A reading guide for

Journey to
the Center
of the Earth
Nill and Sam
 Chapters 1 and 2
The narrator Axel lives with his uncle Professor Liedenbrock in a large old house in Hamburg,
Germany, along with the cook Martha and Liedenbrock's goddaughter Gräuben. Liedenbrock
has taken the place of Axel's deceased father and nurtures Axel's interest in science with a
particular focus on mineralogy and geology. Lindenbrock is a very rational man, focused only on
his work. Despite Liedenbrock's tempestuous nature, he and his nephew get along well. One day,
Liedenbrock enters the house, rushes up to his study, and yells for Axel to join him.

Axel enters Professor Liedenbrock's study. Liedenbrock explains that he has found an ancient
book written in an old Icelandic script called Runic. The book contains a small piece of
parchment in a similar script. Liedenbrock is convinced that the parchment holds some important
secret for science. Axel wants to go downstairs and have dinner together before they begin
the translation process but Liedenbrock refuses to join him. Right after Axel finishes his dinner,
he hears Liedenbrock yelling for him in an even more excited tone.
 Chapters 3 and 4
Professor Liedenbrock reveals to Axel that he has identified the Runic script used on the parchment.
The professor believes that the parchment is a cryptograph or coded message. They discover that the
book was written by a 16th-century professor of alchemy named Arne Saknussemm. Liedenbrock is
determined that neither he nor Axel will eat or sleep until the translation is complete but Axel
unintentionally reveals his love for Gräuben to his uncle, who is surprised by it, but quickly shifts his
attention back to the parchment. After Liedenbrock's attempt to translate the code fails, he storms out
of the house much to his nephew's confusion.
Axel resolves that the only thing to do is to translate the paper as quickly as possible. He finds words
from multiple languages including Hebrew, French, and Latin when he rearranges the letters on the
parchment. Just when he is about to give up, he looks at his transcript of the parchment's short passage
from the other side of the paper. He realizes that the text is written backward. The hidden message
upsets Axel to the point that he considers burning the parchment. He is certain that the knowledge
contained in this piece of paper could prove to be the ruin of his uncle as well as himself. Liedenbrock
returns to the study before Axel can carry out his plan
 Chapters 5 and 6
Axel puts the parchment down on the table. He watches for hours as Professor Liedenbrock struggles
to decipher the code. Axel eventually falls asleep while his uncle continues to work. The next afternoon
Axel gives in out of hunger and a growing worry for his uncle's health. He reveals what he has found
to Liedenbrock. The coded document describes how to reach the center of the earth. Arne Saknussemm
claims at the end of the instructions that he personally completed this voyage. Liedenbrock immediately
resolves to follow Saknussemm's prescribed path just as Axel feared he would.
According to Arne Saknussemm's instructions, the route to the center of the earth lies inside an extinct
volcano called Snæfell. One of the volcano's multiple craters supposedly reaches all the way to the
earth's core. Axel tries to convince Liedenbrock that the document is likely a farse, but Liedenbrock
dismisses these objections so Axel argues that no tunnel can reach the center of the earth, and even if
it did, the temperature beneath the earth's crust would kill them. Liedenbrock insists that the center of
the earth cannot be at such extreme temperatures or else life on the planet's surface would be
destroyed. Axel finds himself caught up in his uncle's enthusiasm. He agrees to undertake the expedition
with Liedenbrock. In the meantime, they will hide their discovery.
 Chapters 7 and 8
Axel goes for a walk and contemplates the implications of the journey. He has a lot of worries about it,
and then he sees Gräuben. He tells her about the parchment and Professor Liedenbrock's plan to follow
its path to the center of the earth. To his surprise, Gräuben supports the expedition. She is fascinated
by geology like him and she wishes she could join Axl and his uncle on the trip. When Gräuben and Axel
return to Liedenbrock's house, they are surprised to find Liedenbrock fully engaged in the travel
preparations. He informs Axel that they will be leaving for Iceland the day after tomorrow because the
ship from Copenhagen, Denmark, Iceland only makes the journey once a month. Axel has terrible
nightmares the night before their departure. In the morning they leave Hamburg for Copenhagen.
