Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description

This collection was designed for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. It is indexed alphabetically, chronologically and by category, making it easier to access individual books, stories and poems. This collection offers lower price, the convenience of a one-time download, and it reduces the clutter in your digital library. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography.

Customer Reviews (8)

Very low quality translation
When I bought this product, I thought I was buying a decent collection of Jules Verne's works. Upon actually beginning to read it, I found otherwise. The translation here is absolutely horrible. It destroys the effect of this otherwise beautiful literature. It seems as if it was run through an online translator and just breifly looked over and then published. Dont waste your money or time with this product.

Amazing
I have loved Jules Verne since I was a child. I am thrilled Mobile Reference chose to give his work their wonderful treatment.

This is a huge collection of Verne's work, and includes every major work along with some more obscure stuff. It may not be the complete Verne (it doesn't claim to be) but it is close, and will have everything you need and then some.

And the price is outstanding.

The best thing about these Mobile Reference editions, to my mind, is the excellent formatting. It is beyond compare. I own many of the Mobile Reference files and I am very impressed by how well they are formatted for the Kindle. Owning all of this important writing, at such a reasonable price, is a real joy.

Most recently in this file I have re-read Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, a book I had not read since high school.

I am amazed by the beauty of the descriptions of the natural world, and the incredibly prophetic nature of the work vis a vis submarines. The stilted dialog is typical of the time, and Verne is more important for his creative powers than for his ability to write dialog, but his writing is still superb.

A wonderful collection. Highly recommended!

Fantastic Collection

Jules Verne is a wonderful writer that anyone can enjoy, and this collection makes that possible. While one could easily get every book in this collection for free from the public domain, it is worth every bit of the five dollars for the fantastic organization. On the main page of your kindle, you just scroll to the authors name. From there, you just scroll to the book you want to read, scroll to the chapter you want to read, and read. The organization and formatting for the kindle are perfect.

I only have one minor complaint bout this collection. All of the books are "stacked" in your kindle like one huge book. That means that as you read, the percentage bar at the bottom does not update until you have turned the page a couple thousand times. This makes it impossible to accurately track the percentage of the book that you have actually read. However, this minor problem does not effect me much, because the books are still very readable, and I do not depend upon the percent read meter.

Good addition to any collection
Excellent, excellent, excellent way to keep classics such as these on my Kindle. How do you rate Jules Verne ?well, outstanding.

a great book for verne fans
a great book with all the main verne books and 2nd translations for some of the well known books like journey to the center of the earth and journey to the interior of the earth so whichever translation you read originally is probably in this book, but sometimes it can get confusing which is the faithful translation, like interior of the earth is more faithful than center of the earth. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
The Survivors of the Chancellor, diary of J.R. Kazallon, passenger is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Decent book, terrible edition
First the content:This book is a fairly interesting account of the adventure of the passengers of the Chancellor after it's captain begins losing his mind and the boat effective wrecks (after having been set on fire and almost blown up).Not Verne's most exciting effort, but definitely worth the read.If nothing else it is noteworthy for it's accounts of starvation and cannibalism.I would give it 3.5 stars.

Now about this particular edition:The translation itself is fine, a little lackluster but likely fairly accurate; however, the punctuation is a nightmare.There are semicolons and other marks smack in the middle of independent clauses, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.It looks like there isn't much variety in English editions of this novel but if you can, I recommend steering clear of this one, it's as though no one bothered proof-reading it.I would give this edition 1.5 stars.

So read it, but buy a different version.

Typical Jules Verne, but needs some work
A very typical Verne story - he likes to write about castaways. Not great, but quite unusual. The edition on sale would benefit from an introduction or some background on the genesis of this story. When was it written, etc. and where it fits in to the Verne oevre. Illustrations (in the woodcut Verne tradition) even just one, would also have been great. Also, the editing/typesetting leaves a lot to be desired and needs cleaning up before the next printing. ... Read more

Product Description
The Pearl of Lima - A Story of True Love is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

The Best Reading Text
[...]

I have read several translations of Journey to the Centre (center) of the Earth, but I find this the most readable of those generally available. I give it a five-star rating.

Incredible Journey
This is my all time favorite Jules Verne story. Classic Sci-Fi. This is also one of the stories I enjoy sharing with son, while he prefers the Tom Swift series, curiousity about the center of the earth kept him interested.

If you enjoyed Journey to the Center of the Earth, you may also enjoy these stories (also free):
Edgar Rice Burroughs "At the Earth's Core" (1914)
Roy Rockwood "Five Thousand Miles Underground"(1907)

cool book
I read this book a couple of years ago and I liked it.Though it starts off a little slow, it presented a good story.

great book
one of the best books ive ever read. probably my favorite next to the looking glass wars.

If you are thinking Arlene Dahl, you will be shocked.
I grew up on the James Mason movie, "Journey to the Center of the Earth" (1959), so it was quite a shocker to read the book.You could imagine to my dismay the absents of quite a few characters and the center of the story is Germany not Scotland.

Now for avid readers you could care less about old movies, I can truthfully say that this is one of Jules Verne's best stories and well told.

