Gentle SPECTRUMS discussion

This is an invitation to members and future friends, to join us with Jules Verne's classic story! I am going to read a couple of other novels before I begin. I will slate "A Journey To The Centre Of The Earth" for after the week-end. If you have a copy, can obtain it, or already read it: please jump in anytime.

I enjoyed the Brendan Fraser (Canadian!) film and was surprised to like the Dwayne Johnson sequel years later, which I thought was going to be too silly. It is high time that I try on the classic novel itself for size!

The mention of Canada's Brendan Fraser supplies me with a nice segue into a recommendation and inspiring conversation that I have been very eager to propose. During a time of a world quarantine, there is no more relatable movie than: "Blast From The Past"! It also stars Christopher Walking and Sally Fields as the parents.

How many of you know this film? It is about an American family in the 1960s, when a threat of war spurred many to build backyard bomb shelters: steel rooms stocked with years of food, medical supplies, and amenties. The scientist Father believed that the ground would be contaminated by a bomb for about 25 years and set a timer to lock them in. There was no war but a crashed aeroplane scared them into taking residence.

One aspect of this California film really makes it a compelling conversation piece about what to do with time. It is quite a study in the human ability to focus and learn, if we give ourselves that chance. The Mother goes into a 25-year quarantine pregnant. Their son has never seen the Earth! He learns about the sky and the ocean from books!

It is enthralling to watch the Mom teach the boy manners and etiquette and professional dancing. It is invigorating to watch the Dad teach him German. This is the perfect film to demonstrate for us plainly: what can we learn, now that we have ample time?

It need not be all YouTube videos. We can put aside our computers and develop skills for ourselves. Reading more of my books, all physical copies, is one thing I do. Food and flower gardening is another. We finished them, including my flowerbeds. Rain came right afterwards and all of those seeds are set in motion!

Hello Carolyn! I saw in another discussion that you were planning to read A Journey to the Centre of the Earth. I watched this movie many, many years ago and only remember bits and pieces, here and there. I didn't know it was a book until you mentioned it and remembered that movie. I would love to join you on this and some of the others you mentioned in that other discussion. When will you be starting this one?

I have never seen the movie you mention here but it sounds interesting. I am familiar with Sally Fields but not the other actors. I asked my mother if she's seen it and she remembers it, though not well. Too bad she doesn't have it because it sounds like the perfect movie to watch now!

Hi Carolyn!
I have my copy on hand and am ready to begin whenever suits!

I was pleasantly surprised by the Brendan Fraser film as well, though I haven't seen the sequel yet. I've been meaning to read something by Jules Verne for years but never got around to it, so I'm looking forward to it.

I have not seen "Blast From The Past" but now want to! I looked and you can rent it from YouTube, which I have never done before but will consider doing. It does sound like a timely film to watch right now!

I am pleased you got your gardening done! Yesterday we had heavy rain and strong winds, so trudging up the horses was not fun! I could hardly see because the rain was blowing constantly onto my glasses.

I will catch up the 'Anne' conversation tomorrow as we are about to head up again now, but just wanted to comment here quickly! :)

Hi Leeanne & Kerri! I would like to start "A Journey To The Centre Of The Earth" after the book I am reading. Above, I estimated by Monday. But if "The Westing Game", which I savoured and bought new, is my cup of clue-solving tea like I hear it is, I would excitedly finish it quickly. I am thrilled you want to join us, Leeanne. Let us know when you can obtain a print or e-copy.

Kerri, I said I was surprised by how much I liked the sequel with Dwayne Johnson, since Brendan did not continue as the Dad protagonist. I specified that it looked like it was going to be silly (giggling pecs). Brendan had stopped acting due to being blackballed by Hollywood, for speaking up about past above, if I understand correctly. Leeanne, I have no idea of your age but he is a well-known Canadian star, with a place on the Walk Of Fame in Toronto. He did all those "Curse Of The Mummy" action films, even though he is the cuddly, comedic type.

