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    Journey to the Center of the Earth
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    Journey to the Center of the Earth
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    Journey to the Center of the Earth
    Ebook324 pages3 hours

    Journey to the Center of the Earth

    By Jules Verne, Scott McKowen and Arthur Pober

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    What a stunning discovery: an old, coded note that actually contains directions for reaching the Earth’s very core! And once he finds it, renowned geologist Professor Liedenbrock can’t resist setting out with his 16-year-old nephew to go where only one man has gone before. Jules Verne takes young readers on one of the most incredible journeys ever imagined, from Iceland’s frozen tundra far down into fantastic underground prehistoric worlds and back up again through the fires of an erupting volcano.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSterling
    Release dateSep 18, 2009
    ISBN9781402772474
    Author

    Jules Verne

    Victor Marie Hugo (1802–1885) was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement and is considered one of the greatest French writers. Hugo’s best-known works are the novels Les Misérables, 1862, and The Hunchbak of Notre-Dame, 1831, both of which have had several adaptations for stage and screen.

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    Reviews for Journey to the Center of the Earth

    3.5/5

    2,392 ratings86 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth follows the German professor Otto Lindenbrock and his nephew Axel as they, along with their guide Hans, descend into the Icelandic volcano Snæfellsjökull, see various prehistoric animals, and return via the Stromboli volcano in Italy. Verne found inspiration in the geologist Charles Lyell’s 1863 book, Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man as well as some of the works of Edgar Allan Poe. This edition, published by Oxford University Press, features a new translation from the original French by William Butcher. The book also features an introduction situating Verne and his work in its historical milieu as well as an explanation of the translation. As part of the Oxford World’s Classics series, the novel features explanatory notes for many of the scientific and foreign-language terms Verne used to add verisimilitude to the book. Though typically classified as science-fiction, the term was not popularized until Hugo Gernsback used it in the 1920s, and Verne himself would have considered this an adventure novel as it focuses more on the journey than the science or technology involved in getting there. This edition works well for those studying science-fiction and its history, though, and is a must-read for even the casual fan!
    • 4/5
      Professor Leidenbrock and his nephew Axel find a mysterious note suggesting an Icelandic geologist traveled to the center of the earth and lived to tell the tale. The two prepare for the long and arduous journey to Iceland, for that is where the geologist began, and enlist the help of an Icelander named Hans to assist with the journey below ground. Not to spoil a 150-year-old book, but the trio makes it to the center of the earth after several setbacks and strange occurrences, and return safely to ground level.There is a scene near the start of the book in which Professer Leidenbrock and Axel are arguing about what they may find in the center of the earth. The nephew believes that the center would be liquid rock and metal. The professor is convinced that it is solid rock. Both trot out a series of scientific facts and figures to prove their points. Readers are of course meant to side with the Professor and, indeed, he is proven correct later in the book (or there would be no book), but as a modern reader, knowing that the nephew is actually correct, the exchange is pretty hilarious.While the science is obviously not accurate, the book itself is fun. It’s an adventure story written by a master. We read the story from Axel’s point of view, who is reluctant about everything involved in this journey. This makes for a pleasant “surprise” when Axel is proven wrong. If you’ve only ever seen the film version starring James Mason, you will be surprised at some of the differences. I hope you have fun with this classic, as I did.
    • 3/5
      I have to admit that Jules Verne is harder to read as an adult than as a bright-eyed, impressionable kid. There is so much wonder on these pages, and yet I felt like I needed to work far too hard to get at it - the adventure is hidden behind steampunk techno-babble in a way that modern writers would never be able to get away with. Still, I'm glad to have revisited this book, and I will continue to work through the Verne canon, disillusioned though I am.
    • 4/5
      A good book eventually. I found the first few chapters rather slow, but after the group had entered the Earth things got alot more exciting. The character of Axel was extremely well written, his constant mood swings kept me entertained. The trio who journeyed into the earth are extremely different form one another and the interplay between them is enjoyable. Worth sticking with as it is a good read.
    • 3/5
      Time has not been gentle to this classic.
    • 4/5
      There's not too much to say about the plot here; it's pretty much all in the title. As our intrepid narrator reminds us at one point: "Remember that I am writing this *after* the journey." A young man (Axel or Harry depending on your translation) embarks on a journey into the earth at the insistence of his uncle Professor Lidenbrock (or Hardwigg) after they decode a message about the same journey being undertaken by an Icelander centuries before.This isn't really great writing, but the point is the adventure and the early days of science fiction, of course. There's a lot of geology and paleontology mixed in with the story, imparted in form of conversations between the nephew and the uncle, or lectures by the uncle. The Professor comes across as an extra-obnoxious, lecture-y and impatient Sherlock Holmes; he's kind of a funny character, even as you want to slap him sometimes. Darkness, the risk of getting lost forever under the earth's surface, beasties and strange natural phenomena all threaten our intrepid heroes, but obviously they make it out all right.Much like with other adventure stories from years gone by, the escapades hold up but the science and worldviews don't. Definitely worth reading for what it is, but not a life-changing experience.Recommended for: fans of monster movies, geologists.Quote: "In this manner, in early days, were formed those vast and prodigious layers of coal, which an ever-increasing consumption must utterly use up in about three centuries more, if people do not find some more economic light than gas, and some cheaper motive power than steam."