What you will find more interesting and fun about this tale is the characters and their interaction. One of my favorite parts is when Harry who did not want to go to the center of the earth with his uncle, Professor Hardwigg; he turned to his affianced, Gretchen, and was planning on her to stop him. Her answer is shockingly disappointing to him.

"While there is life there is hope. I beg to assert, Henry, that as long as man's heart beats, as long as man's flesh quivers, I do not allow that being gifted with thought and will can allow himself to despair"

Be prepared as the bulk of the book is really a geological journey back through time and forward again painfully spelled out by Harry whom is the first person narrator.

The Kindle version does not have actual picture of the runes in chapter 1. Moreover, a tad off on pronunciations. Other than that, it is more than worth obtaining along with a hard copy for your library.

Journey to the Center of the Earth ... Read more

Product Description
Based on the true story of Alexander Selkirk, who survived alone for almost five years on an uninhabited island off the coast of Chile, The Mysterious Island is considered by many to be Jules Verne’s masterpiece. “Wide-eyed mid-nineteenth-century humanistic optimism in a breezy, blissfully readable translation by Stump” (Kirkus Reviews), here is the enthralling tale of five men and a dog who land in a balloon on a faraway, fantastic island of bewildering goings-on and their struggle to survive as they uncover the island’s secret.


From the Trade Paperback edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Mysterious Island
Price great - shipping astronomical!I ordered it June 6 and didn't get it until July 5!!!Yes, you stated it could take that long but seriously that is just ridiculous!I won't be buying any more books through Amazon...

Review
We're all different, and we all like different things. However I would recommend this book without hesitation to anyone. It is a must read, as is the case with all other novels Jules Verne has written.

Review of The Mysterious Island
I loved and hated this book. In The Mysterious Island Jules Verne creates a story similar to The Swiss Family Robinson story that I grew up loving. But this book is much more in depth and provides an intriguing mystery to spice things up.

Five men escape from America during the Civil War in a balloon. They are blown far south and are wrecked upon an island with no supplies.

Verne goes in depth in how the men manage to make a colony out of nothing. In their party are an engineer, a newspaper man, a freed slave, a boy and a sailor. With their combined knowledge (and the superb knowledge of the engineer) they manage to make an island life worthy of making even a modern person wishing to visit.

Throughout the book Verne drops "mysterious occurances". These keep the reader highly interested despite pages and pages of descriptions that Verne is notorious for. Despite the slow movement throughout 75% of the book this is, by far, my favorite of his novels. If you are interested in survival (and the men in this book are what a "real" survivor is) and science this book is certain to satisfy you

L'Ile Mystérieuse de Jules Verne, the perfect page-turner
The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne is a wonderful book. On every page you share the exciting adventures of the small group of interesting, lively and resourceful people who explore this island on which they landed by accident.Unexpected incidents lead them gradually to suspect that someone somewhere is watching them and somehow helping them.What they discover in the end, you'll never forget, it'll stay with you for ever and make you dream beautiful dreams.
When I read this book in my early teens, and eventually found who that someone was, I fell madly in love with that someone, and my hope was to meet his equivalent in real life one day.

great read
Great book over all, good pace, good story.Was a little worried that it would be a knock off of Robinson Crusoe but this story goes in an entirely different direction.In the evenings I looked forward to getting sit down with this book, I think this book is much better than"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea".The 700 pages never slowed down or felt to be dragging or cheap pulp. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / General; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Not What You Expect, consider for homeschool
If you were raised on a diet of Tom Swift and Bomba, the Jungle Boy, you approached--or didn't approach--this title, because it sounded like another too-good-to-be-true teen hero.

But that's not what it is. Dick doesn't start out as captain; he is shoved into the position because he is literally the only one left to take command. He shows considerable, but believable, intelligence, strategic thinking, and courage to get himself and his charges back to safety.

A grilling picture of the slave trade develops as the story continues. It is not a light and pleasant children's book, but I'd recommend it for homeschool while American history and/or Black history is being studied.

This is one of his less known works, but WELL worth reading!
Funny thing about great foreign writers, Verne was French, but most of us grew up thinking of him as American, (sadly I admit I did). It's easy to, watching the old movies on TV, or new movies, all in English with US actors. And of course all the wonderful books we grew up with were in English. I hope that is considered a compliment as to his power and success, as he was just as enormously popular in France, and is the founding father of science fiction with perhaps with H.G. Wells. Verne's stories, written for all ages, caught the enterprising spirit of the 19th century and its uncritical fascination about scientific progress and inventions. Perhaps some today are not so uncritical of science, but those who still have adventure in their soul, who long for the stars and the space program, will love all of Verne's works.

This is one of his less known works, but WELL worth reading!
Enjoy!

What a story!
A young man forced to become a captain and save his passengers!This is a historical fiction, and a great adventure all in one.A much truer look at the slave trade then is now written is one that Verne should be remembered for - its not what you expect!But as a Frenchmen he had a different view, and I was impressed.

This story is just fantastic, and well written, I have passed it on, and twice heard back that the book was equally well like by non-Verne readers.

Bottom line?Dick Sands is a great book, despite the title, its not a kids book, but its a classic nonetheless!