When they arrive in the city, they briefly stop at their hotel and the Museum of Northern antiquities
Next, they track down the captain of a schooner bound for Reykjavik, Iceland, on June 2nd. In the
time leading up to their departure, Professor Liedenbrock and Axel explore Copenhagen. Liedenbrock
forces Axel to climb a local church spire five days in a row in the hopes that the activity will help Axel
get over his fear of heights. The experiment doesn't completely cure Axel but he becomes slightly more
accustomed to looking down from high up while maintaining control over his fear.
 Chapters 9 and 10
Axel and Professor Liedenbrock sail from Copenhagen, Denmark, to Iceland aboard Captain Bjarne's
schooner. The passage takes 10 days. Liedenbrock suffers from seasickness the entire way but his
spirits brighten when he sees Snæfell. Axel and Liedenbrock meet several important people in Reykjavik
and are hosted by Monsieur Fridrickssen during their stay in Reykjavik. Axel and Monsieur Fridrickssen
become friends partly because of their shared interest in the natural sciences. Axel cannot speak
Hebrew, English, Danish, or French, which are the primary languages taught in Reykjavik's national
school, so he has difficulty conversing with the locals. He nevertheless decides to explore the city even
though his uncle refuses to join him.
In the evening, Axel and Professor Liedenbrock have dinner with their host. Liedenbrock tries to casually
learn about Snæfell and the work of Arne Saknussemm without revealing his intentions. Liedenbrock is
scarcely able to contain his excitement when he learns that very few people have ever visited Snæfell. It
is unlikely that anyone has discovered Saknussemm's secret route into the center of the earth.
Fridrickssen offers to find a guide for Axel and Liedenbrock. The two adventurers plan to meet their
guide the next day.
 Chapters 11 and 12
Axel and Professor Liedenbrock meet their guide Hans Bjelke who is a resident hunter. Hans specializes
in harvesting down feathers from eider duck nests which are a valuable export for Iceland. Liedenbrock
hires Hans to accompany them during the entirety of their expedition. He does not tell Hans exactly
where they are going after they reach Snæfell. Axel is impressed by Hans's steady, stoic disposition
which stands out next to Liedenbrock's restless energy. The three men gather their supplies for the trip
and then set out for the extinct volcano on June 16th. Liedenbrock predicts that the journey will take
seven to eight days.
The trio of adventurers travels across southwestern Iceland toward Snæfell. Axel admires the wild and
bleak Icelandic countryside. Professor Liedenbrock praises their ponies but he also wishes they could
cover the ground more quickly. The group has breakfast at Gufunes before moving on toward Gardär.
At the southern shore of the Hvalfiord, they are forced to wait for the tide to turn so they can
safely cross the fiord in a boat. That evening they arrive in Gardär.
They spend the night at the local church.
 Chapters 13 and 14
Axel, Professor Liedenbrock, and Hans Bjelke spend the night at a cottage near Gardär. Their host is
a peasant with 19 children. Despite the large size of the family, there is plenty of food for everyone at
supper. The host at Gardär provides his three visitors with a safe place to sleep before they resume
their voyage. The next three days are spent crossing increasingly bleak terrain marked by past
eruptions from the now-extinct volcano. On June 21st the travelers arrive at the base of Snæfell. They
travel to the village of Stapi where they plan to rest before beginning the climb.
At Stapi, they are hosted by a rector, who isn't as welcoming as the other Icelanders. The Professor
decides to shorten their stay in Stapi now that he has met their host and seen the uncomfortable
housing arrangements. Axel wants to make his uncle's mind give up the pursuit, but he is not able. He
worries that Arne Saknussemm's parchment will prove to be genuine and they will find a route into the
bowels of the earth.There is no guarantee that Snæfell will remain dormant during their expedition.
They could be caught up in an eruption. Liedenbrock devotes June 22nd to making the final preparations
for their climb. He convinces three men to accompany them to the top of the volcano and look after
the horses. On June 23rd, Liedenbrock, Axel, and Hans Bjelke leave Stapi.
 Chapters 15 and 16
The group climb Snæfell. The winding hike upward takes them all day and they are nearly caught in a
small cyclone of dust and rock created by the wind coming off the glaciers. Hans, fortunately, spots the
danger in enough time to guide the party to safety. The party reaches the summit of Snæfell an hour
before midnight and takes shelter in the entrance of the peak's crater.
Hans Bjelke leads the way down to the bottom of the crater. The three hired men return to Stapi.
