a journey to the centre of the earth book review

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne: Book Review

Journey to the center of the Earth is a classic science fiction novel written by Jules Verne. This book was first published in French in 1864 and then in English in 1871. So, it’s more than 150 years old and is still a very interesting read.

Journey to the Center of the Earth is the story of Professor Liedenbrock and his nephew Axel. The inciting incident of the story is when Professor Liedenbrock finds a coded note on a runic manuscript. And when they deciphered this 16 th -century code, they found a secret, information about a volcanic tube in a mountain of Iceland that goes to the center of the earth. So, that’s how their journey begins, journey to the center of the earth.

I had watched the 2008 movie The Journey to the Center of the Earth when I was in std. 8 th , seven years ago. This movie is not entirely based on the book but used it as an inspiration. But as always, the book has more details and fun than the movie.

The story has three major characters, professor Liedenbrock, his nephew Axel and a servant named Hans, who accompanied them in their journey. The story has first-person narration, narrated by Axel. The paperback edition of this book has a total of 240 pages, and you would be able to finish it within a week, considering an average reader. The language is simple.

If I talk about what I liked in the Journey to the Center of the Earth , I liked the scientific concepts Jules Verne used to write the story. The scientific details and arguments are so persuasive that, for once, I even believed that the story is based on real events, and it is possible to travel to the center of the earth. Well, of course, it’s not possible.

I loved the way Jules Verne started the story, a coded message in an ancient language found in an ancient book that shows them the path to the center of the planet. This really made it more exciting. I don’t know; ancient things always make a story more interesting.

The second half of the book is very adventurous; here, they discover incredible things, face life-threatening dangers, and this is where I found the real fun of reading this. I felt each and every place that was described in the book as if I was also with them.

“While there is life there is hope. I beg to assert…that as long as a man’s heart beats, as long as a man’s flesh quivers, I do not allow that a being gifted with thought and will can allow himself to despair.” ― Jules Verne, Journey to the Center of the Earth

The characters are well designed with their specific weaknesses. For example, professor Liedenbrock had this weakness: he was very impatient, stubborn, and short-tempered.

However, the characters are not so realistic. You can’t expect an aged professor to climb miles down the earth smoothly with the help of ropes. The character of Hans was also unrealistic in the sense that he was emotionless, with no fear, no excitement, no happiness, nothing, although he was going to the center of the earth. It seemed as if Hans had already been to the center several times before. In addition, the first half of the book is somewhat slow and contains unnecessary details; it would have been better if it was written in condensed form.

But The Journey to the Center of the Earth was written in the 1860s, and for that time, writing this type of story is really unbelievable. The book was certainly ahead of its time. You will love this book if you are interested in especially in geology, biology, and physics. But, even if you are not interested in these subjects, you would still find it interesting because the science of the story is not so heavy.

This evergreen book can be read by children as well as adults. All said, I would recommend this book if you want to read a captivating science-fiction or an adventurous book.

4 thoughts on “Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne: Book Review”

Pingback: Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan: Book Review - Expords

Excellent post. I am going through a few of these issues as well..

I also read this book . It is too exciting and adventurous

Yeah, Journey to the Center of the Earth is really an exciting read.

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Book Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

May 29, 2014 By Jessica Filed Under: Book Review 2 Comments

Journey to the Center of the Earth

The intrepid Professor Liedenbrock 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 proportions. Verne's imaginative tale is at once the ultimate science fiction adventure and a reflection on the perfectibility of human understanding and the psychology of the questor.

 Journey to the Center of the Earth was incredibly slow.   It took 100 pages for them to get to the volcano, walk around, and run out of water.  That is half of this 200 page novel.  I struggled through this book because all I could think for the first half of the novel was “Nothing….is…happening.”

Another thing I struggled with was the science.   I understand that this is (a) science fiction and (b) written over 100 years ago, but it got to the point where the only way I was able to enjoy the story was to pretend I knew nothing after 8th grade science.   Then! When we get to the really cool part of the story that really is awesome science fiction, it’s barely talked about. View Spoiler » They find prehistoric animals and even a person and then don’t even explore it at all!  And I just couldn’t get on board with finding a “sun,” ocean, wind, and plants underground.  I still don’t know what to make of that.  My notes say “????” and that’s still pretty much how I feel about it.  And the worst was the ending! Coming up the volcano on a wooden raft on a lava eruption?? « Hide Spoiler Seriously, what is going on with this story.

The small amount of dry British humor was amusing.  One of the most amusing things was that the nephew argued with the uncle and the nephew was defending the scientific views that we accept today while the uncle defended scientific views I have never heard of.  It made me laugh but I’m not entirely sure that it was supposed to be funny.  The way the story went made it seem like it was defending the uncle’s view of science.

There were a few gems in the writing.  Here’s my favorite quote from the book.