The story takes you back to the US civil war...
This is my second `non science fiction' Verne book, I have read most of Verne's science fiction, and loved each of them - so I picked this up to wondering if I'd like it.....WOW, what a wonderful summer adventure read!The story takes you back to the US civil war, and beyond, lots of action, adventure, and thrilling exploits - and as Verne was French, it gives an interesting light on the war, (I won't spoil it by reveling anything here), this book is not only interesting in but the added intrigue, adventure on the high seas, the civil war angle and the thrilling side plots make this book so good, that any Verne lover will want to read it.

I loved this new edition too.

Some classic, topical Verne.
Like many of the more famous Verne books, this has been seen as largely a children's book. While it is less "adult" than many of Verne's other works, it can be enjoyed by adults too. Also, the content is certainly not suitable for a particularly young audience.

The story is of Dick Sands - a 15 year old crew member on a ship with an eclectic collection of people on board during this particular voyage. After a tragedy, he is left to run the ship himself. They eventually run ashore and (thinking they are in South America) meet a man called Harris, who generously offers to be their guide in getting back to "civilisation". However, he has more sinister plans, as it turns out they are actually in Equatorial Africa at the height of the slave trade. Capitalising on their delusion, Harris betrays them and the party is enslaved. The rest of the book is an account of their (especially Dick's) attempts at resistance and escape.

The book is great at showing the maturity, courage and resourcefulness of Dick, a classic case of having to grow up soon and doing very well at it. It also offers a shocking and brutal portraying of the slave trade (which is why it's not suitable for the very young), largely based on the accounts of the explorers Stanely and Livingstone. It is here that I think the book suffers a setback, as Verne overdoes it in an oft-too-dydactic way. It is understandable due to the fact that he comes from a context of a newly-found French liberalism and in his time, slavery was a more recent issue in terms of the US and other Western countries. So, the level rhetoric detracts from the book for a modern reader.

Still, it's an unyielding and sublime account of the unspeakable horrors of the Atlantic slave trade and a good adventure story too, so an enjoyable and accessible work of Verne here. ... Read more

Product Description
The classic tale of Captain Nemo and the submarine the Nautilus, this is the quintessential translation by the internationally renowned Verne scholar, William Butcher.This edition of Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea reports the very first study of Verne's manuscript and is packed with detail on artistic and scientific references. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Under the SEA!
Submarines as we know them didn't exist in 1869. But Jules Verne had an almost eerily prophetic knack for knowing what technology would be used in the future -- and he put it to work in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea," a slow-moving adventure tale with plenty of proto-steampunk and almost fantastical undersea life.

Ships in the middle of the ocean are suddenly seeing -- and being attacked by -- "a long object, spindle-shaped, occasionally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale."

Eventually the US government sends out a ship to capture the object, and during a sea battle Professor Aronnax, his manservant Conseil and harpooner Ned Land go overboard. Soon they're picked up by the Nautilus, the vast submarine that has been causing all this trouble, and introduced to Captain Nemo -- an intelligent, charismatic man who belongs to no nation.

Aronnax becomes fascinated by Nemo, his ship and his library -- as well as the amazing underwater adventures that Nemo introduces them to, like pearl-hunting and fighting a giant squid. But the captain's free, lawless life has its dark side, and the three men begin to realize that they must get away from the Nautilus no matter what.

It's actually rather amazing that Jules Verne not only dreamed up the idea of a semi-modern submarine long before they existed, but thought out the applications, the stealth, and the vast size. And since nothing like the Nautilus existed at the time, there's a slightly fantastical, steampunk flavor to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

And as usual, Verne painstakingly studies everything about his imagined world, filling it with science (although he obviously didn't know about water/air pressure) and lovely descriptions of the Nautilus and the eerie underwater world (giant oysters, forests, Atlantis). The only flaw is that he tends to ramble on about exact measurements and travel details; there are boring patches here and there.

But Captain Nemo is probably one of Verne's most fascinating characters -- a charismatic, embittered man who is a sort of noble sea pirate. He does some stuff that is totally unacceptable (sinking a random warship), but he also has little spurts of kindness and generosity towards poor and powerless peoples of the world. He's scary but fascinating.

Giant submarines, charismatic pirates and an undersea world just waiting to be explored -- "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" is a fascinating sci-fi classic, if you can get past the dull patches. ... Read more

Product Description
A collection of popular science fiction classics features Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Round the Moon, and Around the World in Eighty Days. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

How Well Does Jules Verne Write?
What a charming author! His ability to write has astounded me; and I know other people who are enchanted by Mr. Verne's books. My personal favorite is Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. I would highly reccomend these books for people aged 11 and up.

How Well Does Jules Verne Write?
What a charming author! His ability to write has astounded me; and I know other people who are enchanted by Mr. Verne's books. My personal favorite is Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. I would highly reccomend these books for people aged 11 and up.

20,000 Leagues under the Sea summary
This book is about a naturalist who is invited to hunt for an ocean monster, but ends up in the monster, only it is actually an electrically run submarine. The captain of the submarine did not want any one to findout about it, so now the naturalist is a captive with his component and anagressive harpooner. He gets to explore the ocean, but craves land. Can heever get back on land?

