A Journey to the Center of the Earth

by Raymond James (Adaptor), Jules Verne (Creator), Wayne Geehan (Illustrator)

It was a secret message by an ancient alchemist, found on a crumbling scrap of parchment. And if Saknussemm was right, then every theory about the molten core of the earth is wrong. Prof. Otto Lidenbrock has to learn the truth. So Lidenbrock, his nephew Axel, and the Icelandic hunter Hans climb down the cone of an arctic volcano and into...

Genres: Classics, Science Fiction, Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Audiobook, School

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1864

Reviews

[Basma shalaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

كنت بحبها جداااا من أفضل وأمتع ما درست في مجال القصة الإنجليزية على مدى سنوات الدراسة كافة
مستر فاروق فلوبس وذكريااااااااات لا تنسى :)

[P.S. Winn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Jules Verne, was this author psychic or what? I am astounded by the accuracy of a few of the things he apparently saw years and years ago that relate to today. In this novel the adventure takes readers to the center of the earth for thrills, horrors and even a bit of a conspiracy. You have to love the classics and this author is definitely one to pick up.

[Alya ElKady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put it down.

[AudreyMM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing - did not want to put down!Journey to the Center of the Earth was published in 1864 in French under the name Voyage au centre de la Terre. In this science fiction novel, a German professor believes there are volcanic tubes going toward the center of the Earth. He, his nephew Axel, and their guide, Hans, descend into the Icelandic volcano Snæfellsjökull, encountering prehistoric animals and natural hazards, before eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy, at the Stromboli volcano.

[Renny Doig · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun and fantastical story about an old professor, his nephew, and a hired guide who attempt to travel to the centre of the earth. The idea of there being an entirely preserved pre-historic ecosystem within the earth made for an entertaining story. It felt a bit like the story was cut off too early, but it was still good in spite of that. The narrator was really annoying though; I guess he was supposed to respresent the sceptic reader, but it came off very whiny and was a bit over the top.

[gin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read, ejoyed the journey

[Zac · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journey to the center of the earth takes place in the mid eighteen hundreds. Otto the main character discovers the work of a philosopher from the sixteen hundreds who was from iceland. In this work Otto starts to believe that the center of the earth is not a hot liquid but another environment that in habitable Otto starts to think that it is possible to travel there and he starts to develop a expedition to the center of the earth. Otto and his accompany set off to Iceland where you can supposedly travel down to this underworld. When they get to Iceland they hire a guide to take them to this inactive volcano so that they can start there decent to the center of the earth. They do indeed make it to the center of the earth and it is a habitable place. They find all kinds of life in the center of the earth such as plants and fish they even find evidence of a person. in attempt to discover more they blow up part of a wall and they end up getting sucked into an active volcano area. You will have to read to see what happens from there
I would rate this book eight out of ten. I am not really a fan of science fiction books or so I thought but this one is not bad. There isn’t really anything or anyone in the book that is trying to play the role of god like in a lot of science fiction books. However the book does question what we think we already know. everyone “knows” that the center of earth is just liquid magma, but is there really anyway to be sure of what’s down there if no one has actually been down there and come back? I ended up liking this book more than I thought I was going to because of the fact that it wasn’t really aliens and taking over the planet it was more of an adventure and discovering possibilities of what else might be out there even though we think we already know. There are some parts of the book that get kind of slow but I would definitely recommend pushing through because it gets exciting.

[Maha · Rating 4 out of 5]

دي كنت عمالة ادور عليها :D
مش فاكرة حاجة غير اني كنت بحبها حتي مش فاكرة تفاصيلها :D
ذكريات ثالثة اعدادي
نفسي اجيب القصص دي تاني واقعد اقرأها
إن شاء الله حاعمل كدا :)

[April · Rating 1 out of 5]

Need a book to fall asleep, too? This is the gem you need. 5 chapters of internal thought dialog while the characters attempt to solve a cipher, snooze fest! I'm so tired of boring drivel like this being revered as "great literature." Not impressed. Not worth wasting time on. Not even the incomparable Tim Curry could save this story.

