My Childhood Dream Book

I recently ticked off a big item on my childhood dream list: reading “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, Jules Verne’s classic! Growing up, I’d see it advertised on TV Cultura, and it always seemed like something untouchable (unimaginable, unattainable) almost out of reach back then.

Spoiler Alert: This post summarizes the plot, so it contains spoilers! Skip the summary if you plan to read the book soon!

Finding this book added an extra cool layer to the experience. It came into my hands thanks to a “book fridge” in a municipal park near my place. You know, those old, deactivated refrigerators where people leave and take books freely? (Luckily, this one was well protected from the elements!). Now that I’ve finished it, it’s heading back there tomorrow for someone else to discover.

To make sure I don’t forget all the awesome details of this fantastic adventure, I decided to jot down a quick summary. So, here are the main points:

Right from the start (roughly Chapters 1-10), you can see how dedicated Verne was to describing every scene vividly. It really makes your imagination run wild! In these first chapters, we meet the main crew: Axel (who narrates the story), his uncle, Professor Otto Lidenbrock, and some other important folks they bump into early on. We get totally engrossed in how they figure out the secret entrance that kicks off the journey.

The adventure really gets going in the next section (around Chapters 11-20) with the introduction of Hans. He’s a super skilled Icelandic hunter who becomes their essential guide and companion. His strength and knowledge of the area are lifesavers. It doesn’t take long after they enter the cave before the first big challenge hits: thirst.

Finding water leads to a critical breakthrough in the following chapters (about 21-30). They manage to channel a small stream that, as the story goes, turns into a proper underground river – they even name it the Hans River, honouring their guide who actually saves them thanks to its discovery!

Even with the river guiding them, something goes wrong: during a break, Axel gets separated. His light goes out, he wanders in the dark, gets hurt, and falls. From where he fell, he can hear his uncle and Hans, but quickly realizes they’re over 6 kilometers away! Amazingly, even injured and in total darkness, Axel somehow keeps moving. His companions find him, and when he wakes up, he’s at the edge of a massive “sea” they name the Lidenbrock Sea.

This underground sea is described in incredible detail, feeling just like a real ocean with wooded shores and light that looks like sunlight (Verne suggests it’s some kind of electrical light from the cave’s “ceiling”). Using trees, they build a raft to cross it. On the way, they even witness an epic battle between two prehistoric creatures, managing to narrowly escape unharmed.

The journey continues (chapters 31-40 and beyond). They stumble upon an island that, at first, they mistake for another sea monster because it spouts water like a whale – turns out it’s a geyser! Their stop there is short. Soon after setting off again, they’re hit by a violent storm that lasts for days. It feels like they’re being tossed a huge distance super fast. To top it off, their compass goes haywire, reversing the poles and getting them totally lost.

Axel is pretty exhausted and repeatedly wants to give up and go back, but Professor Lidenbrock, driven by his relentless scientific curiosity, refuses to turn around. After the storm trashes their boat (Hans fixes it, of course), they explore nearby and find a dagger with the initials “A.S.”. It belonged to Arne Saknussemm – the same scientist whose coded message at the beginning showed them the entrance!

Near the dagger, they find a rock blocking what seems like another path. Using the bit of gunpowder they have left, they manage to blast the rock open, revealing a new passage. The hope is this leads to the Earth’s center, but nature has other plans: this passage is actually an active volcanic vent that shoots them right back up to the surface, completely unexpectedly, landing them in Sicily, Italy!

“Journey to the Center of the Earth” is a prime example of Verne’s sci-fi genius. He blends wild adventure with attempts at scientific explanations (even if they’re a bit outdated now!), like for the light and the underground world. The way he paints each scene with impressive detail totally sparks your imagination.

I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who’s heard of Jules Verne and wants a thrilling classic to dive into. And hey, maybe like me, it’ll inspire you to check out his other works, like “Around the World in 80 Days” or “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea,” among the many other gems he left for us!