Our principle is, that books, instead of growing mouldy behind an iron grating, should be worn out under the eyes of many readers. -Jules Verne,  A Journey to the Center of the Earth Chapter 10

Overall, I regret to say that I found this science fiction classic to be boring and the science part of the science fiction to be a little too outdated to fully enjoy the story.

Content Rating : None. Clean read.

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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 space travel had been devised. He is the third most translated author of all time, behind Disney Productions and Agatha Christie. His prominent novels have been made into films. Verne, along with H. G. Wells, is often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction".

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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May 30, 2014 at 9:55 am

I’ve always wanted to read Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, but I can never bring myself to do it. I think I still want to read this even though half of it is nothing.

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Parents' guide to, journey to the centre of the earth.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 3 Reviews
• Kids Say 7 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Matt Berman , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Sci-fi classic takes readers on epic trip.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Jules Verne's science fiction novel Journey to the Center of the Earth, originally published in 1864, leads readers on an epic subterranean expedition. The story is narrated by Axel, the nephew and research assistant of Otto Lidenbrock, a curmudgeonly but endlessly curious geology…

Why Age 12+?

Adults drink gin a couple of times, and one smokes a pipe in one scene.

Axel is injured several times during the journey, and a couple of times mentions

Any Positive Content?

Jules Verne brilliantly blends scientific information and methods of inquiry wit

In scientific research, the "journey" is as meaningful as the destination.

Axel's uncle, Professor Otto Lidenbrock, can be an impatient, irascible characte

Parents need to know that Jules Verne 's science fiction novel Journey to the Center of the Earth, originally published in 1864, leads readers on an epic subterranean expedition. The story is narrated by Axel, the nephew and research assistant of Otto Lidenbrock, a curmudgeonly but endlessly curious geology professor. Lidenbrock discovers an encrypted message in an old Icelandic book: secret directions through volcanic tubes leading to a world below the earth's surface. This book is heavier on the science than on the fiction, with loads of real and fictional scientific detail and discussions between uncle and nephew about what they observe and how to determine the best path. There's a fair amount of suspense as well, and just a little blood (nothing of concern for readers at this level). Attitudes toward women -- who figure very little in this novel -- are understandably dated. Characters drink gin in a few scenes, but there's no drunkenness. Journey to the Center of the Earth has been made into multiple films, including a very good 1959 version starring James Mason, and an enjoyable more modern version starring Brendan Fraser (2008). It's also worth nothing that the Audible edition of the book, read by Tim Curry , is a delight.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Axel is injured several times during the journey, and a couple of times mentions that he's bleeding.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Educational Value

Jules Verne brilliantly blends scientific information and methods of inquiry with fantasy. Mature science fiction lovers will be able to distinguish between them and will find all of it fascinating.

Positive Messages

Positive role models.

Axel's uncle, Professor Otto Lidenbrock, can be an impatient, irascible character. But when Axel is in real danger, Lidenbrock shows tenderness and concern, and always comes through for his nephew. As a scholar, Lidenbrock shows inspiring dedication to scientific research. Axel's best quality is his steadfastness. He's devoted to his uncle, and he musters strength and energy when he seems to be exhausted.

Where to Read

Parent and kid reviews.

• Parents say (3)
• Kids say (7)

Based on 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In Jules Verne's JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, a geology professor, Otto Lidenbrock, and his nephew Axel discover and decode an ancient document that purports to show that a dormant volcano holds a secret entrance to a series of caverns leading to a subterranean world at the earth's center. In the name of scientific discovery, they follow the instructions and undertake a hazardous journey deep within the earth, where they find creatures and plants from earlier epochs. In the end, their journey back to the surface of the earth is just as harrowing as the trip down.

Is It Any Good?

This science fiction classic from one of the fathers of the genre has stood the test of time. It's exciting and inventive, even visionary. However, note the book title: This novel is about the journey more than the destination. Author Jules Verne takes his time leading the reader through lengthy descriptions and long treks, where the characters experience challenging conditions: Rations run low, they suffer from dehydration when water runs out, and they lose their way in dark tunnels. Readers are more than halfway through the novel before they see any of those dinosaurs that the film versions highlight. Appreciating this novel requires a lot of scientific curiosity and some advanced vocabulary.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why Journey to the Center of the Earth continues to fascinate readers more than 150 years after it was published. What makes it exciting?

What aspects of the story seem believable to you?

How does this novel compare to more recent science fiction books you've read?

If you've seen any of the film versions, how do you think the book compares?

