Journey to the Centre of the Earth

by Jules Verne, Frank Wynne (Translator), Jane Smiley (Introduction), P. W. Gogman (Noted by)

Overview

When Axel deciphers an old parchment that describes a secret passage through a volcano to the centre of the earth, nothing will stop his eccentric Uncle Lidenbrock from setting out at once. So, with silent Hans the guide, the two men embark on a perilous, astonishing, terrifying journey through the subterranean world - the most incredible voyage ever!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780141441979
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	09/29/2009
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	365,422
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.64(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Jules Gabriel Verne (1828 – 1905) was a French writer who pioneered the science fiction genre. Notable amongst his works are "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", "Around the World in 80 Days" and "A Journey to the Centre of the Earth".

NORMAN NODEL (Nochem Yeshaya) was a noted artist and illustrator of children's books and magazines. Nodel began his illustrious career as a field artist in the army, drawing military maps during World War II. After the war, he pursued a successful career as an artist in a variety of styles, notably illustrating a great many issues in the famous 'Classics Illustrated' series in the 1950s. In the 1940s, he had previously been an assistant to George Marcoux, and he has done comic book art for True Comics and Sun Publications.
His contributions to 'Classics Illustrated' varied from 'Ivanhoe' to 'Faust' and 'The Invisible Man'. He was also a regular on Charlton's teen, horror and romance titles of the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1960s he contributed to the Warren magazines Eerie and Creepy, using the pen name Donald Norman.
During the last twelve years of his life, Mr. Norman Nodel devoted a major amount of his time and energy to illustrating books and magazines specifically for Jewish children, which gave him great pleasure and satisfaction. Norman Nodel worked to the last day of his life. He died on the 25th of February, 2000.

Date of Birth:

February 8, 1828

Date of Death:

March 24, 1905

Place of Birth:

Nantes, France

Place of Death:

Amiens, France

Education:

Nantes lycée and law studies in Paris

Read an Excerpt

I
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Excerpted from "Journey to the Centre of the Earth"
by .
Copyright © 2009 Jules Verne.
Excerpted by permission of Penguin Publishing Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

1	My Uncle Lidenbrock	1
2	The Stange Parchment	7
3	My Uncle is Baffled	13
4	I Find the Key	21
5	Hunger Defeats Me	26
6	I Argue in Vain	33
7	Getting Ready	42
8	The First Stage	50
9	We Reach Iceland	58
10	Our First Dinner in Iceland	66
11	Our Guide Hans	72
12	Slow Progress	79
13	Icelandic Hospitality	85
14	A Final Argument	92
15	The Summit of Sneffels	99
16	Inside the Crater	106
17	Our Real Journey Begins	113
18	Ten Thousand Feet Below Sea-Level	119
19	Upwards Again	126
20	A Dead End	132
21	The New Columbus	138
22	I Collapse	144
23	We Find Water	148
24	Under the Sea	154
25	A Day of Rest	159
26	Alone	165
27	Lost and Panic-Stricken	169
28	I Hear Voices	173
29	Saved	179
30	An Underground Sea	184
31	The Raft	193
32	We Set Sail	199
33	A Battle of Monsters	207
34	The Great Geyser	215
35	The Storm	221
36	An Unpleasant Shock	228
37	A Human Skull	235
38	The Professor Gives a Lecture	240
39	Man Alive	247
40	We Meet an Obstacle	255
41	Down the Tunnel	261
42	Going Up	267
43	Shot Out of a Volcano	274
44	Back to the Surface	281
45	Home Again	288

Reading Group Guide

The intrepid Professor Lindenbrock 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. As David Brin notes in his Introduction, though Verne never knew the term "science fiction," Journey to the Centre of the Earth is "inarguably one of the wellsprings from which it all began."

1. Deciphering Arne Saknussemm's parchment does not come easily to Professor Lidenbrock, the profound analyst. Indeed, Verne has shown us, right from the start, that he will not take his audience's suspension of disbelief for granted. Discuss the role of logic in the novel; how does Verne's meticulous manipulation of science and history increase the believability–and ultimately the reader's enjoyment–of the adventure?

2. Dwelling on their shared hardships, Axel says, "My uncle bore them like a man who is angry with himself for yielding to weakness: Hans, with the resignation of his placid nature; and I, to speak the truth, complaining and despairing the whole time. I could not bear up against this stroke of ill-fortune." Compare Professor Lidenbrock, Axel, and Hans in terms of intellect, bravery, determination, and humor. How does each of their personal skills come into play in times of crisis, and how do theirshortcomings complicate the journey? Does Hans, the Icelandic guide of superhuman devotion, even have a weakness? If not, how does this affect your evaluation of him as a whole character?

3. Ingenuity and adaptability are vital to the explorers' success. Trace the many instances of resourcefulness in the novel, considering the adventurers' ingenious use of simple phenomena such as gravity, acoustics, and natural propulsion. How does this relate to David Brin's assertion in the Introduction: "Destiny– readers learned–was something you might craft with your own clever hands."

4. The long and often monotonous trek down to the earth's core poses some plot challenges for Verne. With only three characters, one goal, and little change in scenery, how does Verne create suspense in order to sustain the reader's interest?

5. Compare the competing characterizations of science in the novel: "When science has spoken, it is for us to hold our peace" versus "Science is eminently perfectible." Discuss how Verne's novel can be read as a tribute to scientific progress and the pluck of the explorer who contradicts accepted fact in search of greater truths.

6. Describe Axel's sublime hallucination on the subterranean ocean and the "abyss attraction" which overtakes him earlier in his descent. Why is Axel particularly affected by the romantic conception of the sublime?

7. How is Gräuben a "necessary" character, not only in the beginning but throughout the novel? Evaluate Brin's assertion in the Introduction that "science fictional women tend to be bolder than their eras, and science fictional men seem to like it that way."

8. Describe the subterranean world that the journeyers discover. How does Verne account for the underground ocean and the blanched species of flora and fauna? Did Verne's exposition of this primitive world meet your expectations? What surprises would have been in store in your own imaginative rendering of this peculiar environment?

9. How can Journey to the Centre of the Earth be interpreted as a psychological quest? Consider the roles of ambition, despair, and hope in the novel. Is the journey ultimately more important than the final outcome?

10. Jules Verne's extraordinary tales continue to fascinate readers because they capture the thrill of the unknown. In his Introduction, David Brin writes, "Verne knew what his contemporaries did not. . . . For his tales to continue taking hardy adventurers into strange locales, he would have to redefine the very idea of wilderness, the whole notion of a frontier." Why does the notion of the frontier continue to fascinate us? In this Internet age of globalization and routine space travel, what frontiers are left to science fiction? If not physical, might these remaining frontiers be mental and moral?

Editorial Reviews

The reason Verne is still read by millions today is simply that he was one of the best storytellers who ever lived.”—Arthur C. Clarke

From the Publisher

Narrator Bill Homewood slips easily into the persona of Axel, the nephew of a well-known professor with whom he travels to Iceland to begin a journey to the center of the earth. It’s the nineteenth century, and Axel is a reluctant adventurer, clearly wanting to please his uncle but feeling nostalgic for home almost from the beginning of the journey. Much of the audiobook is composed of Axel’s ruminations in his diaries, and Homewood clearly portrays his insecurities and fears. His tone and attitude leave no doubt about the condescending and pedantic nature of the professor, who is totally absorbed in his opportunity to be a discoverer. In the dialogue between the men, Homewood effectively contrasts their relative degrees of self-confidence and assurance. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

JUNE 2017 - AudioFile