Excellent!
A collection of the greatest works of this great master. ... Read more

Product Description
New, superbly translated omnibus of five of Jules Verne's most renowned stories: Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Circling the Moon, 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas, and Around the World in 80 Days. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Science and Showbiz: Going Places with Jules Verne
Who hasn't heard of Captain Nemo or Phileas Fogg, beloved characters created by the popular French writer Jules Verne in the 1800's? Noted as the originator of the science fiction genre, his books were so popular that they were roughly and rapidly translated for enthusiastic audiences.

This newly translated quintet includes the familiar //20,000 Leagues Under the Sea//, //Around the World in 80 Days//, //From the Earth to the Moon//, //Circling the Moon//, and //Journey to the Center of the Earth//. To correct the earlier slipshod versions, this recent translation for the American audience was initiated by Frederich Paul Walter, who is not only a scriptwriter, paleontologist, and librarian from New Mexico, he is also a long-standing member of the North American Jules Verne Society. Specifically, for American readers, this new edition converts the dreaded European metric measurements into more accessible units such as feet, miles, and pounds. While the awe of the unknown sparked the imaginations of earlier readers as the fictional explorers ventured into unknown territories, this new version emphasizes the wit, theatricality, and brilliance captured by the writer in these remarkable tales. Here is a classic series of adventures that, in spite of technological advances, will still enthrall the reader, and should be part of every young person's library.

Reviewed by Rita Hoots

A wonderful book!
I first encountered Jules Verne about 50 years ago, by way of Classics Illustrated comics. In high school I discovered the Jules Verne "translation" problem: the fact that most of the editions of Verne in English use slapdash translations that truncate, rewrite, or otherwise maul Verne's text. F.P. Walter has been one of many translators working to correct this problem in recent years. His translation of Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas, for example, is included in the "Classics" app that sometimes features in ads for the iPhone.

In Amazing Journeys, he's produced a magnum opus that is an incredibly generous gift to all Verne fans. Beautifully translated, beautifully printed, concisely introduced, including many of the original illustrations from the French editions, this should form the core of anyone's Jules-Verne-in-English library. It includes the four novels usually considered Verne's best: Journey to the Center of the Earth, From the Earth to the Moon, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas, and Around the World in 80 Days. It also includes Circling the Moon, a sequel to the first moon novel, that is often omitted from Verne collections, but that to me is essential to completing the story. He's gone the extra mile (so to speak) and completely reworked his translation of Twenty Thousand Leagues, making it smoother and richer: even if you already own a copy of his original version, or the collaborative revision he did with Walter James Miller, you owe it to yourself to get this one.

You would never know it from the "standard" English versions, endlessly reprinted (and unfortunately also endlessly recorded in audiobook form), but Verne is a breezy writer, crisply detailed, full of humor and not-so-gentle satire, not above the occasional pun. Get this book and experience aspects of Verne you never suspected were there. To have any one of these books in this form would be a treat. For an old Verne hound like me, to have all five of them in one reasonably-priced volume is bliss. ... Read more

Product Description
Celebrated Travels and Travellers - Part I. The Exploration of the World is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Jules Verne is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Jules Verne then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
The Blockade RunnersIn the Year 2889Topsy-Turvyand A Voyage in a Balloon ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Very enjoyable read
The best part about classic books is that they are written so well. I have a pretty good vocabulary but referred to the dictionary on many occasions, which by the way is a feature of the Kindle I really like. If nothing else it will grow your knowledge of English and Science.

The creation of a small settlement by castaways out of just the resources they find around them is quite intriguing. I found it rewarding to try and figure out where they had been castaway to, and did at least get close. Some elements of the story are a little far fetched. The dog Top is outrageously talented to the point of being silly.

I found elements of both 'Journey to the center of the earth' and '20,000 leagues under the sea' weaved into this tale. If you have read and liked either of those titles you should enjoy this also.

The mystery of the island is explained at the end, somehow I wonder if it would have been better left unresolved, for the reader to ponder.

Fascinating
Jules Verne's Guide to Survival. I enjoyed the adventure. This is one classic you don't want to miss. Not only is it fun to read, but you might learn something as well. The next time I read it, and I fully intend to read this book again, I'm going to keep my laptop at my elbow so I can find pictures of some of the animals and plants mentioned. I'd especially like to know if their "horses" are real or make-believe.

Survival Manual
A good and interesting story well told.Actually, the book is a tour-de-force of survival techniques.It is a proverbial field manual for survival on a semi-tropical island encapsulated within the framework of a novel, providing that one had the ability to recognize and identify all the plants and minerals found within its pages and had the ability to transform these into those uses identified by the author.

Verne's version of Robinson Crusoe
This is Jules Verne's attempt at writing a Robinson Crusoe / Swiss Family Robinson castaway story, with the twist that the five castaways crash-land a balloon and thus come to the island with almost nothing -- unlike Crusoe or the Swiss Family, the castaways here don't have a boat-full of resources, tools, etc., to fall back on, and have to make *everything* themselves, from the ground up, armed only with their knowledge of science and engineering. Since it always seemed to me that Crusoe and the Swiss Family cheated a bit by bringing so many tools and so forth along with themselves, I really enjoyed the more scientific focus, and this has now replaced Swiss Family as my answer to the "what one book would you want with you on a desert island?" question.

