BOOK REPORT OF JULES VERNE 'JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH'

Berikut adalah book report atau dengan kata lain, resensi dan ringkasan cerita dari novel tulisan Jules Verne yang berjudul 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth'.

TITLE : JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH
AUTHOR : JULES VERNE
PUBLISHER : LONGMANS GREEN AND CO.
NUMBER OF PAGE : 159
GENRE : SCIENCE FICTION
SETTING : 1863, HAMBURG, ICELAND, STROMBOLI

CHARACTERS :
1. Prof. Lidenbroch (Otto)
Uncle of Axel, a professor at a university in geology, bad temper, impatient, uses stick, hat, and glasses, very difficult to please, not a bad man, difficult in speaking to public, fairly rich,
2. Axel
Geology lover, weak, easy to give up, doubtful
3. Grauben
17 years old, Axel’s cousin, pretty, fair, has blue eyes, later becomes Axel’s wife
4. Martha
Servant, worry, afraid of Otto
5. Arne Saknussemm
Icelandic, scientist in 300 years ago who came to the centre of the earth, the cryptogram maker.
6. Hans Byelke
Guide, strong, brave, paid once a week
7. Fridiksson
46 years old, science teacher at Reykiavik, speak Icelandic and Latin, kind.
8. Italian boy
9. Prof. Thomson
40 years old, Otto’s friend, head of a museum, kind
10. Finsen
A major
11. Captain Byarne
41 years old, captain of Valkyrie, kind.


SUMMARY

On 24th May 1863, Prof. Lidenbroch came home with an old book ‘Herms Kringla’ by Snorre Turleson. There was a dirty old parchment slipped and fell to the ground. There were strange letters there. And Otto did not want to have dinner before solving the code’s meaning in the runic. Then he found name Arne Saknussemm, an Icelandic scientist who lived 300 years previously.
He tried again in other ways, but he failed. Martha, the servant, was really worried looking at Otto’s attitude. Later on, Axel helped hum, too. Then he found the key and the message before he almost threw it into the fire. Next morning, he was doubtful to tell the message to his uncle. But Otto did not want to eat until he knew it. So, Axel told him. Message told him that ‘Go down the crater of the Yokul of Sneffel, that the shadow of Scartaris softly touches before the beginning of July, Brave Traveller, and you will come to the centre of the earth whuch I have done, Arne Saknussemm’.
Knowing this, Otto was really happy. He started to have meal again. Then he made a big decision by preparing for journey, because of the time to reach the Sneffel on July, as stated in the message. Otto invited Axel to come with him, but Axel was doubtful. But finally he joined Otto and left Grauben, his cousin, who should have been his wife. That was a hard separation.
From Hamburg, they reached Copenhagen in Denmark by train and boat. At there they made lesson in looking down on the tower to prepare their mentality for climbing. Then it is continued by using Valkryie ship, 10 days to Reykiavik. There they met Mr. Fridiksson. From him he knew that all Arne Saknussemm’s books had already been burnt. He also told them how to get to the Sneffel by introducing Hans to them. Hans would actually be their guide. They prepared anything to bring such as barometer, thermometer, and so on. Then they went to the Sneffel.
Passing the Icelandic villages, they took a rest with few Icelandic families, including Hans’ one too. Iceland is a lonely country. Then they arrived at Stapi. Axel was doubtful that Sneffel is an active volcano. However, Otto convinced him about that. They started climbing, and there was a dust storm. They could see the Greenland there. Between America and Europe.
They went to the crater then they found the face of rock written ‘Arne’. It made Otto happier. There was cloudy sky so they could not see the shadow of Scartaris. Then on 28th June they aw it so they went to the edge of the chimney, and went down. To the tunnel, they needed more water. Until ten thousand feet there were two passages and they chose the eastern one. There were three more days without water.
In this situation, Axel said that they must go back or they would die. However, Otto promised him to survive. One more day, he had sense. Otto gave up. Then Hans left them and back with a good news. He found water. It was a stream of hot water. They found the stream would come with them and showed the way. Axel was happy for it. There is another chimney. There they knew that they were under the sea (for about 48 miles down). Then the air became heavier.
On August 7th, Axel lost his companions. It is because he walked too fast. So he walked back to find two other men. And he found the stream was not there anymore.
So he searched it. He lost in the darkness and hunger. Then he heard something noisy and voices few days later. He knew that it was his uncle’s voice. He tried to call, then his uncle replied it. By hearing the voice, they counted the distance. It was 4 miles away. The road was very steep, so he let himself slipped down. He fell, faster and faster. Then his head struck a rock. He lost his senses. When he woke, he was happy to find his companions again.
Next day they continued the journey and found open air and sea. Otto named it with his name, Sea of Lidenbroch. There, they found a forest of giant mushrooms. They made a raft to cross the sea. The sea had the sky of rock, light of no sun, and no shadow. It was really strange.
They started to cross the sea while catching fishes. Long time, days by days, they did not see the end of the sea. Otto was impatient. Then they found a terrible fight between two unique animals. They were the prehistoric ones. Later on, they heard noises and saw something like an animal or island. Is was honestly a geyser. There they also saw a storm and electric ball.
After the storm, they were thrown to the shore. But Hans had saved the instruments. They counted the distances and figures, but they did not believe the compass. Why? They were at the beginning again! Then they examined the coast, found a mammoth and a giant man. There they also found a knife with letters on granite written ‘Arne’. Knowing this, Otto jumped in excitement.
They were ready for a new start, until they found a shut tunnel. They tried to explode the tunnel to open it with gunpowder. After Axel lighted the match, there was not any explosion. But the sea the shook and there was opening hole on the shore. The raft was caught up. They were carried at a mad speed. Few hours passed in chaos. They felt shocks of great violence when the raft touched the wall in darkness. Then suddenly they were going up. They found burning rocks and boiling water. They guessed that it was an earthquake or volcano. Then Otto was sure that they were inside a volcano.
They were thrown out of a volcano and saw beautiful sight: open air! Sky made not by rock! They were on the surface! Otto saw a boy and asked him in few languages. When he asked in Italian about the name of the island, he answered: Stromboli! This journey ended in Stromboli! Faraway from Iceland!
After staying there for weeks, they reached home. Hans joined them to Hamburg. But then he had to go back to Iceland. Otto were famous cause he had done important work for science. Axel then married Grauben. But there was a mystery of the compass. It showed wrong direction! Then Otto remembered something. The electric ball made this! They laughed. And all were happy at the end.


COMMENT:
This story is really interesting, especially because it is an adventurous one. This kind of story can gain readers’ imagination very well. Especially cause it is presented in simple language. The setting used was also real place, so it makes the readers curios of the story, whether it is fact or totally fiction.