Why Did I Listen To This Book?
There are three reasons I listened to the audiobook of Journey To The Center Of The Earth by Jules Verne. Reason number one, back when I first joined Goodreads, I joined a relatively popular group which actually really jumpstarted my whole reading thing again. The moderator of that group was a big huge fan of Jules Verne and so I have always kept this book on my read-eventually-back burner. The second reason is that I took one look at the various covers and felt as though I was promised dinosaurs and you guys, dinosaurs are freaking awesome. The third reason is that the audiobook is narrated by Tim Curry who is pretty much my favorite of all time, so I just HAD to listen instead of physically read. Unfortunately, I found the book lacking in comparison to all my expectations.
What’s The Story Here?
There are really two central, important characters in Journey To The Center Of The Earth, Professor Lidenbrock and his nephew, Axel. The book is basically told from Axel’s point of view in journal format if I am remembering correctly. Basically, Axel lives with his uncle, the professor in Hamburg, Germany. One day the professor comes home with an Icelandic text that is written in code. He then cracks the code and decides to go to Iceland to journey to the center of the Earth. Axel follows. They hire a taciturn, at least from what I remember, tour guide named Hans. They journey near a volcano to subterranean Earth. There are rivers, caverns, dinosaurs and a sea. Eventually they come back up the surface. Professor Lidenbrock is hailed as a geological expert. Axel marries his fiancé, Grauben. The end.
How Is The Excitement Level?
Here is where I am scared people will take up pitchforks against me for having a negative opinion of a classic, especially because sometimes even I get judgmental when people say they hate the classics, BUT YOU GUYS it feels as though nothing all that exciting happens. The most exciting thing was the suggestion of a monster, but the reality is totally not that scary. No one gets eaten. No one gets captured. No one really gets hurt. For fuckssake, this book is basically all about observation and not adventure. Like for most of the book everyone is safe as they visit the center of the Earth. It felt a lot like visiting the zoo as opposed to I don’t know, wandering around the Serengeti. One of these things is more exciting than the other. ALSO. No female characters except for the fiancé, but she is there for all of two pages. I just, ugh, I don’t like not having a female character to relate to. Sorry!
How Is The Narration?
Tim Curry is flawless as always and probably was the most redeeming thing about Journey To The Center Of The Earth by Jules Verne. He reads the book as I think it was intended to be read and doesn’t really add unnecessary flourish. Really I am a biased source because I will always love Tim Curry forever amen. The audiobook is 8 hours and 20 minutes long and recommended if you absolutely feel you need to read Journey To The Center Of The Earth by Jules Verne.
Sum It Up With A GIF:
Word, Sister Mary Clarence, this book is SO BORING.
Disclosure: Purchased My Copy Via Audible
Other reviews of Journey To The Center Of The Earth by Jules Verne:
I can’t find any that are like from blogs I know, so you guys if you review this drop your link and I will add it!!
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Jules Verne is more of a scientist than an adventure really. There isn’t really a whole lot of action in any of his books, but there is a lot of information and I do mean a lot. I think it might be easier to read, because then you can discard things that are quite as important. He is one of my favorite authors and I’m sorry that you were disappointed. If you are a fan of survival stories you might check out The Mysterious Island
That makes sense and probably would account for my disappointment, I was expecting adventure and got science instead.
I might try The Mysterious Island, but reading it physically instead of via audio.
It’s not unusual to find a classic less exciting. People were used to slower paced stories back then. That said I still find myself compelled to listen to this just because it’s narrated by Tim Curry. 😀
Tim Curry does a pretty awesome job narrating, truth be told.
I get what you are saying about the slow paced stories, that makes total sense.
I really loved this book when I was a kid.
I wonder if I would have liked it more if I read it as a younger person, I seem to have had more patience then.
I totally want to listen to most classics now, because they get such good narrators for them. Like, I started (and need to just go restart) Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, which would have been awful, but the narrator was that guy whose name I always forget. Argh. Anyway, TIM CURRY.
This sounds similar to my experience with 20000. Like, objectively? Boring as fuck. But the narration makes it tolerable and then you’ve accomplished a thing.