If ever there was a delightful tale to just sit down and immerse yourself in, it is that of the Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne. This is one of the great adventure novels of all time and the best in the body of work produced by one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time.

The story follows one Professor Hardwig who finds a piece of parchment with an odd inscription on it. This turns out to be a code that reveals a route to the center of the earth! Hardwig is at once taken by the notion of this other man having gone and undertakes to build a machine that will allow he and his son to take the same journey.

There is no reason given for making this journey other than simple curiosity and enthusiasm. This is not needed to save mankind or anything like that. The plot is not that generic. These are explorers more than heroes and thus we can take the journey leisurely with them... when the plot allows for it, that is.

This book of course contains the detail that Verne is known for but also has a higher ratio of adventure-to-explanation than any of his other works. There are sea monsters, massive caverns and instances of unbearable heat.. there are so many action scenes that by the end of this book you might well be exhausted!

I think not only science fiction but adventure fans should pick up this book at the first available opportunity. The imagery is amazing and the plot airtight. The possibilities seem endless and Hardwig and his son start their journey and only expand from there. This is truly one of the greatest books ever written.

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