Book Details

• Author : Jules Verne
• Genre : Science Fiction
• Topics : Dinosaurs , Adventures , Science and Nature
• Book type : Fiction
• Publisher : Puffin
• Publication date : January 1, 1864
• Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 12
• Number of pages : 337
• Last updated : June 2, 2020

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Book Review – Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

Professor Otto Lidenbrock’s great adventure begins by chance when a scrap of paper drops out of an ancient book he has just bought. The coded inscription reveals the existence of a passageway leading to the centre of the earth and that the entrance lies within the crater of an extinct volcano in Iceland. The professor travels to Iceland accompanied by his nephew, Axel, a keen young geologist. Together with a Swiss guide, they descend into the bowels of the earth where an amazing prehistoric world awaits them.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth , first published in 1864, is Jules Verne’s second novel. It is placed as the third book in the Extraordinary Voyages series, though it was added retroactively by the author. This series ultimately numbered 54 books. While far from the first example of subterranean fiction, a subgenre of adventure fiction, this book was highly influential and helped make the subgenre more popular. Verne is not an author I’m hugely familiar with, but I enjoy reading old science fiction and adventure stories when the mood strikes me, which is part of the reason why I first picked this up. The title evokes cheesy movies for me, whether adapting this book outright or just influenced by it, so I was interested to have a firsthand look at the source material.

It was surprising how much this story felt reined-in from being too fantastical. I had expectations of our characters descending into a veritable lost world full of primitive marvels, dangers, and adventure, but that was not quite the case. The way Verne approached this story leads me to believe he wanted it to seem as realistic as possible—for the scientific understanding at the time. Professor Lidenbrock and his nephew Axel set out to follow a supposed path to the centre of the Earth and that is exactly what they do, the novel spending time on every step of their journey with a lot of the early phases taking place on the surface. While it may not be surprising for a longer tale to dwell on the details and take its time, this novel is less than 200 pages long. Once I passed the 100-page mark I realized that this novel was going to be a lot more journey than centre .

A lot of time is spent with our trio of explorers wandering along underground, including the captivatingly stoic and immovable Hans, their Swiss guide. While I enjoyed his humorously monolithic and practical presence throughout, I had mixed feelings about the Professor and Axel. The former’s eccentricities could be amusing and Axel’s more level-headed, hapless attitude toward being strung along by his uncle was amusingly sympathetic, but they were unfortunately one-note as protagonists and not particularly likeable. The Professor is stubborn and bullish to an overbearing degree, with only occasional bouts of sympathy for his nephew and what he’s putting him through. For his part, Axel spends much of his time complaining despite the fact he’s far past the point of no return and was in need of an adventurous change of heart that came too late. Nobody really has an arc during this journey. Axel does come close toward the end, like I mentioned, but things take an abrupt turn that prevent that from being meaningful.

The subterranean world itself is left a little disappointingly unexplored too. They do eventually come across a vast sea, lit by a luminescent sky, which I did enjoy. They began sailing across it on a raft and encounter a few prehistoric creatures and natural anomalies that make the story more exciting. A high note for myself was a battle witnessed between a plesiosaur and an ichthyosaur of colossal proportions. It is once they reach the other side and make some more startling discoveries that the story takes its abrupt turn. They glimpse these things only for a moment—a monochromatic forest, a herd of Mastodon, and a giant human minding them—before turning away and neglecting to even dwell on the implications of their discovery.

Much of the book leading up to this is simply them walking through a tunnel, discussing geology, commenting on how far they’ve gone, and facing more mundane challenges like finding the right path and thirst. With the latter issue in particular I felt like Verne was trying to have his cake and eat it too. Drinking water becomes a pressing concern, yet somehow they have enough food between the three of them to keep them happily fed for well over a month and then some. I have no problem accepting the more fantastical aspects of the story, but you can’t stress the small details crucial to survival on the one hand and completely ignore them on the other.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth is not a bad novel, and I still see reading value in it for its influence on the genre, but it was ultimately a little disappointing. I couldn’t connect much with the characters in a meaningful way, and while their descent was still intriguing it left a lot to be desired. The plot begins and ends with “We are exploring a place,” and never gets more complicated than that. Worth checking out as a classic, especially for how short it is, but don’t expect to be blown away by an old master of the craft.

My rating: 3 out of 5

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8 thoughts on “ Book Review – Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne ”

[…] I finished reading Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne. Check out my full review here. I liked it well enough, but it ended rather abruptly when the real sense of adventure and […]

My nightmare is being trapped underground – or worse – in a submerged submarine. So, this novel was hard for me from that perspective. Excellent balanced review as always.

Thanks! Yeah, I’d probably be really uncomfortable with that too. I’m especially wary of heights, and there’s a lot of vertical descending in the beginning that I wouldn’t be able to handle in reality.

I really, really like this review format. I especially like that you start with historical context/where it fits within the author’s canon, which is such a clever yet simple idea and I’m just so here for it. Also, love the detail re: ‘you can’t have all the food and yet no water as a concern’, because that would bother the hell out of me, too.

