of wonder and danger with actual scientific theories as they had been posited in his time. Now, we know you can't actually just walk into a volcano, and find underground caves that span under the entirety of Europe. In Verne's time, this was plausible, which explains why his tales of natural wonders were so popular.

For the modern reader it can come as a culture shock to read a book like Journey. True to its title, the actual journey is important, not the end point. Finding the document, travelling to Iceland, finding a guide; all of these elements are skipped over in contemporary fiction, but these preparations have their own importance in this book. Some readers feel like they have read a hundred pages before "something happens", which is all a matter of perspective. Nineteenth century readers are more concerned with the how and the why and the what, and less with the internal ramifications of the main character. Less emotions, more descriptions. Some readers might find this boring, but I thought it was refreshing.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth has an ending worthy of an Indiana Jones movie. The book might not be as thrilling to us as it might have been a hundred years ago, but it's still highly entertaining. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Sep 20, 2010 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult, fantasy, science-fiction, fiction, novels, classics, ultimate-reading-list, ebooks, children-s, before-i-die

Verne is considered the father of science fiction and this novel was written back in 1864. Given that, I was rather pleasantly surprised with how engaging I found the story. Sure, the science is dated, but it made me want to know more about geology and the first person narrator, Axel, is witty and his uncle the professor an amusing eccentric. During this quest to make it to the center of a hollow Earth we encounter mushroom forests, an underground sea, marine dinosaurs, a hominid and mastodons. ...more

Like · see review

Oct 09, 2010 Somdutta rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I have read the version of translation where the name of the Professor of mineralogy,philosophy,chemitry,geology and many other ologies is given as Professor Hardwigg.Professor Hardwigg along with his nephew Henry who is also enthusiast of minerals and geologist embark on a perilous journey to the center of the earth. Henry helps his uncle to decipher writing on the parchment which his uncle finds. The deciphered message is by an ancient alchemist named Arne Saknussemm. The message when translat I have read the version of translation where the name of the Professor of mineralogy,philosophy,chemitry,geology and many other ologies is given as Professor Hardwigg.Professor Hardwigg along with his nephew Henry who is also enthusiast of minerals and geologist embark on a perilous journey to the center of the earth. Henry helps his uncle to decipher writing on the parchment which his uncle finds. The deciphered message is by an ancient alchemist named Arne Saknussemm. The message when translated read as follows: "Descend into the crater of Yocul Of Sneffels, which the shade of Scartaris caresses, before the kalends of July, audacious traveler , and you will reach the center of the earth. I did it."The professor and his nephew start their from Germany(where they live) and travel to Iceland. They packed with them all the necessary instruments like the chronometer, some weaponry, some gunpowder and food to last several months.They started their descend down the mount of Sneffels in Iceland with the help of a guide named Hans who is an Icelander. He is a placid and thoughtful fellow. He also saves their lives in many instances. They agree on a weekly payment to Hans.The book mainly describes the wonderful, less undiscovered world under the Earth's crust. A flowing water source which was discovered by Hans and the Professor gave it the name of Hansbach. They discover a water body, which was named the Central Ocean. They coin several other places like Port Gretchen to the place on the sand of the cavern before they first began their journney on the ocean.They embark on a journey on the Central ocean on a raft built by the helpful Hans and come across two dangerous creatures of the sea. The first creature has the snout of a porpoise, the head of a lizard, the teeth of a crocodile. This was the world renowed Ichthyosaurus or the great fish lizard.Another creature, was concealed under the hard vaulted shell of the turtle. It was kind of serpent .It was a Plesiosaurus or a sea crocodile. The book is exciting and informative at the same time.I always pictured myself in such a journey. I am sure , that I would have been claustrophobic and exhausted to death. After a perilous journey finally they get spewed out of the mouth of a volcano in Italy. I find the end quite disappointing. I was expecting them to finally discover something even more interesting than the ones they had encountered in their journey. In addition to that, getting spewed along with lava from a volcano completely baffles your imagination. ...more

Like · see review