Professor Liedenbrock finds a stone pedestal at the base of the crater inscribed with Arne
Saknussemm's name. There are three holes arranged around the crater that lead further into the
volcano. Liedenbrock deduces that at this exact time of year the noonday sun will cast a shadow onto
the correct entrance. Unfortunately, it rains for days with no sign of letting up. Axel begins to hope
that the designated time will come and go with no sunlight falling into the crater. Then on June 29th,
the sun breaks through the clouds. The pedestal's shadow points to the middle crater as the correct
path. Liedenbrock proclaims that they will now descend into the center of the earth. Hans accepts this
undertaking without any sign of surprise or anxiety.
 Chapters 17 and 18
Axel, Professor Liedenbrock, and Hans Bjelke climb down the volcanic chimney. The process takes them
all day. At first, Axel fears that he will fall to his death. The longer he spends climbing down the
volcanic rock, the more comfortable he feels with the largely mechanical process. Liedenbrock spots a
passage at the bottom of the volcanic chimney. He determines that they will travel down the passage
the next morning. As Axel falls asleep, he spots a star shining far overhead.
The trio sets out through the passage formed by the last volcanic eruption in 1229. Their electric lamps
illuminate beautiful structures made of cooled lava that reflect the light. Axel's wonder trumps his fear.
As the group progresses downward, Axel notes that the temperature has barely increased. At 10,000
feet below sea level, the temperature in the passage is only 59 degrees Fahrenheit. Professor
Liedenbrock's prediction that the earth's temperature will reach equilibrium as they approach the core
appears to be accurate. There is no sign of the violent heat that Axel originally worried they would
encounter. Axel cannot explain why the interior of the volcano has such a cool atmosphere given the hot
springs and geysers on the surface.
 Chapters 19 and 20
Professor Liedenbrock, Axel, and Hans Bjelke reach a fork in the passage on their second day beneath
the earth's surface. Liedenbrock chooses the eastern path. Over the next day, Axel notices that the
passage has begun to trend slowly upward. He predicts to his uncle that they will eventually reach the
surface again if the upward slope continues. Liedenbrock refuses to go back to the original branching of
the tunnel. It seems as if they have chosen the wrong path as it becomes a dead-end or leads back to
the surface, they will simply turn around and go back the way they came. Axel reminds him that they
are running low on water.
The explorers begin to ration their water. They continue along the eastern tunnel which passes through
a large vein of coal.. Eventually, Professor Liedenbrock, Axel, and Hans Bjelke reach the end of the
tunnel. There is no option but to walk back the way they came and try the other passage. Liedenbrock
predicts that it will take them three days to reach the fork in the tunnel. Axel worries that they will
succumb to thirst before they can find a fresh store of water but Liedenbrock chastises him for
voicing his fear.
 Chapters 21 and 22
Professor Liedenbrock, Axel, and Hans Bjelke reach the original fork in the passage. Axel collapses
and Liedenbrock gives him the last sip of water. Once Axel has recovered his senses, he insists that
they need to go back to the crater and climb out of the volcano. Liedenbrock is disappointed in his
nephew's decision. He argues that Axel should go back with Hans but that he must see the expedition
through to the end. Axel fails to convince Hans to help him drag Liedenbrock out of the tunnel and up
to the surface. Liedenbrock proposes that they should spend one day investigating the western tunnel.
If they have not found water by the end of the day, he will agree to abandon the expedition. Axel
reluctantly agrees.
The western tunnel quickly descends through multiple levels of rock. By the end of the day, there is
still no sign of water. Axel once again collapses and this time refuses to go any further. Hans Bjelke
and Professor Liedenbrock lie down to sleep next to him. As Axel suffers thirst, he thinks he can
hear a faint sound in the distance. Hans vanishes into the dark. At first, Axel believes Hans has
abandoned them and then he realizes Hans has gone deeper into the tunnel. Axel wonders if Hans
heard something that he missed and decided to follow the sound.
 Chapters 23 and 24
Hans returns from his search and informs Axel and Professor Liedenbrock that he has found water.
