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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Well, it had a great beginning. When James Mason...wait...no that was the movie...when the professor (whose name I can't be bothered to remember) finds and deciphers a secret message that points him in the direction of the cavern entrance to get to the Centre of the Eaarrrrrrth. And since that was the highlight of the whole story, it went downhill from there. Thank the stars this painful Journey is over. I should call this "Journey to the Edge of my Patience and Beyond". This was the most boring and tedious "adventure story" ever.
Herein you may expect endless descriptions of walking along underground corridors and caverns, endless raft sailing on an underground Sea, endless professorial lecturing, and endless endless endless whining by the nephew (who was also the narrator). In fact, every time something seemed like it was happening, it would reveal itself to instead be a dream sequence or imagination of the the nephew.
I very much preferred the movie. All of them. Even the ones with The Rock in them. Now that's saying something.
Herein you may expect endless descriptions of walking along underground corridors and caverns, endless raft sailing on an underground Sea, endless professorial lecturing, and endless endless endless whining by the nephew (who was also the narrator). In fact, every time something seemed like it was happening, it would reveal itself to instead be a dream sequence or imagination of the the nephew.
I very much preferred the movie. All of them. Even the ones with The Rock in them. Now that's saying something.
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As with most Sci fi fans in the western world I grew up hearing about Verne’s early contributions to the genre, written in a time when the genre of Sci fi wasn’t even really a full thing yet.
Considering how much I’d heard, the book’s ongoing status as a literary classic, and the general aura of accomplishment surrounding Verne’s authorial career I expected much more of this book.
There are many other literary classics which deserve a readers time more than Journey to the Centre of the Earth. The Time Machine for example is a far more enjoyable read.
Journey starts strong with a humorous reluctant hero narrator dragged into adventure by his warden / adoptive uncle. But once we reach the actual underground expedition the book slowly descends into a monotonous crawl. This frustration is further compounded by the Professor Uncle’s complete but also completely successful incompetence. I’m not sure if it was intended to read as humour at the time. But as I neared the third act I often found myself transported into the shoes of the narrator, dragged along on an adventure I no longer wanted by a man who refused to plan. Constantly threw himself and others into what should be lethal endeavours, and then would sit back smugly when despite all logic things worked out exactly as he said they would. Every. Single. Time.
Save yourself the trouble, go read a different classic of your digging around in the roots of the genre.
Considering how much I’d heard, the book’s ongoing status as a literary classic, and the general aura of accomplishment surrounding Verne’s authorial career I expected much more of this book.
There are many other literary classics which deserve a readers time more than Journey to the Centre of the Earth. The Time Machine for example is a far more enjoyable read.
Journey starts strong with a humorous reluctant hero narrator dragged into adventure by his warden / adoptive uncle. But once we reach the actual underground expedition the book slowly descends into a monotonous crawl. This frustration is further compounded by the Professor Uncle’s complete but also completely successful incompetence. I’m not sure if it was intended to read as humour at the time. But as I neared the third act I often found myself transported into the shoes of the narrator, dragged along on an adventure I no longer wanted by a man who refused to plan. Constantly threw himself and others into what should be lethal endeavours, and then would sit back smugly when despite all logic things worked out exactly as he said they would. Every. Single. Time.
Save yourself the trouble, go read a different classic of your digging around in the roots of the genre.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Wonderful adventure! Would love to embark with the Professor and his nephew again!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
I downloaded this book off of project Librivox (http://librivox.org/newcatalog/)and listened to it over a couple of days. It took some time since I tended to grow sleepy and drift off after a chapter or two.
This was one of my favourite childhood books, and I remember rereading it a lot of times. This reread gave me so much joy. I really FELT the whole adventure, felt the walls around me and kept guessing at what would happen next, chuckling joyfully when I turned out to be right, or when Verne made some funny remarks and widening my eyes in horror at the things which they have found in the bowels of the earth.
I have enjoyed myself very much, and the book doesn't get four stars, but four and a half!
11.07.07
This was one of my favourite childhood books, and I remember rereading it a lot of times. This reread gave me so much joy. I really FELT the whole adventure, felt the walls around me and kept guessing at what would happen next, chuckling joyfully when I turned out to be right, or when Verne made some funny remarks and widening my eyes in horror at the things which they have found in the bowels of the earth.
I have enjoyed myself very much, and the book doesn't get four stars, but four and a half!
11.07.07
I'm giving this book 2 of 5 stars because I really liked Axel - who was always complaining about the journey and trying to escape it one way or another - and found Professor Liedenbrock very entertaining. But the story didn't do anything for me. It lacked action and has too much scientific gibberish and nonsense.