& IDK if it’s just me, but I feel like a lot of classics run the risk of being a disappointment if you read them as an adult. Because you’ve probably heard about bits and pieces of them for so long that you form these expectations and ideas of what they should be like, and so even if the book is GOOD, you’re possibly still faintly disappointed because it just didn’t live up to how you imagined it’d be in your head.

Thank you for the positive feedback 🙂

I agree about reading classics. Often they were groundbreaking for the time too, which does make them important, but when you have experience with what the classic influenced it sometimes only feels like a prototype for the more detailed, fleshed-out stuff that came after.

Of course! I will def read more of your reviews in future.

Completely agree. I read Fahrenheit 451 not long ago, and I was like… sorry, Bradbury, but so many people have done the Dystopian novel deal much better than this.

It is always nice when you read a classic and you’re blown away by it, though. I read ‘A Christmas Carol’ last year and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I took to it.

I had the same experience with The First Men in the Moon a few months ago! Was expecting dry, though not unenjoyable, old sci-fi and it ended up being my favourite H.G. Wells book.

Love it when that happens!

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Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne, a Book Review

Introduction: journey to the centre of the earth by jules verne.

Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne is a work of fiction, and the author, along with HG Wells (Reviews: The War of the Worlds , The Invisible Man ) are considered to be the grandfathers of science fiction writing. Journey to the Centre of the Earth is the second book I have reviewed for Jules Verne, the other being Around the World in Eight Days ( Review ).

By way of the character, Otto Lidenbrock, Jules Verne demonstrates the importance of becoming a master in the field in which you work.

While reading Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne, I was frustrated with the characters Professor of Mineralogy, Otto Lidenbrock (Angry Otto), and his nephew and assistant, Axel (Passive Axel Downer), and would never want to be with either of them on a journey. The contrast in the characters’ personalities made for good drama. The book made me realize that in real life, many scientists made great personal sacrifices for advances in science.

A word of caution: there are inaccuracies in some of the facts in the book, but as the editor, George Davidson so nicely put it, Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne is a work of fiction and not a textbook. This issue doesn’t take away from the story, it still works. The story is set in Hamburg, Germany in 1863.

Self-Mentoring Strategy

To get the most from this SummaReview of Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne, after you have read the book review/summary, reflectively answer the following questions:

• What can you learn from the ideas in the SummaReview?
• What is one action that you can take as a result of reading this SummaReview?
• What are five takeaways from the SummaReview?
• What has made an impression on you while reading?
• Is there a framework that you can use in your life and work?
• How do the concepts in the SummaReview relate to what you already know?
• How can you combine key ideas from the profile to what you already know to create a new idea? Is this a book you’d like to read for yourself? Why? Why not?

Content: Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

Professor Lidenbrock purchases a really old book – over 600 years since published – by an Icelandic writer. A polyglot, the professor is able to speak and understand many languages, Icelandic being one of them. While Lidenbrock is reading and enjoying the book, Heims-Kringla by Snorre Turleson, a dirty scrap of paper falls out of it, on to the floor. Excitedly, he spreads out the piece of paper on the table. On the paper are a series of runic letters.

With dogged determination, the professor sets out to translate what’s on the paper. He is so engrossed in what he is doing that he misses supper, a first for him. Lidenbrock is very set in his ways and likes to eat his dinner and supper at the same time each day. He co-opts Axel to assist him to decode the message. He makes some progress until he is left with a Latin cryptogram, except he doesn’t know the cipher to get to the hidden message. However he has figured out that the message is written by Arne Saknussemm, a 16 th century renowned Icelandic scholar and alchemist.

They work very hard to figure out this puzzle but to no avail. Professor Lidenbrock decides to go out for a walk. While he is away, Axel figures out the cryptogram and is determined not to tell his uncle because he knows that he’ll get dragged to go on the journey. The uncle returns and attempts once again to try and decipher the code and is unable to do so. Time is passing by and Axel is getting hungry, and no one will be able to eat until Lidenbrock breaks the code. In a moment of weakness, when Axel believes that he can no longer endure the hunger pangs, he breaks down and tells his uncle how to break the cipher. When translated to English, the message reads:

“ Descend into the crater of jokul of Sneffels,

which the shadow of Scartarsis touches before the calends of July,

and you, bold traveller, will reach the centre of the Earth;

which I, Arne Saknussemm have done.

What Axel fears becomes a reality. His uncle orders him to pack both their trunks for their trip to the centre of the earth. Lidenbrock intends to repeat what Saknussemm did three centuries before. Axel doesn’t want to go on the trip but he doesn’t know how to stand up to his uncle. To go to the centre of the earth they have to travel to Iceland and go into a volcano that is presumed to be extinct – the last eruption was in 1219, and this is 1863. To recreate the Saknussemm’s journey they have to be at a certain point the last days of June so they can see where the sun’s shadow fall to direct their path.