They follow after him fast. After an hour, they find the point where the sound of the water is at its
loudest. A granite wall separates them from the torrent but Hans makes a hole through the wall with
his pickaxe. The mineral water is boiling but has a very pleasant flavor once it has cooled. They refill
their flasks and then resolve to rest for a few hours. Once the morning arrives, they will follow the
trickling water down the passage. The stream will provide them with a steady supply of water while also
directing them downhill.
The three adventurers continue their steady descent through the earth. The stream which they have
named the Hansbach accompanies them down the tunnel. They reach a steep abyss and carefully climb
down its side. By July 15th, they are seven leagues or roughly 21 miles beneath the surface of the earth.
They are no longer below Iceland but have instead worked their way under the ocean. Axel's mood has
significantly improved now that they have plenty of water and he believes that their success is
inevitable.
 Chapters 25 and 26
Axel, Hans Bjelke, and Professor Liedenbrock spend June 19th resting in an underground cave.
Liedenbrock calculates that they are now 85 leagues or about 255 miles southeast of the volcano.
They have likely reached the lower limits of the earth's crust but the temperature is still only 82
degrees Fahrenheit. Axel calculates that at their current rate of descent, it will take them more
than 5 years to reach the center. Liedenbrock is infuriated by this prediction because it means they
will never be able to complete the journey with their current supplies. He insists that the tunnel will
eventually take a more direct route down. Axel doubts that Arne Saknussemm really reached the
center of the earth.

On August 7th Axel is distracted by a section of granite. When he looks up from examining it, he
cannot find Professor Liedenbrock or Hans Bjelke. They were behind him a few minutes before but
now they are nowhere to be found. Axel tries to retrace his steps but still does not locate either of
his companions. He then discovers that he has also lost track of the Hansbach. The stream is gone.
He is lost!!!!!
 Chapters 27 and 28
Axel attempts to find his way back to the correct path. He cries out to his uncle and to God for
help. At the very least, he hopes to find the stream so he can follow it back up to the surface.
Unfortunately, his path leads him to a dead end. He collides with the end of the passage and damages
his lamp. When the light goes out, he spirals into a desperate state of panic and rushes about in the
dark. He hit his head on a rock during his earlier collision with the rocky wall but he ignores his injury.
He eventually passes out from exhaustion.
When Axel wakes up, he hears a distant sound like an explosion followed by voices. He recognizes
that the voices must belong to his companions and then discovers that the sound is conducted along
the wall of the tunnel. He shouts to his uncle who responds with excitement and relief. By measuring
the amount of time it takes for them to hear each other, they determine that they are a little more
than four miles apart. Axel begins to slide himself downhill along the passage because he is too weak
to walk. The tunnel starts to go down very fast, and Axel falls. The impact with the ground drives
him into unconsciousness again
 Chapters 29 and 30
Axel wakes in the company of Professor Liedenbrock and Hans Bjelke. Liedenbrock is greatly relieved to
be reunited with his nephew. Axel's final fall tumbled him into the same gallery where Liedenbrock and
Hans were. They retrieved him and bandaged his injured head. Now that they are together again,
Liedenbrock orders Axel to rest. The next morning, Axel hears the sound of waves and briefly assumes
they have returned to the surface. Liedenbrock refuses to explain the source of the noise except to say
that they will set sail once Axel has recovered his strength. This news astonishes Axel, and he refuses
to rest until he has seen what his uncle and Hans have discovered.
Professor Liedenbrock leads Axel to the shore of a vast subterranean sea which he has named the
Liedenbrock Sea.. White light shines down through intermittent clouds. Axel theorizes that the light must
be caused by gathered electricity in the air like with the aurora borealis. He and his uncle walk along
the shore until they find a forest of mushrooms as large as trees. Liedenbrock points out bones among
the mushrooms which suggest that animals lived in the cavern at some point. Axel looks at the sea and
imagines seeing a boat appear on the horizon, but then he reminds himself that he, Liedenbrock, and
Hans Bjelke are alone beneath the earth. After an hour, Axel returns to their camp and goes to sleep.
 Chapters 31 and 32
The next morning Axel and Professor Liedenbrock watch the tide rise after their breakfast.
Liedenbrock observes that the compass needle now pulls upward toward north instead of dipping
downward. This change suggests that they have passed beneath the magnetic section of the earth.
While Axel and Liedenbrock discuss their various scientific finds, Hans Bjelke builds a raft out of
driftwood that lies strewn across the seashore. The construction ends up taking two full days. When
finished the raft is large enough for all three men and their provisions.