    • 2/5
      I really didn't enjoy Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth." As you'd expect, there was lots of adventuring through dark caves until the big "payoff" at the end, which wasn't terribly exciting. Verne's narrator is constantly saying how they are all going to die on this journey, but it's clear he's writing the book after the journey, so you know right off they don't.This reminded me a lot of H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness" in that there is a lot of description that gets tedious and then the ultimate conclusion doesn't really make everything worthwhile.Perhaps this just hasn't aged well.
    • 4/5
      A little is lost in translation and it's a bit dated. However this is still an entertaining story of a great adventure undertaken by two German geologists and their Icelandic guide. You just need to ignore certain scientific advances since it was written and make allowances for some attitudes of the time.
    • 5/5
      In my opinion, far and away the best book Verne ever wrote and one of the best sci-fi books ever written. I own several copies, including Heritage Press and Folio Society. If I read French, I'd try to own a first edition.
    • 5/5
      Based on the discovery of a mysterious parchment detailing the entrance to the center of the earth, a passionate scientist drags his nephew to Iceland. There, with the help of their trusty Icelandic guide, they gain entry to travel deep into the earth,, where they have many great adventures including dangerous tunnels, an underground ocean, prehistoric creatures, and other natural hazards.I have seen so many versions of Journey to the Center of the Earth from the good to the very, very bad. This book is so much better than all of them. Much of the book is just traveling through dark tunnels before they make their more outrageous discoveries (the movies seem to insist on adding more complications).I had been worried that it was going to be dry like some books of the older style of prose, but i was pleasantly surprised. The narrative is entertaining throughout, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat, and often quite funny. I loved Professor Liedenbrock, whose wild passions often lead to humorous situations, as well as his more timid nephew Axel, who was not nearly as excited by the trip. I even enjoyed Hans, the silent and stoic guide.This is a fun, entertaining adventure novel. I loved it, and am quite excited to read the rest of Verne's works.
    • 1/5
      This book is about a guy named Axel, his uncle, and how they go on a journey. Axel's uncle is a professor that teaches about mineralogy. One day he comes home with a piece of paper. It tells about a journey to the center of the earth. When Axel hears about this he thinks his uncle is crazy but his uncle drags him along. Many things end up happening on the journey but to find out if they make it READ the book!I didn't like this book because it was to scientific and confusing to me.
    • 4/5
      I first read Journey to the Centre of the Earth when I was 8. My local supermarket sold pocket editions of classics at pocket money prices. I loved this one. It was incredibly exciting and nerve tingling. 35 years later, I decided to read it again. My pocket money pocket edition is long gone, so I got a copy for my Kindle from Project Gutenberg. It is as good as I remembered. Fast paced and funny, if a little implausible at times (I can take ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs living in a subterranean sea, not sure about the ability to acclimatise to differing air pressures as you travel towards the earth's core on foot, though), it is deserving of its classic status.I discovered that my childhood version and the one I downloaded are an abridged translation with the names of the main characters changed, so I've downloaded another version from PG, which is supposed to be more accurate. To read another day, though!
    • 5/5
      A great adventure story and tale of discovery. Axel and his uncle, the Professor, set out for the centre of the earth via an Icelandic volcano, with the help of their intrepid and unflappable porter. A human drama about Axel's overcoming of his fears and facing up to many uncertainties. His cool, sceptical and questioning attitude is contrasted with his uncle's impatience and immense self-confidence. The exchanges between Axel and his uncle keep the drama going, as well as their amazing journey with all its dangers. Also has its funny comic moments! Is the centre of the earth a boiling furnace or not? is just one of the scientific questions which inform the narrative with intelligence and curiosity. A true original of science fiction, and definitely worth re-reading.
    • 4/5
      If you like old timey science fiction this is for you. It's full of fantastical scientific explanations to getting to the center of the earth and I enjoyed reading it. Worth it.
    • 4/5
      This had an incredible impact on me when as a young teen I read it the first time. The descriptions of quartz and minerals and subterranean canyons spurred me on to study geology, fossils and a whole slew of sciences. Still a great read.
    • 3/5
      This book is to me the ultimate of the Science Fiction genre. You take an event that's impossible--say, traveling to the center of the Earth, and then add a bunch of scientific terms to it and make the reader think it might be possible. The addition of a character who he (typically he, sometimes she) doubts the possibility of completing the task is a nice one--he is there so the audiance will not feel too bad in their disbelief of what is happening in the book.