American Christopher Walken is a huge mega star, one of the greats. My favourite of his is in "The Dead Zone" by Stephen King but he is famous for so much stuff that not all of it is my cup of tea. Sometimes a hero, sometimes a bad guy; he can play anything. He is in one of the most famous "Saturday Night Live" classic skits ever made; which even I know, who never watches that show. Look up the expression "More cowbell"! Even Howard Walowitz immitated Christopher Walken during one of the D&D game nights on "The Big Bang Theory". Anyway, that scene in "The Dead Zone" chills me, the way he screams. The protagonist (I have and must read Stephen's novel) can tell envision an important part of a past or future by touching someone. A man insists on sending kids outside to play hockey on an iffy day. Christopher's cry is a poignant movie moment: "The ice is going to break!!!"

Yes, you guys should easily find "Blast From The Past" anywhere really. I never think of downloading from the internet because I can't have things like Netflix and YouTube would just be too much for the slowest internet speeds of dial-up. I would buy the blu-ray from Amazon Canada. But if you can grab it on-line like Kerri is, do Leeanne. I am glad your Mom loves it. I am sure my parents saw it too; just the sort of good-hearted, creative film we love. The protaonist is like an eager newborn baby exploring the world for the first time, who is suprisingly skilled at all kinds of things you don't expect; thanks to his parents not wasting time in that underground shelter under all their years of quarantine. :-) Feel good fiction at the max and yes, Kerri: perfectly timely to be inspiring right now! I must look at the price of that blu-ray.

Sorry about the horses in the rain, Kerri. We are having rain again but need it. It means no threat of forest fire and our garden being taken care of for us, instead of using the hose, less adequately than rain amounts to. The tadpole and minnow ditch is full again.

I meant to tell you Ron recognized Monarch caterpillars and milkweed plants outside this very office window. I get to witness them working in their various stages, for the first time! The plants, without flowers yet, had not been there before but knowing they weren't weeds, I left them. Suddenly Ron recognized them. We tried planting milkweed a few years ago and I guess it can be awhile before they take. One cat kills butterflies but fortunately, this is a northwest house corner that he and all the cats seldom use.

I ordered this book from the library. It's the 1980 something edition so it should be relatively close to the original book. I don't know how long it will take to come in, but hopefully sometime this week. I'm just wondering how fast or slow I should read this once it comes. Do we all just read at our own pace and add questions or comments whenever they occur? I'm a bit unsure of how this all really works.

I am surprised that I haven't heard of Brendan Fraser if he's such a famous Canadian. It's unfortunate that he isn't acting any more, that could be part of why I've never heard of him or recognized him as a famous Canadian. I will ask my father about Christopher Walken. My dad is very knowledgeable on famous actors, comedians etc. He's always enjoyed introducing me to "the classics" as he refers to them. His "classics" might not be considered in the real "classics" group of movies, I don't really know. He introduced me to Sally Fields through "Smokey & the Bandit" and "Forrest Gump."

I will look up that famous "Saturday Night Live" skit. And see where I can get ahold of "Blast From the Past". My dad could have it or it might come on TV. Who ever decides what movies or shows to show on TV each night should put that movie on. It'd be a smart movie on their part and I'd appreciate them doing so. I'll keep a look out!

That sounds like quite the rainstorm you've had over there Kerri. I hope the horses (and you!) are fine. The rain woke me up and I panicked because it was brighter than it should have been outside. I though I'd missed me alarm but I was fine. I went for a walk around the block last night hoping to see Neowise the comet. It wasn't to be because the clouds covered all the stars. Now I know they were preparing to rain on me. Hopefully the sky will clear today so I can see this once-in-a-lifetime comet!