Parts of the novel drag a bit, but it's a Jules Verne novel so there's a good story here -- the Island has a mysterious unseen inhabitant, also, there are pirates, which is always awesome.

The main flaw is that this is based on the 1875 Kingston translation, which makes a fair number of edits on Verne's original -- for example, it changes some of the protagonists's names and removes some of Captain Nemo's anti-imperialist, anti-british rhetoric. There's a more accurate translation available for free in the Kindle store, so I'd recommend grabbing the accurate version instead (look for the edition where the engineer is named Cyrus Smith, rather than Cyrus Harding;Kingston reportedly felt "Smith" was a "gypsy name" and hence unsuitable for a heroic character. You can find that version in the kindle store here:The Mysterious Island)

Oh, yeah, Captain Nemo. This book is in some ways a sequel to Verne's _Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas_, as well as to his _In Search of the Castaways_. The sequence isn't direct -- really more a case of cameo characters than a direct plot sequel to either book -- but you might want to read those two books first before picking this one up.

A great tale of friendship and surviving
This was my first tread into Jules Verne. I was rewarded with a good read. The only complaint was that there was a lot of detail put into all the different mechanisms they had to make. However, it was still interesting to learn such things from the way to build many things from raw resources to how to create makeshift items to help with survival.
The story begins with 5 prisoners; an engineer, a sailor, a reporter, a servant, and a young man along with a very bright dog; traveling in a hot air balloon to escape imprisonment during the Civil War. They are thrown onto an island that isn't listed on any maps and well out of the way for any ships in the Pacific to go by. They even go on a short trip to a close but un-useful island to help a castaway. For four long years these escapees have to start from nothing to make themselves a civilized dwelling. They create everything from a house in granite rock and a garden and an animal farm to any mechanism they might need to create something to survive with. They spend their days working and building and creating all the necessities as well as some wants. They build two ships and at the last second when they fear death, they are saved. There are references to 20,000 leagues under the seas and captain Nemo as well as historical things.
The story is long but with all the details you learn not only to feel like you know the islanders but also enough to see their surroundings and feel their anxieties. There is adventure, camaraderie, pirates, survival, and many other things all wrapped up in this amazing classic. ... Read more

Product Description
A classic of nineteenth-century French literature, this science fiction tale delves into the depths of the Earth, and by so doing, reveals the staggeringly long history of our planet.

THIS ENRICHED CLASSIC EDITION INCLUDES:

? A concise introduction that gives the reader important background information

? A chronology of the author's life and work

? A timeline of significant events that provides the book's historical context

? An outline of key themes and plot points to guide the reader's own interpretations

? Detailed explanatory notes

? Critical analysis, including contemporary and modern perspectives on the work

? Discussion questions to promote lively classroom and book group interaction

? A list of recommended related books and films to broaden the reader's experience ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Journey to the Center of the Earth
A novel that takes its reader on a grand adventure from page one is sure to be a good one. Journey to the Center of the Earthby Jules Verne is just one example of such a novel. The story grabs you right from the beginning. Narrated by the main character's nephew, we are taken on a journey from beginning to end that is as exhilarating as any ride at Disneyland. Having dreamed of being an adventurer since he was a child, Mr. Verne managed to channel some of that energy into his writing, while at the same time pleasing his father and becoming a lawyer.

The story opens with Professor Lidenbrock finding a book written in Icelandic. The book is not as important as what is found inside the book, however. A piece of parchment with a series of letters written in a Runic language is found tucked among the pages, setting off a frenzy for the professor (and by association, his nephew, Axel) to find out what the parchment says. Once Professor Lidenbrock and Axel translate what is written we get into the meat of the story - the journey to the center of the Earth.

Their journey begins with Axel and Professor Lidenbrock going to Iceland, where they spend time trying to learn more about the person who wrote the note on the parchment. While there, they also acquire a guide who will go with them on their visit to Snafell and into the center of the Earth. He proves an excellent guide and his efforts are appreciated by the professor and his nephew.

Throughout the book, the professor never gives up on getting to the center of the earth. He is bound and determined not to let anything stop him, despite the many protestations of Axel, who is ready to turn back at the first sign of trouble. I wouldn't label Axel a skeptic, but he is definitely more cautious than his uncle and tends to think something is going to go wrong. I know that those things would make the reader immediately label Axel a skeptic, but in the end he does come around to the adventure and is willing to see it through to the end. Throughout the story, the trio is faced with a variety of obstacles but they overcome all of them with grace and come out for the better on the other side.

It's hard to review this book without giving anything anyway. However, I will say this (without spoilers): I wish there were a sequel and this is one of the most well-written books I've read in a long time. Mr. Verne certainly did his research (and copious amounts of it) for this novel. He crams a lot into a little space (the book, not including notes, checks in at 288 pages), but the detail is impressive. He also provides 30-plus pages of notes at the end, to explain all the people, places, and objects he refers to throughout the novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love a story that grabs me right from the beginning and doesn't let go until the end. I give it five out of five stars and would suggest it to anyone who likes a good adventure story.

