Decoding an ancient message, a boy and his Uncle find the secret to finding the center of the Earth by traveling to Iceland and finding an entrance in one of the mountains, pointed to by a shadow during a specific month.

During the journey, they are faced with many obstacles, including rushing waters, ocean, lack of food and starvation, dehydration and in the case of the boy, a few near death experiences.

I found it to be an okay story, a little slow for me and hard to follow whether or not they were still in the center or back on the surface of Earth.

It had been a long time from my first reading of this classic tale of adventure to just this past week and reading it again.
When compared to some other works by J. Verne, this early title is somewhat simplistic in its unfolding, however, I was still spellbound and was driven to explore beyond the next wall or read around the next subterranean sea.

If you like classic stories of exploration fiction, or you you like J. Verne; this is a must title in your library. Still a good read after all the years.

dude its Jules Verne... ( )

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. ( )

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. ( )