I'm so excited to hear you have milkweed and Monarchs Carolyn! Thank goodness you left the plants there and what a wonderful place for them to have grown! I don't know much about planting milkweed. I have a natural abundance of them in my front yard that spread all over the place. Soon (if not already) you will see green seed pods on the plant. Be cautious about how many you let open and spread. Milkweed spreads fast, believe me. I don't know how many plants you have this year but you should defiantly let some of them go to seed so you will have more next year. It can get out of hand fast and once it is, it's important to check every plant for eggs before you remove them.

Does your cat eat butterflies? Monarchs are poisonous and the milkweed is toxic. I suggest keeping an eye on your cats if they eat butterflies or the milkweed. My cat is the type that tries to eat any green, leafy thing. You could try putting a little fence of chicken wire or something around the plants if they try to bother them.

Good luck with your caterpillars Carolyn! If you need any advice I'll be happy to help!

Oh, the rest of our conversation is here! That is nice! Yes, Brendan Fraser is out of sight and we have discovered, he is sadly part of the "me too" Hollywood abuse, among men. I think he spoke up before this helpful movement and got blackballed. I may be mistaken. You didn't see "The Mummy" and other movies, ironically with Dwayne Johnson, just when he stopped being called "The Rock"?

I am a "Jumanji" fan too but Lord, do I have to make film and TV conversation threads, haha! Well, this all ties into Jules Verne. Did you not see "Back To The Future III", where Doc's kids are named after him? I agree with your Dad that anything can be called a classic, if it is beloved popular culture. My Dad loves films and music too.

We have exactly four milkweed plants there, so no worries, haha! We will be lucky if there are leaves left before they flower. My one question right now (until I have your e-mail) is: do they weave their cocoons right on those plants, or go elsewhere after they have eaten enough? The dwindling space can't last, can it?

Spirit leaps at butterflies wherever he sees them around. Sadly a "kill because it moves" behaviour. I hope that doesn't extend to eating them but I don't think so. I have found deceased, dear dragonflies. I will watch and deter Spirit as much as always.

I think our terrain must not be ideal for milkweed if it is new and sparse. What do they prefer? We are clay, sand, and marsh. I think bought seeds finally worked out. Don't worry, we would not pick special wildflowers like that.

Our girl, Petal, nibbles on the odd houseplant but it isn't a worry. There is rhubarb with giant leaves at our back door and neither Petal nor anyone has interest in it; also toxic. I will be vigilant around the milkweed too: if the caterpillars leave anything!

I suspect Petal is only interested in greenery when she is indoors. Her sister, Angel, is a bad one for peeing in plants during the winter, as if she misses using soil in the great outdoors. Cats are fun and intelligent, with their own personalities, which you have the gift of witnessing too.

How long is the caterpillar period? There were 4 at first, then they disappeared and I hoped birds didn't grab them. A day or so later, I saw tiny ones. Now a week or so after, there are 6 big ones. Are they the tiny ones already grown-up? I will let them live their own life cycle. I don't know what their eggs look like.

Yes, buddy reads in my small experience anyway, is about reading as you usually would. Pop in when you have time to say: "I made it to this page" and remark on something generic, until we see where everyone else is. Then we know which scenes it is not a spoiler to discuss. Wouldn't you say so, Kerri? Just let us know when you have the novel. We can easily read books on our own until then. We are going back to the 1800s here! Science fiction is rare for me but the movie has made me very keen.

Oh yes, I see you meant that movie now! It is on Netflix so I will add it to my list of movies to watch. They also have "The Mummy" films, which I have never seen and I think I will watch them too -- no other Brendan Fraser films at the moment. "George of the Jungle" used to be one of my favourite movies, so I've always maintained a great liking for him -- you are right about him being blackballed. I think the way he was treated is appalling. Add that to all his injuries from filming action movies and he has had a pretty difficult time of it unfortunately. He seems to be getting consistent roles again now, though I haven't seen any of the shows.

"The Dead Zone" is brilliant. Christopher Walken is incredible in it - I have a copy of the book that I see most days and it always makes me think of various scenes in that movie -- it was so well done. Martin Sheen was also excellent in that, very scary.