Professor Liedenbrock, Axel, and Hans Bjelke set sail across the Liedenbrock Sea. At Axel's
recommendation, they name their departure point Port Gräuben after Axel's fiancée. Liedenbrock
predicts that they will see the opposite shore in 24 hours. Axel takes over the responsibility of
updating the scientific log of their expedition. Hans fishes from their raft and catches a species of
fish once thought to be extinct. He goes on to catch multiple specimens which they add to their food
stores. While the raft is steadily moving across the sea, Axel is caught up in a waking dream and
tries to jump into the ocean but Hans stops him. . He wakes up and explains to his companions that he
had a brief hallucination. Liedenbrock predicts that they will soon see land.
 Chapters 33 and 34
Professor Liedenbrock grows impatient. He originally predicted that the sea was 90 miles across but
they have crossed three times that length with no sign of land. They spot what appears to be a herd of
monstrosities swimming about them. Hans realizes on closer observation that there are only two
creatures. The monsters are a serpentine dinosaur called a plesiosaur and a massive crocodilian beast
called an ichthyosaurus. The plesiosaur and ichthyosaurus engage in a drawn-out battle that threatens
to swamp the explorers' raft. In the end, the ichthyosaurus kills the plesiosaur and then vanishes back
into the depths. Axel wonders whether it will reemerge later to hunt their small craft.
The ichthyosaurus doesn't reappear the next day and Axel assumes that they have left its territory
behind. On August 20th, Axel hears a distant roaring sound. He fears they are approaching a
waterfall. Hans Bjelke then spots a massive shape in the water next to a rising plume of water. Hans
identifies the shape as an island. The plume of water next to the island is caused by a geyser similar to
those on the surface of Iceland except much larger. Hans directs the raft to the end of the island
farthest from the geyser. Liedenbrock names the small island after Axel. At this point in their journey,
they have traveled more than 1,800 miles and are now somewhere beneath England.
 Chapters 35 and 36
The raft and its occupants are caught up in a terrible storm that lasts for days. Professor
Liedenbrock convinces Axel and Hans Bjelke to leave the sail up so the wind can carry them along. At
one point, what appears to be a ball of lightning lands on the raft and then leaps about, nearly
electrocuting Axel. Leidenbrock, Hans, and Axel tie themselves to the raft to avoid being caught by the
tempest. The storm eventually drives the raft up against a rocky shore.
Hans Bjelke keeps Axel from falling into the sea during the raft's collision with the shore. He carries
Axel to safety and then returns to the beached raft to rescue their provisions. Axel and Professor
Liedenbrock fall asleep in the partial shelter provided by a cluster of rocks. The storm has calmed down
when they wake the next morning. Liedenbrock is in high spirits. He believes that the storm has carried
them all the way across the sea and deposited them on the opposite shore. According to him, they have
plenty of supplies for the rest of the voyage, though Axel privately doubts his uncle's calculations. Then,
they consult the compass and deduce that the storm has forced them back to the same shore as Port
Gräuben.
 Chapters 37 and 38
Professor Liedenbrock insists that they must begin their second voyage across the sea. He ignores
Axel's protests that this is suicidal because of the diminished supplies and the damage to their raft.
They still have no idea how wide the sea is and the journey may bring them into contact with another
storm or a monstrous beast. Liedenbrock is determined to continue, but, he decides to delay their
departure to examine the area. Liedenbrock and Axel walk until they find a cemetery of hundreds of
different species., like pterodactyls, mastodons, and other long-extinct animals and a human skull.
Professor Liedenbrock and Axel find a perfectly preserved body on closer examination of the fossil
repository, and Liedenbrock interprets that as irrefutable proof that prehistoric humans lived alongside
dinosaurs. Liedenbrock examines the body and claims that the human remains come from a caucasian
individual who died thousands of years ago. Axel and Liedenbrock go on to find multiple other bodies
amidst the bones of prehistoric beasts. Axel wonders whether these bodies mean that people continue to
live in the deep recesses of the earth to this day.
