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This book proves Verne's greatness as a writer of fiction. The science in
this science fiction flies largely in the face of modern science, yet the read is no less gripping today than it was in its
infancy. The story is pretty simple. Professor Lidenbrock, a neurotically impatient scientist, discovers a cryptic manuscript
written by a long-dead explorer; with the help of his nephew, he decodes the cryptogram to read an account of a journey to
the center of the earth begun beneath a dormant volcano in Iceland. The nephew, Axel, a talented geologist and mineralogist
himself, refuses to believe that the core of the earth is not exceedingly hot; additionally, he cares more about Grauben,
the eccentric professor's ward, than risking his life on a scientific adventure. He proves unable to dissuade his uncle and
thus joins with him on a journey to Iceland. There, they hire a stoic Icelander to lead them down into the earth. Most of
the action takes place underground, with the adventurers suffering several trials, daring risks, and finally discovering a
whole new world hidden miles below the earth's crust. The ultimate trial and danger they face consists of returning to the
surface (Jolley).
Axel narrates the story, and the strength of the novel lies in his character.
The professor and the Icelandic guide are unusual personalities, but Axel is very real and easy to relate to. He really does
not want to go in the first place, and he is most liable to greet dangers and risks by bemoaning his fate and declaring his
party done for in their foolish efforts. It is he who suffers the most privation when the men's water runs out, and it is
he who finds himself lost in the utter blackness of the caverns for three days. When things are going well, though, Axel becomes
wildly excited about the mission and temporarily forgets about his fears. This all goes to make him a very sympathetic character.
Without him, the story would be a rather dispassionate account of an impossible journey by bland, unbelievable characters.
You do have to shift your mind into low gear a few times when the characters begin speaking about the different types of minerals
and rocks they are encountering, but overall the plot is rather thrilling, and you cannot help but begin early on trying to
ascertain a way in which the intrepid explorers can return to share their discoveries with a skeptical scientific community.
Verne knows how to tell a story, and you don't have to know a single thing about science to enjoy this novel immensely (Jolley).
A breathtaking fictional journey through the bowels of the
planet that we the readers live on and think we know so much about. Cleverly worded, the novel grabs the readers attention
from the beginning and doesn't let up until the end. Also Jules Verne's choice of plot scheme made the book a very enjoyable
read. In this epic tale, A Greek professor finds a secret parchment stating that another scientist has been to the center
of the earth. Taking on the adventure as a number one priority,
He packs his things and literally drags his nephew with
him to Iceland, where they are to begin their awesome journey. It seemed to me that everything that took place in the novel
took place where it should have, one of the marks of a true author.
Also, the novel was not rushed, which is one of the
most common problem with adventure stories. This book made me want to read more of Verne's writting. The novel definitely
deserves to be a
classic (Carter).
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