Journey To The Center Of The Earth Summary

Journey to the Center of the Earth, written by Jules Verne, is a 183 page book that takes place in the year 1863 when Otto Lidenbrock, the illustrious professor and mineralogist, discovers a coded message from the chemist Arne Saknussemm who was born in the 16th century. Lidenbrock is amazed by his discovery but is not able to decode it. Luckily Lidenbrock’s optimistic and excitable nephew Axel somehow finds a way to decode the document. Lidenbrock finds out that the message by Saknussemm says that any traveler that climbs the crater of Snæffels volcano can get into the center of the earth. Immediately, Lidenbrock starts to plan the journey and his nephew is convinced to join as well.
Lidenbrock and Axel leave Hamburg and go to Reykjavik, Iceland where they hire the huge and stoic man Hanz. All three of them climb the crater and find a slope that leads them downward. They find their way down the volcanic tubes. On the way they find themselves at a crossroad where they run out of water and believe the expedition is doomed to fail. All of the sudden Hans finds water on the other side of a wall and saves the expedition.

On there way to try to cross the sea they see two huge dinosaurs fighting each other right before their eyes. The journey continues and when they start to cross the sea a huge storm appears and waves crash about their rafts. Balls of flame and electricity curl down from the sky and light one of the rafts on fire but the brave explorers quickly put it out. Finally the storm subsides and they make it to shore safe and sound. Quickly after getting on shore Axel uses his compass and much to their dismay discovers that they set back to the very shore they started at! Axel is amazed by the stubbornness of his uncle to not just end this