[Cope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, bad ending. I'm mad because they never actually reach the center of the earth. Otherwise, its a great book.

[Grace R]

Realistic in the sense that they went to the center and then ended back on the surface faster than desired. Lots of geological terms that I didnt understand. Boring in my opinion.

[FullSun00 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hans is just unbelievable. He's the best tour guide ever!

[Aditi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very nice and it is a very classic book by Jules verne. It did not get 5 stars becuase some of the scenes were too much of fantasy and it makes it hard to believe.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why do I torture myself with classic sci fi

[sonic and Abby brook · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a good book but I was impatient reading it and it’s a bit slow to read

[Vanee Angel Chavez · Rating 5 out of 5]

El primer libro que leí de Julio verne, es una maravilla, me encantó todo el viaje

[Aman Junejo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first ever read I believe I was so focused into this book that I finished it in just one sitting it was very intense. I just love this book
A must read

[Calli Barton · Rating 3 out of 5]

very wordy and lengthy with explanations and goes on tangents a lot. still fun to read with my son

[Ally]

Title: A Journey to the Center of the Earth
Author: Jules Verne
Genre: Science Fiction
Theme(s): Discovery/Science/Adventure
Opening line/sentence: “On 24 May 1863, which was a Sunday, my uncle, Professor Lindenbrock, came rushing back toward his little house, No. 19 Konigstrasse, one of the oldest streets in the old quarter of Hamburg.”
Brief Book Summary: Axel and his uncle find a priceless piece of paper in a book and it leads them on a terrifying, adventurous, journey to find the center of the earth.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1: Melyssa Malinowski (Children's Literature)
Axel is quite at home with rocks. Perhaps this is because he lives with his eccentric but brilliant uncle, the geologist and adventurer Professor Lidenbrock. Usually, his uncle s adventures are odd, but not completely insane. That is until a runic note falls from a text that Professor Lidenbrock is reading. The note becomes the key to a quest that may lead them the very center of the earth. The pair departs immediately for Iceland, hiring Hans Bjelke as a guide. They follow the instructions on the note and do indeed find a passage into the earth. There, they experience a number of wonders and frights far beyond what they have ever imagined. They pass through a chamber with flammable gas and use acoustic phenomenon to talk to each other while they are miles apart. They continue on and find an ocean. They cross the ocean, only to witness two dinosaurs attacking each other. Then, they see a herd of dinosaurs walk by a prehistoric man over twelve feet tall. The travelers begin to leave, only to be stopped by a caved-in tunnel. They blast their way through and are rushed out of the volcano in a pool of water and magma. They return to their home in Germany and are greeted with joy and treated famously. While this story is indeed a classic and truly belongs on library shelves, only the most die-hard fantasy fans will love this book. Verne s descriptions and characterizations are wonderful, but he is definitely not a writer for the casual reader. 2008, Puffin Classics, $4.99. Ages 8 up.
(PUBLISHER: Puffin (London:), PUBLISHED: 2008.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2: From the Publisher: Journey to the Center of the Earth is the story of Professor Lindenbrock, his nephew Axel and their quest for the secrets contained at the earth's core. Led by Hans, their Icelandic guide, Lindenbrock and Axel descend deeper into the planet than anyone has ever gone before...but will they make it back to the surface alive?
Response to Two Professional Reviews: I like the first review. I think it is very detailed and captures key events in the novel. However, I don’t really like the second review. While it is accurate, I feel that it is lacking detail.
Evaluation of Literary Elements: The word choice in the novel helps create suspense and anticipation in the novel.
Consideration of Instructional Application: I would use this novel to teach about adventure and science fiction novels. I want to use this novel to help get students interested in adventure and science fiction novels because they can be a good escape for students and even help foster ideas of pieces that they would like to write.

[mari dewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful fantasy!

