INTRODUCTION

Jules Verne was born in 1828 into a sea-loving family in France. At an early age he tried to run away to join a ship, but his family found him before he left, and he came back to continue his studies. He was then sent to Paris to study law, but once there, fell in love with theatre. He was soon writing plays, but his father then declared that Jules would no longer receive his living allowance if he did not return to practice law. Jules refused, and was forced to make a living by selling his stories. In his writing, he combined his gift of story telling with his interest in the latest scientific discoveries. He spent many hours in Paris libraries studying scientific matters.

Journey to the Center of the Earth takes place in the mid 1800's, beginning in Germany. In the book, a strange German professor, Otto Lidenbrock, discovers ancient papers from Iceland, and attempts to learn the meaning of the mysterious writings. His nephew, Axel, finally discovers the writing's secret, which tells of a hidden underground pathway leading to the center of the Earth. Although Axel has many doubts about the journey, Professor Lidenbrock persuades him to join him on the trip, travelling to Iceland, then deep into the Earth, where they discover a new world of ancient animals and an underground sea.

(end of section)