Review by Aadrita Ghose
Journey to the Center of the Earth is an 1864 science fiction novel written by the famous author
Jules Verne. The book is an absolute classic and has inspired many other books like Arthur Conan Doyle’s Lost World and Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Pellucidar series.
The story starts in 1863 when Professor Otto Lidenbrock finds a mysterious transcription on a manuscript written by a 16th century alchemist, Arne Saknussemm. He is not able to decode it, and being very impatient, gets frustrated. Luckily, with the help of his nephew, Axel, he deciphers the code.
The message states that the alchemist somehow found a way to reach the center of the earth via a large crater called Snæfellsjökull near a volcano, which they have to reach before a certain date. Lidenbrock and a very unwilling Axel travel to Iceland, where the crater is located. They reach Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland and meet a local duck hunter called Hans Bjelke. Hans agrees to take them to the crater, and they reach the volcano by the end of June. The message mentions that a mountain named Scartaris’s shadow will locate the right crater to descend, as there are three of them. Axel is a bit sceptical, but, at noon, the shadow of Scartaris beams down on the correct crater and they commence their journey to the center of the Earth.
The journey proves to be very tedious, and they narrowly escape the jaws of death several times.
What will they find at the very center?
Journey to the Center of the Earth is an exciting tale, with twists and turns around every corner. They come across wonderful places and meet astonishing creatures. It is definitely a story worth reading, and I would give it 5/5 stars!