Axel leaves the house for a walk, and meets Gräuben, his fiancée. Lidenbrock is also Gräuben’s guardian. Axel complains to her about what his uncle is asking of him and she encourages him to make the journey and when he returns they will marry. They have hidden their engagement from the professor because they do not think he will approve of their relationship.

While Axel is on his walk the professor is busy preparing for his trip and he is very thorough about his geological and other needs for the adventure. The uncle tells him not to disclose to anyone what they are doing. A friend, Mr Christiensen, the Danish consul in Hamburg provides a letter of introduction to Professor Thomsen in Copenhagen, who in turn will provide a letter of introduction to the Governor of Iceland. In Copenhagen, the professor thinks it will be great practice for their trip to climb to the top of a church spire, and this is a good idea because it helps to ease Axel’s vertigo after doing that for five days.

Professor Thomsen gives them letters of introductions to Count Trampe, the Governor of Iceland, Mr Pictursson, the bishop’s suffragan, and Mr Finsen, the mayor of Reykjavik. When they get to Iceland, the bishop is away, but the two are treated warmly by the governor and mayor. They also meet Mr Fridriksson, the science teacher at the Reykjavik school.

Mr Fridriksson recommends Hans Bjelke to be their guide to travel to Snaeffel. At this point, the professor still has not disclosed the real reason for his trip. The way that Jules Verne tells the story, you feel like you are right there with the characters. The guide doesn’t know exactly what the trip is about until the very end and he is okay with that. Hans is very calm and cool and the only thing he asks of the professor is that he be paid every Saturday at 6 pm. When the professor offered to pay in advance he refused.

The journey is not a smooth one, and perilous at many stages, and they never would have made it without the assistance of their guide. Axel and Lidenbrock are at opposite poles, one very pessimistic and the other very optimistic. What I liked about the book is that the characters evolved during the story. You also get glimpses of the professor’s humanity and love for Axel. For instance, when Axel gets separated from his uncle and their guide, the professor never stops looking until he finds his nephew. When he finds Axel he shows so much compassion, which is unusual for him.

Along the way, they find signs of Saknussemm so they know they are on the right track. There are frustrating times as well. In one instance they are sailing on a raft and end up where they started. And that turns out to be a blessing for them because they discover Saknussem’s knife. In the end, they never get to the centre of the earth, instead they end up in an active volcano, which spits them out in Stromboli, Italy.

By the time they return to Hamburg, Germany months after they left, the maid Martha, has told several people about their trip. Lidenbrock gets the acclaim he was seeking.

7 Major Lessons from Journey to the Centre of the Earth  by Jules Verne

• New theories replace older ones.
• Science is always improving.
• At time in our lives we have to decide which path to take.
• If you take the wrong path and realize it, do not continue down that road, retrace your steps.
• Facts replace theories.
• What one man has done another may do.
• Even if you feel as if you cannot go any further, if you push yourself, you’ll find that you can go a bit further.
• The best laid plans go awry.
• Flexibility is necessary to adapt to changing circumstances.

When reading classics and other well written books, it’s important not to just focus on the story, but also focus on what you can learn from the characters. Otto Lidenbrock demonstrates the importance of knowing about, and understanding your field. He knew which geological instruments to take on the journey and was able to properly prepare for the trip. He was also an expert in his field – he knew more than the fundamentals, which served him well.

Conclusion: Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

In Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne there were some excellent debating scenes where Axel poses an objection and the professor provides scientific reason. And even if it is now known that some of the science in the book is inaccurate, you will learn how to debate an issue.

I recommend Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth .  Participate in the  Read the World Facebook Group ! Please take the conversation to my   Facebook page .

Documentary: Prophets of Science Fiction – Episode 6 – Jules Verne

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Finding Freedom in Captivity: Lessons on Inner Strength from Courage Under Fire

Summary: the 10x rule by grant cardone, the 12 week year: get more done in 12 weeks than others do in 12 months by brian p. moran.

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JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH

Or a planet full of secrets, from the jules verne's adventure stories series.

by Jules Verne ; adapted by Antonis Papatheodoulou ; illustrated by Iris Samartzi ; translated by María Mountokalaki ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 1, 2020

Together with its companion, quick voyages down and up, but both grandly visionary.

An abbreviated retelling, translated from Greek, of the Jules Verne classic, illustrated with suitably adventuresome montages.

Papatheodoulou leaves out no significant events from the plot of the original, beginning with the coded message (here in reverse printed English rather than Latin) that sends Axel and his uncle on the titular journey. With a silent local guide, they head down a certain tunnel mouth in Iceland, past encounters with giant mushrooms and battling prehistoric sea monsters, to a dramatic reemergence through an erupting volcano off Sicily. Adding map fragments and clipped photos of spelunking gear to painted views of the white trio feeling their way through dimly lit passages and strange landscapes, Samartzi ably captures the original’s exhilarating sense of wonder. That sense comes through just as strongly in the co-published retelling of From the Earth to the Moon , though this version abruptly cuts off before the proto-astronauts’ return to Earth—and, more significantly, repeatedly works in a concept not found in Verne’s novel, that the whole lunar expedition is founded on the notion of turning a weapon of war to (as the subtitle has it) a “Cannon for Peace.” Journey offers a truer taste of the iconic author’s exhilarating vision than From the Earth , which is in essence a reboot that forcibly transforms the more martial original’s thematic swords into plowshares.

