Public-domain ebook
by Jules Verne
Language: en7,012 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: Science Fiction·Best Books Ever Listings·Science-Fiction & Fantasy
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #3748.
Jules Verne’s “A Journey into the Interior of the Earth” is an adventure tale that blends speculative science with a tightly plotted expedition. The story opens in 1863 Hamburg, where the irascible Professor Lidenbrock bursts into his modest home, demanding his nephew Axel’s immediate assistance. Their domestic scene quickly gives way to a description of the professor’s formidable reputation as a mineralogist, his obsessive laboratory habits, and the bustling household that includes his god‑daughter and a servant named Martha. From this vivid introduction the narrative promises a quest that will take the characters far beyond the familiar streets of Germany, hinting at a mysterious underground voyage that will test both intellect and endurance.
The prose reflects the polished, didactic style of the late‑Victorian period, with elaborate sentences that weave scientific detail into character sketches. Verne’s voice is both earnest and playful, offering a blend of factual exposition and imaginative speculation that was designed to captivate educated readers of his “Voyages Extraordinaires.” Those who enjoy richly described settings, a touch of historical science, and a protagonist driven by curiosity will find this novel rewarding, especially fans of classic speculative travel narratives that balance wonder with rigorous detail.
The opening · free to read
[Redactor's Note: The following version of Jules Verne's "Journey into the Interior of the Earth" was published by Ward, Lock, &Co., Ltd., London, in 1877. This version is believed to be the most faithful rendition into English of this classic currently in the public domain. The few notes of the translator are located near the point where they are referenced. The Runic characters in Chapter III are visible in the HTML version of the text. The character set is ISO-8891-1, mainly the Windows character set. The translation is by Frederick Amadeus Malleson.
While the translation is fairly literal, and Malleson (a clergyman) has taken pains with the scientific portions of the work and added the chapter headings, he has made some unfortunate emendations mainly concerning biblical references, and has added a few 'improvements' of his own, which are detailed below:
III. "_pertubata seu inordinata,_" as Euclid has it."
XXX. cry, "Thalatta! thalatta!" the sea! the sea! The deeply indented shore was lined with a breadth of fine shining sand, softly
XXXII. hippopotamus. {as if the creator, pressed for time in the first hours of the world, had assembled several animals into one.} The colossal mastodon
XXXII. I return to the scriptural periods or ages of the world, conventionally called 'days,' long before the appearance of man when the unfinished world was as yet unfitted for his support. {I return to the biblical epochs of the creation, well in advance of the birth of man, when the incomplete earth was not yet sufficient for him.}
XXXVIII. (footnote), and which is illustrated in the negro countenance and in the lowest savages.
XXXIX. of the geologic period. {antediluvian}
(These corrections have kindly been pointed out by Christian Sánchez <chvsanchez@arnet.com.ar> of the Jules Verne Forum.)]
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