Plot Summary: Journey to The Center of The Earth, by Jules Verne

By bsmath, 26th Aug 2010 | Follow this author | RSS Feed | Short URL http://nut.bz/6sj-d34s/
Posted in Wikinut>Reviews>Books>Science Fiction & Fantasy

This article is a plot summary of the science fiction book Journey to The Center of The Earth by Jules Verne. Professor Liedenbrock and his nephew find an Icelandic manuscript that gives details about a path to the center of the earth.

Plot Summary: Journey to The Center of The Earth, by Jules Verne

Earth

Jules Verne wrote Journey to The Center of The Earth in 1864. He was born in Nantes, France on February 8, 1828 and died on March 24, 1905. He also wrote From The Earth to The Moon And round The Moon (1865), Twenty Thousand Leagues under The Sea (1870), and Around The World in Eighty Days (1873). All three were made into successful movies. It was titled A Journey to The Interior of The Earth when it was first published. The movie based on Journey to The Center of The Earth stars James Mason as Professor Liedenbrock and Pat Boone as Axel.

The book starts in the year 1863 with the narrator's uncle, Professor Liedenbrock, rushing into his house in Hamburg, Germany. Axel (the narrator) is left alone by the housekeeper Martha to argue with the professor because he is home so early. Otto Liedenbrock is a professor at Johannaeum. He is not a fast-talker, but is very capable at science. Axel his nephew is his laboratory assistant. Although he first tries to flee his uncle, Axel decides to go after him because the only person he likes is his nephew.

In the second chapter when Axel enters the study, his uncle exclaims "Here's a remarkable book! What a wonderful book!" He goes on to tell him that the book is by Heims Kringla of Snorre Turlleson, a famous Icelandic author of the twelfth century that tells about the Norwegian princes who ruled Iceland. He can read it even though it is written in old Icelandic because he speaks many languages.

The third chapter starts with the professor and his nephew trying to decipher the Icelandic manuscript.

The professor is positive it is Runic, so he dictates what several letters should be in English in a coded part of the manuscript to Axel. Still not able to decipher the code, he starts thinking it might be a secret of an important idea. Then he translates a name he finds in the first few pages of the manuscript that is an old Icelandic alchemist of the sixteenth centuryArne Saknussemm. He decides the manuscript must be written in Latin because Saknussemm was proficient in that language. They learn of a possible route to the center of the earth from their translation of the manuscript. The starting point is an extinct volano Sneffels. The pair decide to go to Iceland to try to find the way to the center of the earth.

On their way to Iceland, a Danish guide named Hans Bjelke is recommended to them for their journey. With the help of Hans, they finally reach the 5,000 feet high Sneffels volcano. The journey down to the center of the earth begins when they find the top of the crater. The professor remarks that the forms of the volcanic rocks agree with the findings of Davy. Soon they are six thousand feet farther below sea level than anyone has ever been. They find a cavern that is one hundred feet wide and one hundred and fifty feet high. Jules Verne writes that a geologist could trace all the phases of the carboniferous period by studying this cavern.

They see plants without flowers because they do not have any sunlight. They do not see many trees, but find ferns, tall grasses, and lycopods. They suddenly realize they are not on Saknussemm's road and so they must go back. Soon they also run out of water. Later on Hans calls out that he has found water. They follow Hans, and hear the sounds of a rushing subterranean river, but they cannot see or touch it because of a granite wall. Hans uses a pickaxe to try to break the wall down for over one hour. Finally they break the wall down, but the water is at the boiling point, so they wait until it cools before they drink it.

They calculate that they are 1,600 leagues or 4,500 miles below the surface of the earth. Professor Liedenbrock finds that they are below the ocean now. But he cannot explain why the temperature is not 2,732 degrees Fahrenheit as it should be according to the law of increasing temperature. While Axel is examining granite rock, he looks up, but cannot see his uncle or Hans. He decides to return back along his footsteps because he expects them to be behind him. But he loses sight of the stream they had been following. He becomes very scared and loses consciousness. But soon after that he hears voices and cries out for help. It turns out to be his uncle and Hans, but a granite wall separates them and Axel. Axel's uncle tells him to keep walking until he runs into him, but that it might be several miles before it happens. Axel Loses consciousness, but when he awakes he is in two blankets that his uncle had put on him when he found him.

They find a gigantic ocean. On the shores there are the bones of mastodons, deinotheriums, and megatheriums. Axel awakens well the next day. He is told by his uncle that Hans is building a raft with trees found in the area. It floats easily on the ocean he has named the Liedenbrock Sea after himself. They take all their supplies and enough fresh water from the Rocks around. While on the raft, Hans catches fish that are known to be extinct like the dipterides. This adds on to their food supply. They think they see a whale, monstrous crocodile, and a huge sea lizard. But it turns out to be an ichthyosaurus and a plesiosaurus. Being enemies, they start fighting each other. Later they see a gigantic geyser in the ocean.

Suddenly the raft crashes into a rock. After awakening from the shock of the accident, they sleep under some rocks they find for the night. Returning to the wreckage the next day, they find they have only lost their guns. They find the initials of Arne Saknussemm engraved on a rock. They use gunpowder and their raft to go through a tunnel that starts going up toward the surface. They come out of the tunnel where the professor thinks is the shores of India. They return safely to Germany.

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Meet the author

bsmath
I have a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Classical Studies Minor. I took Spanish in high school and Latin, Ancient Greek, German, French, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, and Italian in college.

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Comments

ppruel
26th Aug 2010 (#)

i also love fiction. nice review my friend. thanks.

Plot Summary: Journey to The Center of The Earth, by Jules Verne