Pub Date: June 1, 2020

ISBN: 978-1-9164091-8-7

Page Count: 36

Publisher: Faros Books/Trafalgar

Review Posted Online: March 14, 2020

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2020

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

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by Jules Verne & illustrated by James Prunier

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CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS AND THE TYRANNICAL RETALIATION OF THE TURBO TOILET 2000

From the captain underpants series , vol. 11.

by Dav Pilkey ; illustrated by Dav Pilkey ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 26, 2014

Dizzyingly silly.

The famous superhero returns to fight another villain with all the trademark wit and humor the series is known for.

Despite the title, Captain Underpants is bizarrely absent from most of this adventure. His school-age companions, George and Harold, maintain most of the spotlight. The creative chums fool around with time travel and several wacky inventions before coming upon the evil Turbo Toilet 2000, making its return for vengeance after sitting out a few of the previous books. When the good Captain shows up to save the day, he brings with him dynamic action and wordplay that meet the series’ standards. The Captain Underpants saga maintains its charm even into this, the 11th volume. The epic is filled to the brim with sight gags, toilet humor, flip-o-ramas and anarchic glee. Holding all this nonsense together is the author’s good-natured sense of harmless fun. The humor is never gross or over-the-top, just loud and innocuous. Adults may roll their eyes here and there, but youngsters will eat this up just as quickly as they devoured every other Underpants episode.

Pub Date: Aug. 26, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-545-50490-4

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: June 3, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2014

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION

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by Dav Pilkey ; illustrated by Dav Pilkey

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by Dav Pilkey ; illustrated by Dav Pilkey color by Jose Garibaldi & Wes Dzioba

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RISE OF THE EARTH DRAGON

From the dragon masters series , vol. 1.

by Tracey West ; illustrated by Graham Howells ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 24, 2014

With plenty left to be resolved, the next entry will be eagerly sought after.

Drake has been selected by the king to serve as a Dragon Master, quite a change for an 8-year-old farmer boy.

The dragons are a secret, and the reason King Roland has them is a mystery, but what is clear is that the Dragon Stone has identified Drake as one of the rare few children who have a special connection with dragons and the ability to serve as a trainer. Drake’s dragon is a long brown creature with, at first, no particular talents that Drake can identify. He calls the dragon Worm. It isn’t long before Drake begins to realize he has a very strong connection with Worm and can share what seem to be his dragon’s thoughts. After one of the other Dragon Masters decides to illicitly take the dragons outside, disaster strikes. The cave they are passing through collapses, blocking the passageway, and then Worm’s special talent becomes evident. The first of a new series of early chapter books, this entry is sure to attract fans. Brief chapters, large print, lots of action, attractive illustrations in every spread, including a maplike panorama, an enviable protagonist—who wouldn’t want to be a Dragon Master?—all combine to make an entertaining read.

Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-545-64624-6

Page Count: 96

Publisher: Branches/Scholastic

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S DRAGONS & MYTHICAL CREATURES

by Tracey West ; illustrated by Matt Loveridge

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the starving artist

I'm determined. are you, book review: journey to the center of the earth.

I have meant to read some Jules Verne for many years, because his books are classics (though they were intended more for boys, originally). In the latter half of the 1800s, Verne wrote prolifically on his Voyages Extraordinaires series (he was French) and those fifty-four novels (and novellas) include Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in 80 Days , and—what I just read— Journey to the Center of the Earth. These adventure stories earned him the (sometimes) title of the father of science fiction. And while he wrote as a playwright, poet, etc. as well, it’s these adventure books that endure, continuing to capture the imagination even today, though more often through movie versions of these pretty outdated books.

Journey to the Center of the Earth is old-fashioned, that’s for sure. It’s not just that people before our current times had better attention spans (though they did) or that they didn’t have similar tastes to our own; it’s also that they had limited options for entertainment and edification and, most importantly, they had very little to fill their leisure time or together time with. If you had a copy of one of Verne’s books back in the day, you might read it aloud in the evening to your family for nights on end, savoring each word and each twist of the story… and then you would use your imagination as a complement to the story. The point is, by today’s standards Journey is a little slow, strange, meandering, and calm, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t inspire generations of kids and even adults or that it didn’t inspire writers to come away bearing future-books in their lit-up minds (which then inspired other books, etc.). But give this novella to a middle grades kid these days, and you will likely found it unread and covered in dust-bunnies when you journey to the underside of their bed, someday (oh, brave and worthy explorer!).