      This was my first book by Jules Verne, and it was pretty much what I expected (what you would find in any science fiction novel?). But what I need to remind myself of, is that this book was written a lonnnnnggggg time ago, and I'm sure at the time, I could see how this book would be a huge hit.

    • 4/5
      Perhaps the best part of this well known work is the basic premise, which is compelling. That said, I was somewhat disappointed with the actual story telling. Given the book's age, it is no surprise that Verne's understanding of the most basic scientific processes was lacking. More importantly, the actual story itself was overly simplistic. At times I felt I was reading a children's novel. A must read given its classic status, however do not expect any sophistication.
    • 5/5
      This is a re-read. It is a very good adventure, one of his best, maintaining a real sense of threat and suffocating claustrophobia under the ground. There are some internal inconsistencies in dates and timings which would probably not get past a modern editor. Good stuff.
    • 4/5
      It's...interesting. I hadn't realized how much the story was a treatise on evolution (as understood at the time). Now I need to read more Verne to see if he's done the same (presumably in other fields) in his other books. It's a little hard to read - the viewpoint character is ridiculously variable - wild mood-swings from "We're all going to fail and die! Now!" to "Let's go! We are great adventurers!". Got a bit hard to take. Verne did some neat elision to get past the most unbelievable part - finding the interior cavern; since the VP character (I really can't call him the hero) is unconscious after tremendous strain, that whole event never gets told. And like that. I spent much more time noticing the writing and the agenda of the author than I did enjoying the story. That may be a mood thing, but right now I feel like there's not a lot of story (and _very_ little characterization - lots of cardboard 'traits', though) to this book.
    • 3/5
      Good bedtime reading for the 7 year old daughter and me. And it takes me waaaaay back: I loved Verne when I was 8 and 9 and 10. The plot of this book is preposterous, but so what?
    • 3/5
      A nice little adventure story full of peril and suspense but I was sorely disappointed with the ending.
    • 3/5
      1863 German professor Otto Lidenbrock uncovers ancient icelandic writings that suggest a passage to the center of the earth. professor takes his nephew and danish guide Hans on a trip to a world only one other person has seen. The story is inventive but boring in sections weighted down with science. I would have loved to seen more of the world he encounter as it ended a bit abruptly. I read it because it is a classic and i'm sure utterly suspenseful for it's time.
    • 3/5
      Not quite what I was expecting – I’m more familiar with the souped up Disney version, though I can’t say I was surprised to find out there’s no singing, no ducks and no chix in the original. It’s all right – I’ve never read Verne before, and he keeps the story moving, even though the science gets a little tedious. Also, it’s a little hard to believe you could actually walk all that way. And the ending requires some serious disbelief suspension. Still, I can see why it’s still in print.
    • 3/5
      I guess I've been spoiled by modern fast-paced writing. While I did enjoy this book, and it had some great parts, I found a lot of it to be time-killing "filler" type material. Was it really necessary to take 90 pages to actually descend into the earth? Not in my humble opinion.The afterword by Nimoy was interesting, though.
    • 4/5