I'm glad you got the rain you needed. We've gone from that all to familiar situation of being in a drought, desperately needing rain, to now having too much! We're in the middle of a thunderstorm right now, with some lightening too. The cats are edgy but not too stressed, but our dog, Izzy, is terrified - she hates this kind of weather. We have these calming tablets to give her, which aren't sedatives but amino acids and they help to a point, but she's never quite happy until the weather settles down.
The weather is making the internet drop out at times and the strength of the signal is low, but hopefully this reply will come through OK.

I hope you got to see that comet Leeanne!

I haven't seen the new "Jumanji" yet, but loved the original with Robin Williams. I watched it a lot as a kid and found it brilliant and terrifying all at once.

I didn't know milkweed was toxic. We don't have any growing around here, but I'm glad I know to keep an eye on our cats if we ever do!

Yes, I absolutely agree with that approach to buddy reading -- it's definitely a read at whatever pace suits you and check in as you go kind of thing. And I am more than happy to wait for your library copy to arrive, Leeanne! :)

How unfortunate that Brendan Fraser was blackballed from Hollywood.

"You didn't see "The Mummy" and other movies, ironically with Dwayne Johnson, just when he stopped being called "The Rock"?
No I haven't and he's still often referred to as "The Rock". I did see A Journey to the Mysterious Island and both Jumanji's. I haven't seen the newest one yet but I am very excited for it. I remember being mostly terrified of the original Jumanji as a child so maybe I need to re-watch that one.

I don't remember Doc Brown naming his kids after Jules Verne. That's a cool fact though! We do tend to go rather off topic in these discussions don't we? It is fun though, learning about other people.

No Carolyn, they do not weave their chrysalis' on the milkweed. Note: butterflies build chrysalis' , moths build cocoons. They will leave and do that on a different plant or tree. Please be careful when you do any weeding to check for a chrysalis! The chrysalis' will be green but quite noticeable. When the butterfly is ready to come out it will turn black and you'll be able to see the wings inside it. Hopefully you'll be able to see this!

This is the kind of soil milkweed grows best in, which I took this off the internet. "Any well-drained soil; tolerates clay soil and poor, dry conditions."

I don't think you need to worry about birds taking the caterpillars. They should know their poisonous. It's ants that are caterpillars greatest enemy when they are young. I'm not sure what you could do if you find ants around your plants and caterpillars.

The caterpillar period is 10-14 days so those are likely the small ones you had, just grow up. They eat all day so it doesn't take long to get big. The eggs look like small white bumps on the bottom of a milkweed leaf. They're pretty distinguishable from white spots of a leaf.

I'll let you know when the book comes in. It's coming from another library to mine so I don't know how long it will take with shorter hours open and everything.

My library just sent me an email that A Journey to the Centre of the Earth came in today but it isn’t open until Saturday. I’ll probably start the book on Sunday. So we can finally start this weekend!

I will finish "The Dog Who Rescues Cats" first. It is very good and will not take long. When Kerri's rainstorms cease, she will tell us how many books she is finishing. No doubt, you are reading something too. I will be in Ontario tomorrow! Nowhere near you but a fun, beautiful, peaceful sojourn.

Yay! I'm pleased that it had arrived - that seems like it was quite quick!

It's been thunderstorm free today with the Internet being reliable once again! I'm reading two books at the moment but can easily add another in at whatever point best suits you two. Have fun in Ontario, Carolyn!

I hope you have a wonderful time in Ontario Carolyn!

I tend to read several books at the same time, I have three going at the moment. This book is quite different from the others I’m reading so I won’t have any trouble getting mixed up between them all. I’m ready to start this one whenever we’re all ready!

I had a wonderful time! Used book shopping galore! We walked around nature and had lunch with a view. I **finally** have book #2 by Clive Cussler: "The Mediterranean Caper"! I can finally move that stack of soft and hardcovers by continuing the series and have the first book for another!