Interesting but lacking
After reading Around the World in 80 days, I was expecting another good work from Verne.This story had several good points to it, but also had points where the plot seems to drag on with unnecessary dialogue or other information.My only complaint is it is too lengthy.The adventure is interesting but lacks the excitement Around the World on 80 Days had.

Review
As all other novels by Jules Verne it will keep you glued to it 'til the end.

AMAZING!! (a summary)
Axel's eccentric uncle, professor Otto Lidenbrock, finds a parchment in a very old book. Arne Saknussemm wrote it saying he had been to the center of the earth. Otto immediately set off with Axel to Iceland, to start the journey Axel's main concern is staying alive. With help from their guide Hans, they started their way to the center of the earth. Will they get back to the surface alive? Read to find out! I recommend this book for adventurous people ages 10 and up.

My Review
Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne is about a mineralogist who finds an old scrap of paper telling of a passage in Iceland leading to the center of the earth. He also drags along his poor nephew who is absolutely terrified at the idea of journeying into the earth. I found this book somewhat entertaining because I was taking a science class that taught about the inner workings of the earth while I read it. My class made the book look ridiculous because we all know nothing can live in the center of the earth. I was very pleased with how well the book takes off in the beginning. There is no dragging of the feet, and even in the text describing their journey to Iceland, Verne does not bore us with lengthy descriptions of scenery. I would recommend this classic to anyone looking for fun sci-fi reading. I'm sure they'll enjoy it. ... Read more

Product Description
The book has no illustrations or index. Purchasers are entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Subjects: Fiction / Classics; Fiction / Literary; Literary Collections / General; Literary Criticism / General; Literary Criticism / American / General; Literary Criticism / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh; Literary Criticism / European / French; ... Read more

Customer Reviews (73)

Very long, but very good book
This book was very engaging and attractive. It gets off to a semi-slow start, but once the survivors make it on the island, it gets increasingly more interesting with each turn of the page. The author does a great job of going into details of how the stranded's lifestyles are maintained. One thing i must mention is how satisfying the ending was!!! Although it is a sequel to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I had no problem understanding the plot final resolution of the book. This is a well written, timeless classic

Old fashioned good read
I'm an avid reader, but was growing tired of my current list of books on my book list. I decided to try reading some of the classic books for a change. I came across this book and liked it.It does have a lot of old fashioned "hurrah-ings", which makes me think they said that quite a bit back in the 1800s, but still a good book.

Good Cheer
"Are we rising?" "No! Quite the reverse! We're sinking!" "Worse than that, Mr. Cyrus! We're falling!" "For the love of God! Drop some ballast!" "That's the last sack emptied!" "Is the balloon climbing now?" "No!" "I think I hear waves crashing!" "We're over the ocean!" "We can't be more than five hundred feet above it!" Just then a powerful voice rent the air, and the following words rang out: "Everything heavy overboard! . . . everything! And God save us!" Such were the cries echoing over the vast emptiness of the Pacific Ocean on March 23rd, 1865, at about four o'clock in the afternoon."
And thus the reader of Verne's "The Mysterious Island" is suddenly aloft with five Union escapees from Civil war Richmond and one dog named Top. These are men of fine spirit and good cheer and as the book pages turned I was glad of their civil encouraging company as we became castaways on an island. Their redeeming company is one of the pleasures of perusing this novel. It's interesting and little commented on that Verne uses Prince Dakkar as a symbol of divine providence in the lives of the castaways. The men do their best and work hard to survive and thrive on Lincoln island yet occasionally mysterious assistance is given and accepted thankfully. Pencroff describes what he thinks their mystery benefactor looks like "I can picture him now: handsome, tall, strong, with a fine beard, hair like rays of sunlight, lying on a bed of clouds with a great globe in his hand!" "Why Pencroff," answered Gideon Spilett, "you've just drawn the portrait of God Himself!" A wounded and sick Harbert "poured forth entreaties to that mysterious being, --that powerful unknown protector,-- whose image was stamped upon his mind" and a little later like an answer to a prayer the Quinine he needs appears.Prince Dakkar speaks to the men at one point like some submergible demiurge who surfaced into the world of men just to watch over and love his creatures.
"Captain Nemo had emerged from his prostration; his eyes had regained their glow, and a sort of smile could be see on his lips. The colonists drew near. "Gentleman," the Captain said, "you are courageous, good, and upright men. You have devoted yourself unreservedly to the task that fate has dealt you. How often I observed you in your labors. I grew to love you, and I love you still!" From Port Balloon to Cape Claw from Granite house to the Chimneys, Lincoln Island is a place that eventually charms. Once you begin turning the pages of this book and receive the dubious distinction of one marooned take heart for you will find fellowship and adventure with our spirited cheerful castaways along with Joop and Prince Dakkar on The Mysterious Island.

