Journey to the Center of the Earth: Reviews by 2022 Reading Challengers

[Winter, Group Reads]

Tell us what you thought of the book! You can leave your review here. Even if you read the book outside of the group, please feel free to let us know what you thought of it.

Please make sure to mark your spoilers by typing "[spoiler]" at the start and [/spoiler] at the end but replacing the []s with <>s.

[Danielle]

I enjoyed the adventure this book provided. It did, however, instill a wanderlust in me that had me start researching Iceland.

Jules Verne has been on my TBR for a while now, and I'm glad I finally went on an adventure with him. It was a worthwhile read!

[Alicja]

This book was an easy read, which is something that I was not expecting, and was written to show that human beings can and will explore everything the world has to offer if they are given the resources and chance. I must say one of the explorers (he who wrote the book) in my opinion shows the natural fear of human beings being scared of the unknown and apprehension that one may feel when dealing with someone you are not use to; while the other shows the urge for human beings to accomplish something, be remembers and want to participate in exploration of the world around them. I can't help but also feel like the book shows destruction which human beings are not scared to inflict on the planet. Throughout the journey and even afterwards not once have the explorers thought about how their actions will effect those around them, both animals and humans, thinking that with humans they can buy their way out of any conflict where as with animals finding themselves without much thought at all. Additionally, it showed that people when they are treated fairly will go great lengths for those who treat them this way, in this case this is shown by the guide who never questions or argues with them but at the end leaves them with a smile on his face and fond memories of their adventures.

[Sean]

I really enjoyed this classic. Having recently read Around the World in Eighty Days, I was expecting the high adventure. Jules Verne does an excellent job drawing in his audience.

I agree that the way this was written from the point of view of a reluctant adventurer showed some of our innate fears as humans. Meanwhile, Otto portrayed the opposite extreme and was afraid of nothing (expect perhaps missing out).

It definitely was not over-sciencey. I loved that it was written in 1864, in a time that scientists were still hypothesizing what was actually at the earth's center. It allowed for Verne's creativity to flow as he added his own ideas of what Otto and Axel encountered in this world beneath our world. Of course now we read it as extremely far-fetched, but that added to the fun. I love to think what readers in the late 1800's thought when they read through this book. How many would-be explorers did it excite?

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea is next on my Verne List.

[Celestial_dragon]

This book took me on an adventure. I looked up many of the places mentioned and followed their journey on a map. I felt the book was well written and easy to read. Now I would like to visit Iceland, too.

The only thing I would have like to have seen is a map of the center of the earth, somewhat like Tolkien did for Middle Earth.

I enjoyed the Sea Wolf Press edition with illustrations. It has a nice cover, too.

I am planning to read Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea next.