I bought spare copies of "Where Nests The Water Hen" by Manitoba's Gabrielle Roy and "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan. I was ready to read both of these recently and don't see where I put them. Therefore I can read them any time and give the spares as a gift, or sell them. Ah, the triumph of great book sales and nice day trips!

I wish we had had your rain, Kerri, because we hastened to water transplanted trees and potted flowers now that we are back. It should arrive by tomorrow. It is clouding over and has the appearance of raining tonight but we keep getting skies like that! The tadpole ditch is very dry. It is a good thing Ron dug a good deep hole there two years ago, which is quick to fill with our hose and rain. We only run the hose when we are home, awake and it is on for a few hours now.

While we were out, the second Monarch hatched; good for her! Too bad we missed it. I forgot to look at the chrysallis this busy early morning. Ron says it was green. I was sure the first was black for about two days. Maybe from heat this one hit the hatch stage quickly. I should see her around her pod side of the house tomorrow. The first Monarch visited the north side of our house where her pod is. God speed to them both.

I make progress on one book at a time and will likely finish the great true story "The Dog Who Rescues Cats" tonight. I am tired enough to get right to it, after a day trip and hike. I might be tempted to dive into "The Mediterranean Caper" afterwards. You see, Clive Cussler has millions of water books like those but to read Jules Verne's famous stories are few and special. I'll see how far I get. In the language of the author: I bid both of you bonne nuit et bonnes reves! ~Carolyn~

I am finished "The Dog Who Rescues Cats": what an important story! I want to read "The Mediterranean Caper" right away and not only because it took a long time to obtain this sequel. I have learned that Clive Cussler died on February 25, days after I finished his first novel this year! It will mean a lot to jump into my perfect paperback acquistition. It is timely to polish off the two books each of you are reading.

How exciting that you found a book you were after! I hope you got that rain you wanted too!

I hope you enjoy the book you are starting, it seems like it times in well! :)

Kerri: you saw all updates, right? My main one is message #14, in which I mention getting to see a newborn Monarch butterfly! :)

I see you started the Clive Cussler book you were talking about. Will we start Jules Verne’s book after you’ve finished? Don’t feel rushed at all, I ready to start whenever you’re both ready. I’ll put it in a drawer so I don’t get tempted. I read the introduction and the first three paragraphs this morning and I have a very good feeling about this book!

Yes, I figure we might as well start in a couple of days. You and Kerry have books in progress too. It took a long time to find the second volume of Clive Cussler's huge series. Then I found out he died just after I finished the first, in February.

I have a good feeling about Jules Verne too, Leeanne. Even better that a sneak preview tells you so for certain! It occurs to me that if he is French: are his classic works from French, translated into English and other languages?

I looked up that question, for I was wondering it too. Yes, he wrote all his books in French and they were translated into many other languages later. Jules Verne is the second most translated author in the world. Agatha Christie holds first place.

Thank you for that detail, Leeanne. I see it was not translated in English until 1871. Now for the original title, which I like to include in my reviews.... I am finished Clive Cussler's second novel. Set your engines to 1864, ladies! I am ready to begin: "Voyage Au Centre De La Terre"!

Hi! Just checking in to let you know our Internet hasn't been working - I'm borrowing someone's mobile data to post this! If the problem is on our end it should be fixed by tomorrow, if its the not then I am not sure how long it will be - - hopefully only another day or two. I will begin reading and check in when I am able (and answer all previous messages properly). :)

I understand, Kerri. You are caught up on everything, except a nice orientation recap I made for you in the topic "Star Trek - Old". There is so much to talk about in shows and films that I have a "Star Trek - New" category too.