Warning: be VERY careful if you order this book from a 'third party' seller
If you order from a third party vendor and you are not receiving a massive, 2002 edition, 700-page, richly-illustrated (black and white) magnificent book whose cover looks exactly like that on display at Amazon then you are receiving the wrong edition. If what you get is a cheap, 1970's, small, yellowed, abridged edition that looks like it's not even worth the shipping charge, you should immediately request a refund and your refund should include the shipping charge. That was my story and, in the end, after I received my refund from an embarrassed seller, I ordered Amazon's 'new' offer and it's worth every penny.

In fact, one of my kids is reading it right now and he can't put it down. Having read the abridged version of 20,000 Leagues before this, he can't believe why anyone would bother with the abridged editions.

Just a few words about this book. Besides the full translation andmore than 30 pages of introductory materials, you get all the original 154 drawings found in the first French edition as well as images of the original covers. The translation quality is beyond reproach, the typeface is legible. If I have any issue with this edition, it's got to be the binding. The book is simply too massive to fit comfortably inside a paperback binding. I wish it was issued as a 2-volume set.

Oh, well... I am still VERY happy with what I got.

Super Reader
A group of civil war prison escapees manage to get wrecked on a strange island, after taking off in a balloon.

Being soldiers, they have a penchant for shooting things, breaking stuff and blowing things up. The characters do change over time and evolve in their outlook, while being limited by the knowledge of the time.

It all builds to an exciting climax as the group discovers they are being aided by the elusive Captain Nemo. ... Read more

Product Description
When an eccentric professor acquires an ancient book, a riddle on a spare piece of parchment tucked neatly within its pages leads him and his nephew on an unparalleled adventure. The unlocked riddle brings them to a remote mountain on Iceland, where they enter an extinct volcano on a daring quest to reach the center of the earth. They soon find themselves at a giant underground ocean where the laws of science are constantly redefined and prehistoric creatures are in abundance. But in the bowels of the earth, a shocking discovery pits the travellers face to face with their own terrifying past.Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth has been read by millions of inquisitive minds and has influenced some of the worlds most famous explorers such as Admiral Byrd, who announced on his 1926 expedition to the North Pole that "it is Jules Verne who is bringing me." And renowned cave explorer Norbert Casteret said in 1938 that A Journey to the Center of the Earth was a "marvelous book which impressed and fascinated me more than any other. I have re-read it many times, and I confess I sometimes re-read it still, each time finding anew the joys and enthusiasm of my childhood."This 260 page collectors edition includes 53 illustrations, a biography, historical reviews, articles, and an introduction by Mark Rich. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

not griping enough
The first book I read by Jules Verne was 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. I couldn't put it down, so I collected other books by him. To my disapointment, I just couldn't get into Journey to the center of the Earth. I enjoyed trying to solve the encrypted riddle but I just could not get into the book.

Why this Edition?
EXTRA'S IN THIS EDITION:
This edition is packed with great extra's. 50 full page illustrations from the original publication, other smaller illustrations, old reviews, an 1895 article on Verne, a biography and an introduction by Mark Rich. This edition is certainly a tribute to Verne, and definitely a collector's item.

STORY REVIEW:
Jules Verne explores a realm of fantastical possibilities deep within the bowels of the earth. The journey starts in the professor's study in Germany where an ancient parchment leads him and his nephew on an expedition to a remote mountain on Iceland. There they discover a deep chasm which leads the explorers to an amazing string of discoveries. There are vast oceans of water, giant mushrooms, storms, strange weather patterns, and a wide assortment of extinct creatures. This was Jules Verne's first dive into science fiction. A must read for any science fiction or fantasy lover.

OVERVIEW:
This was a great read, and possibly one of the most updated translations of the original French work. Loved the illustrations.

Looking for a cheaper edition without all of the extra's:
A Journey to the Center of the Earth (AD Classic) $6.95 ... Read more

Product Description
"From the Earth to the Moon"is a humorous science fantasy novel by Jules Verne and is one of the earliest entries in that genre. It tells the story of a Frenchman and two well-to-do members of a post-American Civil War gun club who build an enormous sky-facing columbiad and launch themselves in a projectile/spaceship from it to a Moon landing."Round the Moon", the sequel to "From the Earth to the Moon", continues the trip to the moon which left the reader in suspense after the previous novel. ... Read more

Product Description
Hardcover ... Read more

Product Description
The story begins when a mysterious sea monster, theorized by some to be a giant narwhal, is sighted by ships of several nations; an ocean liner is also damaged by the creature. The United States government assembles an expedition to track down and destroy the menace. Professor Pierre Aronnax is a noted French marine biologist and narrator of the story; as he happens to be in America at the time and is a recognized expert in his field, he is issued a last-minute invitation to join the expedition, and he accepts. Canadian master harpoonist Ned Land and Aronnax's faithful assistant Conseil are also brought along. The expedition sets sail and after much fruitless searching, the monster is found. The ship charges into battle. During the fight, the ship's steering is damaged, and the three protagonists are thrown overboard. They find themselves stranded on the hide of the creature, only to discover to their surprise that it is a large metal construct. They are quickly captured and brought inside the vessel, where they meet its enigmatic creator and commander, Captain Nemo. It is here the adventure truly begins! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (197)

"It is not new continents the earth needs, but new men"
20,000 League Under the Sea begins with the world's seas being menaced by an unknown force.After several shipwrecks, the Abraham Lincoln is dispatched to kill what the world believes to be some kind of animal.After a battle with the "creature", the three main characters, Professor Aronnax, his servant/research assistant Conseil, and Canadian "King of the Harpooners" Ned Land are swept overboard. When they awake, they find that they are prisoners aboard the Nautilus, a submersible vessel under the command of the mysterious Captain Nemo and his equally enigmatic crew.