The language is cumbersome to modern people, for one, but it’s not too crazy. I was surprised that I lol-ed throughout this book, though mostly in the first third or so. The narrating character is sarcastic and an excellent foil to the wacky, needlessly optimistic Professor Lidenbrock, and his comments and thoughts about things are often hilarious. But then the pacing gets in the way. I could not believe it when I was more than half way through the book and—surprise!—no one had taken one, measly step below the Earth’s uppermost crust. Not. One. Centimeter. And as it took longer and longer and longer to get anywhere, I became confused. I was holding a novella (at 155 pages) and how was I going to explore if I wasn’t going to arrive until the last chapter? Wasn’t that the point of this book? The adventures in the center of the earth? Nope. Apparently it is more aptly named than I gave it credit for: this is a journey TO the center of the earth. Deal with it.

There were other oddities about the pacing. Sometimes the story lingers too long on thoughts or a random scene or scientific factoids, but it rarely stands back and paints a picture and does very little to mine the characters in any depth, which I guess fits with the whole classic adventure thing. Also, through the time we spend with the narrating character, I found him to be inconsistent and eventually just obnoxious and neurotic, decreasingly wry or funny. It’s the voice, I think, with the pacing. Verne doesn’t really develop characters or their relationships, so we are dependent on huge adventures and a sweeping, engaging world, neither of which are really driven home, here. Little scientists—especially geologists—might find this book interesting just for all the enthusiasm and contemplation of that, but would also, I’m sure, find some of it outdated and perhaps confuse fact with fiction (or I’m underestimating the intelligence of these kids and readers. Could be). In the end, too, the adventure takes the strangest turns (and I mean that in a bad way) and I felt whiplashed, like wait, what? Did we just come all the way here for that ? Did we just do so many ca-razy things to react to the greatest adventure like that ? And then it ends like that ? What the heck?

Though I can appreciate some things, like the imagination that brought so many of us humans down into the bowels of the earth, mixing science with fantasy in order to explode both the imagination and the wonder of the natural world. The reason I picked up Journey right now is that I have written a Hollow Earth book and I wanted to see what had already been done to this topic, across time. What is the tradition, here? Verne doesn’t use the term Hollow Earth in his book and he is not the originator of the idea (which came from more than one ancient tradition), but he did contribute in an important way to how modern culture interacts with this fantastical concept. What I can’t appreciate is the classism, ethnocentrism, and sexism that sits just below the surface of some of the scenes. I mean, the female character is talented, brave, blah-blah-blah, but duh she’s got to sit at home and fill her sole role as the source of Axel’s infatuation so that he’ll want to come home. And several random scenes are awkward as butt about servants, etc. One of the three main characters is this hulking, peasant brute who is a combination of strength and zen with codependency and brainlessness that hearkens back to the attitudes of the days of the transatlantic slave trade and arguments given to justify such practices. While not much is overt (and is aimed largely at the lower-socioeconomic and less-educated agrarian people of Iceland), it is there. Oh, historical context. Be forewarned.

In case you don’t know (I didn’t, really, somewhat because the newer movies don’t really follow the original plot line from what I can remember), Journey to the Center of the Earth is narrated by a teenage orphan, Axel. He has been raised in the quirky household of his even quirkier (and sometimes unpredictable to the point of hurtful) uncle, Prof Lidenbrock. A Frenchman in Germany, he is a genius who is also frequently a laughingstock. Meanwhile, his nephew, who has some intelligence but not genius, is apprenticing with him. And somehow this uncle also ended up raising a girl of about the same age as Axel. She is perhaps the genius and the adventurer here, but she is shunted to the background because she is a girl, and we barely see her except as the motivation for Axel. (There’s a historical fiction book here; I know it: Left Behind on the Crust of the Earth. I kid about the title, but not the story.) Lidenbrock discovers some strange writing in an ancient book and—despite Axel’s immediate panic and all the energy he will put in during the whole book to stop the foolhardy journey—Lidenbrock whisks Axel and a local tour guide (such as it was) across Europe and down into the crater of an extinct volcano in search of the center of the earth. A few things happen along the way, mostly explorers in peril and Axel trying to convince Lidenbrock to turn around and the servant (Hans) shuffling along like a pack mule who clearly utilizes some breathing techniques.

So would I recommend it? It’s a pretty quick read, but not as quick as you might think because of the slowness of the plot and the dullness of all the old, scientific musings (and maybe a little the language). Also, there isn’t enough world-building or character development to pull you in. Despite that, it’s a classic that might get the juices flowing, so who’s to say? And you should laugh. I kinda feel like this book will fall into the far background of the literary landscape in the next few decades, but I have been wrong before. It’s fine. I’ll still be checking out a couple other of Verne’s adventure stories at some point. And no, my book isn’t really anything like Journey to the Center of the Earth, so big sigh of relief.