      Enjoyable, if a little too longVerne was famous as a populariser of science, and it's easy to see why. The intellectual content is well-judged, softened by entertainment – it’s the journey narrative that can be a little plodding, as can his exposition, with too much spare description and repetition. Verne is good at dialogue and characters though, with a timely injection of humour now and then.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book! I seriously cannot believe that I avoided Verne for decades because I found Wells somewhat plodding. Of course, I've seen the movies made of both authors' works, but it was the most recent (2008) version which piqued my interest. By following the story by telling a narrative which encompassed it, I was having so much fun that I decided to read--and what a trip! It's on my favorites list now.
    • 3/5
      I was a bit surprised how much my expectations with this book were colored by the 1959 movie based off of it, I was surprised because I knew going in they weren't really the same but I still found myself missing the whimsy of the movie, which made the book seem a bit drab in comparison. I found the characters a bit flat, not quite believable by today standards, I never really bought them as real people or believed in their motivations and I found the ending a bit rushed and convenient, though I'm not sure how else it could have ended. That said, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would and it was a much faster read then I had expected and was an interesting adventure story. It was also a fascinating look back at the early days of Earth science, of science as we know it in general, and its easy to forget just how much we had to learn.
    • 3/5
      Book on CD performed by Simon Prebble

      Book three in the Extraordinary Voyages series begins with Professor Otto Lidenbrock showing a volume of Icelandic literature to his nephew Axel. A sheet of parchment falls out. It contains a coded message by a 16th century scientist. Although Axel fears that decoding it will lead to some ill-advised adventure he helps his uncle decipher the message, which, of course, gives direction for finding a passage to the center of the earth.

      This is a classic adventure tale – imaginative, humorous, suspenseful and even though high implausible still great fun. I found it a bit slower to get going than some of Verne’s other tales (we are a third of the way into the book before they even get to the crater that has the passage to the center of the earth), but once they began their descent I enjoyed it more. The “science” may be complete fantasy, but Verne’s imaginative text just pulls the reader along.

      Simon Prebble does a fine job narrating the audio version. He has good pacing and he brings the characters to life. I especially liked his voice for the irascible Professor Lidenbrock.
    • 4/5
      I read this book after I had read Around the World in Eighty Days because i liked the way Jules Verne had written it. So continue my little Jules Verne obsession I read this book and was hooked. I am not a extraordinary reader. I'm not a frequent reader. I mainly read when I'm in bed for half an hour. But i was reading this everywhere, in bed, on the bus, in the middle of class sometimes, and even though there are a few slow parts here this story, I was addicted.
    • 3/5
      I read the entire book wondering whether the issue was the translation or the writing. I ended up pretty sure it was the writing. Frankly, the book took about half its length to even get into a single cave. Beyond that, as I found with Five Weeks in a Balloon, the characters are fairly insane. There's little human about their minds, and they seem little more than engines to drive the excessively implausible plot. And this from a guy who likes to read science fiction. I'm giving it these stars not for quality so much as imagination. The concept was interesting. The execution lacking.