Captain Nemo refuses to allow the three men to leave his ship, but otherwise treats them well.They are allowed the run of the ship and Professor Aronnax soon becomes quite taken with the research opportunities afforded to him by the submarine.His assistant Conseil is happy to do whatever his master wishes, but Ned Land becomes increasingly agitated and determined to escape as the story progresses.Dominating the tale is the figure of Captain Nemo, a man who has forsworn his allegiances to country and humanity to command his own destiny under the world's seas and oceans.

The Nautilus takes the men on many strange and exciting adventures.Verne peppers the story with scientific detail.It's mostly fascinating, although the multiple listings of fish, fauna, and flora can become cumbersome at times.The novel is at its best when Aronnax is wrestling with the mystery of Captain Nemo and his motives, as well as his own conflicting desires to remain on the Nautilus and explore the reaches of the deep or to join Ned Land's quest for freedom.

Stirring in places, the story of Captain Nemo and his amazing undersea vessel shouldn't be missed by any fan of science fiction/fantasy.After all, Verne helped create the genre.The version of the novel I purchased was the Signet Classic series translated by Mendor T. Brunetti, who also provides a foreword.Walter James Miller provides a fascinating afterward concerning the inaccuracies of previous translations.

A disappointing read for the 21st century
This book is a classic. No question. That's why I chose to read it. When it came out in the 1860s, it was science fiction and gripped the imaginations of many. A ship that could travel under the water! But reading it in 2010, much of the novelty of the book has been realized. We have had submarines for nearly a century.

But even aside from that, there is little plot to the novel. It reads as if it were written by a committee at National Geographic. It's a survey of all the unique items and places in the world's oceans. The little plot there is involves the protagonist trying to escape from the ship. And the ending (not to ruin it...) is a total cop-out and disappointing.

I was hoping this book would stand the test of time, like The Time Machine or even Around the World in 80 Days. But I found it a rather boring and drudging read.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Books of Wonder)
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Books of Wonder)is one of my favourite books of all time. Verne has managed to writing an intriguing, invigorating and adventure-filled adventure that also delves into questions morality and religion. Verne's love of science and technology is a leading theme through out the book and one gets a lesson in the marine-life as it was known during his lifetime. The illustrations by the Dillon's are certainly a work of art to bestow and admire. The afterword by Peter Glassman is very well-written and informative. I can highly recommend this book to readers of all ages and I gave this amazing classic a strong 5/5. 5/5.

Can't understand why this is a classic
Started off with a bang, but then got bogged down with endless description of the scenery. I guess no one ever told Verne to show rather than tell.

Captain Nemo went away
Submarines as we know them didn't exist in 1869. But Jules Verne had an almost eerily prophetic knack for knowing what technology would be used in the future -- and he put it to work in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea," a slow-moving adventure tale with plenty of proto-steampunk and almost fantastical undersea life.

Ships in the middle of the ocean are suddenly seeing -- and being attacked by -- "a long object, spindle-shaped, occasionally phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale."

Eventually the US government sends out a ship to capture the object, and during a sea battle Professor Aronnax, his manservant Conseil and harpooner Ned Land go overboard. Soon they're picked up by the Nautilus, the vast submarine that has been causing all this trouble, and introduced to Captain Nemo -- an intelligent, charismatic man who belongs to no nation.

Aronnax becomes fascinated by Nemo, his ship and his library -- as well as the amazing underwater adventures that Nemo introduces them to, like pearl-hunting and fighting a giant squid. But the captain's free, lawless life has its dark side, and the three men begin to realize that they must get away from the Nautilus no matter what.

It's actually rather amazing that Jules Verne not only dreamed up the idea of a semi-modern submarine long before they existed, but thought out the applications, the stealth, and the vast size. And since nothing like the Nautilus existed at the time, there's a slightly fantastical, steampunk flavor to "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

And as usual, Verne painstakingly studies everything about his imagined world, filling it with science (although he obviously didn't know about water/air pressure) and lovely descriptions of the Nautilus and the eerie underwater world (giant oysters, forests, Atlantis). The only flaw is that he tends to ramble on about exact measurements and travel details; there are boring patches here and there.

But Captain Nemo is probably one of Verne's most fascinating characters -- a charismatic, embittered man who is a sort of noble sea pirate. He does some stuff that is totally unacceptable (sinking a random warship), but he also has little spurts of kindness and generosity towards poor and powerless peoples of the world. He's scary but fascinating.

Giant submarines, charismatic pirates and an undersea world just waiting to be explored -- "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" is a fascinating sci-fi classic, if you can get past the dull patches. ... Read more