Review: Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 04 9, 2014
A Journey to the Centre of the Earth is one of Jules Verne's earliest and most celebrated novels. It tells the story of a manic German professor, Otto Liedenbrock, and his reluctant nephew Axel who, together with a phlegmatic Icelander named Hans, attempt to follow the trail of a 16th century explorer who discovered a way to the center of the globe.Most scientists believed then, as now, that the core of the Earth was molten. Axel believes this, but his uncle does not, leading to much debate as their journey begins. Along the way there is much said about geology, volcanic processes, and pre-historic fossils. (Some English translations abridge the scientific detail.) Their exploration of the Earth's crust becomes a trip into the distant past, as they discover not only fossils but living specimens.This is a wonderful adventure story, and the wonder begins early with the explorers' journey to Iceland where their descent is to begin. Iceland was, at that time, a remote and exotic location for Europeans. It is fascinating to see how difficult it was 150 years ago to make what is now a routine journey.Verne's science is probably shaky at best. At one point Axel says that the glyptodon, a mammal, is the ancestor of the modern tortoise, a reptile (though this might have been a deliberate error to show that the young geologist's knowledge of biology was rather shaky). But one thing we can certainly take away from the novel is the infectious, exuberant spirit of adventure and discovery which led explorers of that era to take risks most would now consider unconscionable.