I have no doubt of loving this book but don't find the translation good. Perhaps it is because I know English and French, such as which expressions are screwed up but a few places would sound clunky to a plain English speaker too. Two observations occurred to me. I see that translations are best left to native speakers of the language receiving the translation. If French were the weaker language, as it is for us Anglophones; it suffices to understand what the writer was getting at and to make the output language superb. I sense that the translator of my 1966 copy was primarily French, grasping for an English output that is very readable but off in places.

Secondly: is it the same translation for all of us, or do others revise classics from time to time? I would be interested in knowing the chapter and paragraph of odd turns of phrase you find, just until we know if we have the same version. Also name the publisher and date of your editions. I know a little about translating. Skill or deficiency is nothing to do with the age of a book.

There is a word of which I have never heard! Does it mean a translator was fantastic in English, or is it the sign of using a dictionary and hitting upon never-used vocabulary? My Scholastic Books version gives no translator information, nor even the original publishing date and name. How about this adjective of page 9: "irrefragable proof"!

Oh wow, I didn't know that Leeanne - how interesting!

So, thanks to a very helpful customer service person, our Internet is up and running and will hopefully be more reliable now!

So far I am only up to chapter 4, but I should be able to make decent progress tonight. I'm not sure who translated my version yet - it's a readers digest classics edition and I can't find any mention of who translated it. These editions usually come with an informative sheet, but mine does not have one - - I wonder if the translator was credited there. When I have the laptop tomorrow I will try and find my edition on Goodreads and see if it tells me.

I have heard that some translations of this book are much better than others, but I'm unsure which version is considered best. Was "irrefragable proof" in the second chapter? If I have found the same sentence, mine says "undoubted proof"
Though I could have the wrong sentence, '... There is an undoubted proof of the correctness of my surmise.'

Let me know if had the wrong sentence and I will check again! I have never heard the word irrefragable before.

That is probably the right sentence. I am not concerned about knowing exactly who your translator is but your different version answers my question. Books are redone from time to time: good. Let us know if your translation seems clunky. My version is readable. It is mainly this uncle whom I find no reason to like. I hope we ditch him soon and that like the film, we follow the protagonist.

I got stung by wasps six times yesterday. They are under my back makeshift porch! We use four light plastic platforms with grids laid on the grass instead and they fly up through there. After one sting picking rhubarb, I got the second and third pulling out a platform to see where the wasp nest was. We would rather not kill them. I dressed myself up with rubber boots, a head net, and mitts and dug into a shovelful quickly, then ran to throw it in the forest. Number three was a light bite on my hand on the way back.

That one dig shows us where the main nest is and I would like to shovel it out at night. Ron wants to leave it for the summer and clear it out when the wasps exit it in the fall but I got the three worst bites sneaking to the side to pull a couple of weeds, before Ron put the grid back after he was home. I told him I don't want this threat.

If we wait until they are asleep and chop the back of a large root behind the nest, that should make it easy to scoop out, in a second motion if necessary. If they stay asleep we can make both moves, or wait another night to scoop out the nest. I don't mind working in stages and getting it done. But my right leg and ankle have had enough, thank you very much and I will be covered even at night. The pain is gone but I am itchy.

Let us know what the internet problem was, what kind you have, and how it was fixed. Trouble-shooting solutions are good to know as a future reference.

I am at chapter 9 in our novel. Things began to get interesting when they reached Iceland. Now the intrigue should be great. I did not like to hear about burning books because Iceland disliked someone's character and that seems like a flub. They are initially described as a people who love education and pass around books so much, that they don't see the library for years.

Is it clear to either of you, why the uncle sought this book? My copy appears to have no context to build interest. He suddenly has a book with a piece of paper inside, from this famed scientist. Was he the author, or merely the writer that paper?

There have been certain sentences or phrases that feel a little clunky or odd so far. I'm not always certain whether this is a translation issue or just reflective of the time it was written! A phrase that I reread a few times was "optical delusion" when I am more familiar with the word illusion being used instead. Some of the the dialogue feels stilted but we also have characters from various parts of the world speaking in many different languages so this could be a stylistic choice.