“’All the theories say so?’ replied the professor good-humoredly. ‘Ah! Those tiresome theories! How they hamper us, those poor theories!’” (p21).

“’This is what I settle,’ replied Professor Lidenbrock, mounting the high horse; ‘that neither you, nor anyone else, knows anything certain that is going on in the center of the earth, seeing that we scarcely know the 12,000 th part of its radius, that science is eminently perfectible, and that each theory has constantly to give way to a fresh one’” (p21).

“’Enough. When science has spoken, it is for us to hold our peace’” (p54).

“’You have only a few hours to try your fortune, so let us start at once’” (p78).

“I could not but think what riches are hid in the depths of the earth, which covetous humanity will never appropriate” (pp78-79).

“…facts, as usual, give the lie to theories” (p87).

“External objects have an actual influence on the brain” (p89).

“’Science, my boy, is made up of mistakes; but of mistakes which lead to the discovery of truth’” (p105).

“…however vast the wonders of nature, they are always referable to physical causes” (p127).

“’Uncle,’ said I, ‘when that bit of meat is gone, what have we?’ / ‘Nothing, Axel, nothing. But what good does it do you to devour it with your eyes?’” (p144).

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2 thoughts on “ Book Review: Journey to the Center of the Earth ”

How were the adventurers able to see when travelling to the center of the earth?

A sort of futuristic (for the time) electric lantern, which I think did exist at the time in some capacity (but maybe not as a light source?). It would be like a portable generator based on a clunky coil and, if I am imagining correctly, would be like one of those wind-up flashlights, but much more rudimentary. There’s also some fire-making (and torches), phosphorescence, and even an electromagnetic source of light in one area (like continual lightning).

This is an interesting question to me, particularly, because I have written a Hollow Earth novel (first draft) and had to come up with my own way of explaining light, and I ended up at half-science (that may be stretching it) and half-fantasy and it involves lava.

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Book Reviews

Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne: Book Review

I have an affiliate relationship with  Bookshop.org  and  Malaprop's Bookstore  in beautiful Asheville, NC. I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you purchase merchandise through links on my site. Read more on my  affiliate page .

Axel was a whiny wimp who complained endlessly about having to go on the trip. The minute his uncle, Professor Liedenbrock, started to get the least bit angry with him over his dithering, Axel would cave and blithely go along with whatever ridiculous plan the professor has in mind. Axel was generally the one with the most sense but he didn’t have a backbone at all.

I’ve decided the professor must be going through a mid-life crisis. Or maybe a career crisis. Or maybe both. Why else do you plunge yourself, your nephew, and your hapless guide into a volcanic crater, not even carrying a supply of water but rather only a supply of gin? My guess is that you’re feeling your age and you’re out to prove that you’re just as virile–no, more so!–than your 20ish-something ward. He’s a tyrant but I think I was supposed to like him after one or two incidents where he shows that he does actually care about Axel. Too little too late is all I have to say about that.

Hans, the poor guide, is really the hero of the story but since he’s a barbaric Icelander (If that’s not a description directly from the book, it’s at least implied), he doesn’t really count. He’s just there to carry stuff. Lots of it. And build things that the two intellectuals can’t. Oh, and save their useless asses multiple times. But he’s barely educated so he doesn’t matter.

There is so much potential for this plot but it mostly went nowhere. There are a couple of well-developed scenes and adventures but the things that would have interested me even more are cut drastically short. Like, “I think I saw this but I’m not entirely sure. And does this other thing I saw mean what I think it means?” short. There was too much buildup for not enough payoff.

This is a classic for a reason but it’s not something that I’ll remember. I don’t regret reading it but the details will probably fade within a week. Other readers obviously disagree since this thing has been around since…1864.

My Synopsis:

Axel’s uncle comes home one day with a rare Icelandic manuscript. In perusing the pages, they discover a coded message from a famous scientist living in the 1700s. They eventually crack the code, realize that they’ve been given directions for how to reach the center of the earth, and set out to accomplish it themselves.

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Buy Journey to the Center of the Earth  from  Malaprop’s Bookstore  in Asheville, NC.

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I have on hand one book by Jules Verne about people living in the future (from his point of view, certainly), and I have not read the book past the first two pages. In my opinion it's understandable if some people in our era find his works not so exciting or long-lasting. On that note, I think I may challenge myself to finish reading that book.

You know I've never read this and I probably won't, for the reasons you cite. I'd probably feel the same way and have trouble with it. Classics are classics but that doesn't mean we have to like them LOL. I read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea a while back and was lukewarm on it, and a few people were surprised I didn't like it. Couldn't help it, I was just bored. 🙂

Having said that, I loved the movie version of this when I was kid. It would be pretty silly though as an adult, I'm sure. 🙂

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