Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864)

Jules Verne is often called the first science fiction author, and though this book is more fantasy than reality, its main character definitely establishes what now seems to be the stereotypical boisterous, overzealous, obsessive-but-lovable scientist character in Otto Lidenbrock; I couldn't help but imagine Christopher Lloyd's Doc Brown whenever he was described. The plot manages to take off right away, but just when you think Lidenbrock is figuring everything out too easily, he struggles, a nice dose of reality. Verne mixes serious science with adventure, and though he definitely errs on the side of the latter (the end was just a touch too unbelievable for my taste), the novel is a classic response to the times in which it was written. The characters repeatedly have to question whether the theories and science they believe in are right based on the evidence they encounter, a metaphor that fittingly describes the challenge Darwin posed to society with the publication of his "On the Origin of Species" five years before this book was released. My biggest disappointment was that the females are relegated to stay-at-home-and-wait roles in the story; the main female character actually seemed like a strong and capable person, but didn't get to join the adventure. Otherwise, this was a fun read that would be perfect for capturing the interest of readers from the middle grades and up. ( )

A solid science-fiction adventure novel, though characterisation was a little weak I thought. ( )

Journey to the Center of the Earth is a classic Jules Verne tale. Even before listening to the story on audio, I was already familiar with the tale, so there wasn’t going to be any big surprises in the novel. But even knowing more or less what was going to happen, didn’t mean the novel would be enjoyable. The basic plot and adventure were strong. I enjoyed the different things that the adventurers encountered at the various levels during their journey to the center of the Earth.

There were a few negatives to the novel. The first is the first person narration. It’s often told in a clinical manner that took away from the excitement of the story. The narration could have used more of a flare for the dramatic. The other thing that I didn’t much care for was the character of Axel. He had some funny lines and moments, but I found him to be whining and lacking any sense of adventure. He was constantly trying to get out of going on this voyage, but simply lacked the spine to tell his uncle no. The professor, on the other hand, was a more memorable and enjoyable character. He was touched with a bit of madness and insane drive to explore and discover. Overall, this was a fun adventure story, one that inspired many other similar stories.

Carl Alves – author of Reconquest: Mother Earth ( )

Well. That was nothing like the movie. ( )

Hamburg'un eski mahallesindeki küçük bir evde, genç ve çekingen Axel, amcası jeolog ve madenbilimci Profesör Lidenbrock'la birlikte çalışmaktadır. Delikanlı, bu sabırsız ve öfkeli profesörün yanında yaşayan güzel bir Estonyalı kıza, Graüben'e aşıktır. Bir gün profesör, eski bir elyazmasının içinde bir şifre bulur ve hayatları o andan itibaren altüst olur. Onaltıncı yüzyılın ünlü İzlandalı bilgini Arne Saknussemm, bu şifrede, İzlanda'daki sönmüş yanardağ Sneffels'in kraterinden Dünya'nın merkezine indiğini açıklamaktadır! Profesör Lidenbrock büyük bir heyecana kapılır ve yeğeni Axel'le birlikte İzlanda'ya gider. Sakin ve soğukkanlı rehberleri Hans'ın eşliğinde, yanardağın gizemli derinliklerine inerler... Yerin altında, sürprizlerle dolu bir yolculuk onları beklemektedir.