I am part way through chapter twelve, and am enjoying things more now that we have reached Iceland. I am not that fond of the Uncle so far, but quite like the nephew and the guide.

I think I am getting close to the actual journey and am looking forward to that!

I'm also not clear as to why the uncle wanted that book, or how/why things came about. I think the nephew is in the dark about that too, so perhaps we aren't supposed to know.

Perhaps the Icelandic people's view of book burning evolved over time! I will be curious to find out if we get any clues as to what the heresy was.

Oh gosh, wasps are the animal that I like the least! I avoid them at all costs. I hope you manage to relocate it soon. I don't think I would like the constant threat of them for however long it would take for it to be cold enough for them to leave - especially since they can be quite aggressive.

Our Internet problem was fairly simple thankfully. We were switching from ADSL to VDSL. Initially it was just the Internet service provider saying it would be switched over the following month, but it had actually already switched over, which is why our old modem could no longer connect. I'm not sure why they thought it hadn't yet, but nevermind! Then it was just an extra day to set up the new modem, as I needed customer service to guide me through it. Once we were clear about everything it was easy enough, it just took a few days of back and forth to sort it. So hopefully now our connection will be faster and more reliable. We've had bad weather today and haven't had issues with the connection dropping out, so it seems promising!

I think I've probably fallen behind on reading. I'm halfway through chapter 14. I've been busy helping my dad in his backyard and yesterday went sight-seeing with my cousin and mother. We drove up along Lake Huron, around Georgian Bay and specifically to Wiarton to see the Wiarton Willie statue (I haven't seen it since I was very young).

I wonder Kerri, do you celebrate Groundhog Day in New Zealand? It's a big event over here, on February 2nd. Wiarton Willie was Wiarton, Ontario's famous groundhog who specialized in determining when spring would arrive. Also, did you see my post in the Wildlife thread about monarch's in New Zealand?

My copy of this was translated by Robert Baldick. I looked him up on Goodreads and in Google. He's translated many other books and is a "British scholar of French literature." Apparently he passed on in 1972, but this edition was reissued in 2008. The publisher is Puffin Books.

My edition has some interesting extras. It has a Author File on Jules Verne, a list of characters, some information on Iceland and a explanation on what's really in the center of the earth.

I believe I might have found the same sentence you were discussing, though mine says 'indisputable proof'. This sentence is on pg. 16 of my edition, in the third chapter. I too have never heard the word irrefragable before.

The translation is readable, though there are some words I have to look up the meaning of. I'm not sure if they are really uncommon words or just words that I haven't come across before. The part when Axel discovers the secret of the cryptogram was confusing. I had to read it three times to understand what had just happened. I definitely have to focus entirely on the book when I read it.

There was something that I was confused about while reading so far. In chapter 8 the professor makes Axel climb the spiral staircase of the church spire. I don't understand why this will help them when they climb into the earth. They will be climbing down into the earth, not up into it.

I assume you aren't allergic to wasps since you seem to be okay after being stung so many times! Thank goodness. How painful and annoying, though! You wrote that post several days ago now, so I hope you were able to get it removed safely.

I am 100 pages from the end, in chapter 31. Please feel free to propose any discussion up to here, pending the chapter Kerri has reached.

The nephew is "Harry" in my 1966 translation. I am not a fan of going by last names and blanked it out, if that is what "Axel" refers to. Yes, his uncle (oh, they gotta stop calling him "worthy" and "learned", right!) had a good idea in curing his fear of heights. You do need to climb up, before and after climbing down.

"Lofty" is another word my "unworthy translator" exceeded too much, LOL. Did he not know "high", "height", or "way up high"? It is clear to me that he knew French better than English, the reverse of me. I myself know French fluently enough to transpose what an author is saying into beautiful English but would not know French colloquial expressions well enough. There is a gorgeous passage I would love to share when I know everyone has arrived at it and I have an acquatic question as well.

