A Journey to the Center of the Earth: an expedition that just misses the mark

A Journey to the Center of the Earth (1867)- Jules Verne (280 pages)

Before I start my review, I want to address the edition I am using. In the original edition of A Journey to the Center of the Earth, the main characters are Professor Lidenbrock and Axel, his nephew. I read the English translation whereby Professor Lidenbrock is known as Professor Hardwigg and Axel is known as Harry. These are the names I will use for this review. A Journey to the Center of the Earth surrounds the adventures of Professor Hardwigg and Harry as they find a mysterious note in an old manuscript. This note places the two along a journey with Hans, their guide, to Iceland where they descend into the depths of an ancient volcano with the ultimate goal to journey to the center of the earth.

I found the readability of this adventure to be very similar to another of Jules Verne’s successful tales, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Overall, both are relatively easy reads, but Verne’s extensive scientific knowledge can create some dense passages. Much like Verne tried to explain the workings of the submarine in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, he attempts to explain the geological formation of the earth while mentioning various prevailing theories during that period. The scientific passages aside, the readability is strong with an easy-to-understand character base and plot progression.

The themes in this work are a little sparse however I think faith and fate are two that are worth illuminating. As the trio struggle in their journey into the great unknown Professor Hardwigg, Harry, and Hans each grapple with hopelessness in a unique way. Their solution to their hopelessness can be identified in what or in whom they put their faith. Fate, the second theme, is found in the journey itself rather than in any individual character. Fate, like a coin, has two sides. Often fate is very fortuitous to the group in their journey and especially near the end the group is at the mercy of fate with little they can do to change their course.

For enjoyment, I overall enjoyed the book, but my gripes are likely going to be very similar to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The scientific passages while interesting can become tedious. The character development is lacking and the plot especially when compared to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is starting to become more formulaic. Similarly, I found the conclusion of the book rather unfulfilling. Despite all their adventures into the great unknown, I found myself in a similar place as Professor Hardwigg was at the end of the tale, unsatisfied. That might seem like a lot of negatives considering I found the plot to be interesting, but I just found myself grasping for more.

Overall, I think you can find a better classic to read. If you want to read a tale of a great adventure, I would suggest Robinson Crusoe or The Last of the Mohicans, if you want to read another Jules Verne, I think 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is another option. As I have said previously, there is value in all books even if the only value is you found out what you didn’t like. A Journey to the Center of the Earth has value and is overall an enjoyable book but one that misses the mark in its conclusion.

As always, my scoring breakdown is below. Thanks for reading!

Overall: 6.0, one of my lower scores overall due to a low score on thematic discourse and enjoyment.

Readability: 7, a strong readability on par with 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

Thematic Questions: 5, a relatively sparse thematic discourse.

Enjoyment: 6, an interesting and fantastic journey to the center of the earth, but one that slightly misses the mark.