[Rebecca Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Supposedly, Jules Verne is, in France, considered a “travel and adventure” writer, and is considered one of the great French authors, along with Zola, Hugo, and Dumas. Although I don’t consider him one of the greatest authors I’ve read, I have no doubt that Jules Verne is a great author, and well deserving of his “classic” status. The splendor of his writing may have been lost in translation.

His novels are amazingly inventive creations, a mix of science and fantasy. I am not generally interested in science fiction, but Jules Verne I can read and enjoy. Many name him the father of science fiction, and I definitely can see him as an influence on later writers. In general, I really like Jules Verne’s books because they feel like classics “light.” The stories are simply fun, and the prose is not challenging to read for the most part (although some of his book gets science heavy in parts). As for the science fiction aspects of some of his novels, they truly do make for a fun adventure!

A Journey to the Center of the Earth (originally published 1864 in French) was our book for this month’s book club, and I really enjoyed it, although I don't consider it a favorite classic or my favorite Verne novel (I've now read three).

More thoughts on my blog

[Clarkhou · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is set in the 19th century. It simply begins with a German professor and his nephew introducing their life styles and characteristics. Soon after the professor is hooked to an old book coded with runic letters, and holding secrets that he is eager to find out. Soon, after days of intense investigation on decrypting the codes written, his nephew cracks it and it is written the details of where to go in order to get to the center of the earth. And so the professor's mind is set straight to embark for a incredulous adventure to the center of the earth.

[Levi Makula · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is revolutionary for it's time. Not many writers were as witty and imaginative as Raymond James and it shows in "A Journey To The Center Of The Earth". It keeps the reader guessing the whole time, very unpredictable. His imagination is what makes this book good. However, the way it is written can sometimes be bland and even a bit unnecessary in some circumstances, Too much time is spent on the finer details, which could easily be removed. Still a very good read! A wonderful adventure story.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books written in this era have a particular explanatory style that is both informative and annoying. In this case, the science is so wacky that it took away from the story (for me) as compared to Moby Dick where the details of whaling were welcome and helpful.

This was my first Jules Verne book, although I've long been a fan of the old movie - the one with Pat Boone. I can see why so many people, like Doc Brown in Back to the Future, would find this an exciting tale. As a modern reader though it feels less than spectacular.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

The melodramatic 19th Century language could be a bit much for contemporary readers who just want a roiling tale, or expect simply that. The story is more surreal travelogue than action novel. The cover art on the icon here is accurate, but misleading. Like Shelly's Frankenstein and Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the story is a rather preoccupied with the role of Science, except in this case, it is praise rather than critique.

For the astute reader, what this volume does offer is a journey to the Center of the mid-19th Century.

[Miri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really admire Verne for having such a wide mind when it came to scientific issues in his novels. He was very specific and precise in every detail about the world that surrounds us. Maybe he was not that correct if we compare his sayings with present data and studies but he was very brave to write with such precision. Really enjoyed this one :)

[Joellen Armstrong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read! There are definitely parts where I skimmed a little because the geological language and references were lost on me, but it doesn't deter from the story-line or excitement. So adventurous, so creative, and the comical pieces and lines are absolutely perfect. I can't wait to read more from Jules Verne.

[William Day · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was bored reading this book. The narrator was too manic for most of the book. Either he was too smart or too stupid, as well as being too over joyed or too scared to death. I have watched several of the movies and now know that they were only loosely based on this book. I had higher hopes that this book would be as good as 'Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea."

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would rate it somewhere between a 2 and a 3. It was well written, in that the style was good and it really got into the science of things. However, it was rather boring for the most part. I imagine in a world before Dune and other such science fiction endeavors, this would have seemed more spectacular.

[Stella · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read a bunch of Jules Verne books when I was a teenager. This wasn't one of them, but I certainly do not remember the writing being so repetitive and bad! Most annoyingly, you spent most of the book wishing that Harry, the nephew, comes to some unfortunate end so that you don't have to put up with his incessant whining anymore. Not an enjoyable read.