 Chapters 39 and 40
Axel and Professor Liedenbrock go into a forest. The forest is brightly lit by the electrical light that
fills the air. All the plants are shades of brown and gray because they do not use sunlight for energy
and do not need chlorophyll in their leaves. The explorers spot a herd of mastodons that are grazing in
the forest under the watchful eye of a tall humanoid creature. The "man" is at least 12 feet tall and
has rough features partly hidden by a thick mane of hair. Axel is terrified of what will happen if they
are seen and convinces Liedenbrock to go back through the forest. While returning to the raft, Axel
tries to determine their exact location along the shore and sees they are back to Port Gräuben. They
find a knife, that is between 100 and 300 years old and that the blade was used to carve away at a
stone. The two excited adventurers search for stone and find a granite slab marked with the initials
A.S. (Arne Saknussemm).
Professor Liedenbrock names the area Cape Saknussemm. Axel and Liedenbrock return to Hans Bjelke
and the three of them guide the raft back to Cape Saknusseem. They prepare to enter a tunnel only to
find that it is blocked by stones. Axel proposes that they should use their gunpowder to blast an
opening. Liedenbrock agrees but insists they rest for the night before trying to explode the tunnel.
 Chapters 41 and 42
On the morning of August 27th, Professor Liedenbrock, Axel, and Hans Bjelke attempt to blow up the
debris blocking Arne Saknussemm's passage. They sit on the raft.The explosion opens a large hole in the
ground that leads into a tunnel further underground. The sea rushes into the opening and brings the
raft with it. Axel and his friends fall for hours through total darkness. Hans lights a lantern and Axel
discovers that most of their provisions and all of their tools are gone. Then the light from the lantern
goes out, leaving them in the dark once more. The raft falls vertically down a pitch-black passage
before colliding with the water at the bottom.
Axel realizes that the raft has stopped falling and is now traveling up. They are still moving at a brisk
pace up a vertical shaft in the rock but the ride is much smoother than before. Professor Liedenbrock
suggests that they should eat a meal but there is almost no food. Liedenbrock tracks their progress up
the shaft by the geological levels in the earth. The air in the shaft becomes extremely hot and the
water around the raft reaches the boiling point. When Axel looks at the compass, he realizes that it
has stopped
 Chapters 43 and 44
The ride up the shaft becomes ver turbulent and Axel fears they are in the middle of an earthquake.
Professor Liedenbrock replies that they are being in a volcanic eruption. This information does little to calm
Axel.The eruption stops a few times which slows their progress up the volcanic shaft. Flame and noxious
fumes surround the raft. Eventually, the raft is forced out of the volcano's crater and into the open air.
Axel faints and when he wakes up, he sees that they are near the base of a volcano. The climate is warm
and sunny and Hans Bjelke is the first to recognize that they are not in Iceland. The volcano from which
they emerged is still erupting but they are safe. In stark contrast to Snæfell, the slopes around this volcano
are full of verdant growth including grapevines, pomegranate trees, and olive groves. Axel describes that
"there was nothing arctic here." Hans grabs a passing child and Professor Liedenbrock questions the boy in
multiple languages before getting the right one. The peasant boy says they are in Stromboli which is an island
in the Mediterranean. He then runs away from the strange men. how did they end upin the Mediterranean
when the compass said that the underground tempest had forced them north.? Axel is relieved to be above
ground. They travel together to San Vicenzo where Liedenbrock pays Hans and thanks him for his help. Axel
sees Hans smile for the first time.
 Chapter 45
To avoid confusing the locals, Axel, Professor Liedenbrock, and Hans Bjelke pretend that they are
shipwrecked mariners instead of trying to explain their epic journey. The three men return to Hamburg,
Germany, where Liedenbrock and Axel are reunited with Gräuben and their housekeeper Martha. Most
of Hamburg now knows about Liedenbrock and Axel's expedition. Some people refuse to believe
Liedenbrock's account of their discoveries but other scientists praise Liedenbrock and Axel for their
willingness to sacrifice themselves in the name of science. Liedenbrock begins corresponding with scientists
around the world about his various finds during the expedition. Hans becomes homesick and returns
home to Iceland much to Axel and Liedenbrock's sadness.
Six months after their return to Hamburg, Axel comes across the compass that caused himself and his
uncle so much confusion during the trip. He sees that the compass's polarity has been reversed. Axel and
Gräuben are married soon afterward. They continue to live with Liedenbrock who is now famous in the
scientific and popular community thanks in part to Axel's published account of their adventures.
The End