You can tell he or she took care to get beautiful sentences and facts correct but did not know common phrases. "Seek for" instead of "seek" is a regular mistake and adding "for the purpose of" instead of simply stating the action verb. I am riveted and can't wait to see where they go next. I would love to have your version, Leeanne: where the translator deigned to be named, replete with Earth core and author information!

I was all set to answer properly, only to turn on the laptop and find it utterly dead. Now charged, it is updating, which is often not a quick process! So I am answering briefly on my phone, via the app, and hope the computer will be an option tomorrow!

I have about 50 pages left, Chapter 37, so will probably finish tonight or tomorrow. I have found the second half much more exciting than the first.

The facts included in Leeanne's edition sound very interesting - mine has an afterword that I think will be interesting, but nothing else.

No, we don't celebrate Groundhog Day here-- I have seen/heard it mentioned in some movies and books though! I have just read through the Wildlife posts and will answer tomorrow. :)

He is called Harry in my edition too.

I have also noticed the frequent repetition of the words "worthy" and "learned" - - sometimes they feel like a part of the professor's title they crop up so much!

I am finding it more exciting than I had anticipated - - - as they descend further I find myself getting quite up in the revelations. Some of the illustrations in my copy are quite lovely. They are by an artist called Lars Hokanson, and they compliment the story beautifully.

I am at chapter 37 too. If Leeanne reached the body of water, I want to quote my favourite passage: about such incredulous beauty and discovery that coining new human words is necessary. Jules wrote most of his profoundly well-said things around that chapter. This is the beauty I expect of "10,000 Leagues Under The Sea".

Jules kindly prepared me for what a league is: 1 x 3 miles or 1 x 5 1/2 kilometres. :) A league was created to estimate how far one can walk in an hour. We may be finished before we talk about what stands out for us. Feel free to lead. Scholastic Books has no art. It seems they wanted 1966 students to just plain read.

I had to sleep and also turn off the lights for Ron but am invested in the story. I sense no resemblance to what I recall of the film, do you? They entail action and wonderment, whereas books need to build up what characters do and how they feel. I think the film was about a son and Dad wanting to find out what happened to his Dad. It seemed there was only one safe time to enter and exit the Earth's core, which is why they burst in sled fashion, on a last trickle of liquid. In the novel, water abounds.

Precious gems are only observed once. They were an astonishing, fortunate film feature: the idea that bringing one nugget of any gem back would boost a life. I love the Jurassic park-like possibility of completing the picture of knowledge and witnessing what we only knew as fossils, right down to fish and plants. I wonder how the first film(s) covered this adventure. I love a place where things are left in peace to flourish or hold records for us. It is a flaw of Brendan's film, if his plot is that lava would cover the place periodically. It can't alternate between boiling and preserving wonders.

I conversely detect a weakness of the beginning of the novel. It seems like anyone could explore the core any time, if they knew which crater. Three openings are always there. You could explore the right one by chance or elimination.

The only urgency of timing came from the excuse that a shadow needed to illumine the right entrance. "Arne Sasseman" (add necessary letters) could have included "use the centre entrance" in his instructions. Speaking of them: surely it is easy to recognize mirror writing and see words backwards.

Leeanne, "by the way", I have been in Georgian Bay near Orillia. You get the reference: Gordon Lightfoot town! My brother's in-laws cottage around there. I explored some crevasses, a suspension bridge, and the Huron church. I am glad you had a lovely day. In our wild and literary conversations, I love the personal sharing.

I was just thinking of "Groundhog Day" because it is one of my favourite films. What I did not realize, is that a certain Schitt's Creek mayor was the cameraman in it; hard to recognize because he is sane. Chris Elliott again! I did recognize the puddle-stepping principal from "The Goldbergs" and "Schooled", as soon as I saw him in the sitcoms. :)

I am on page 245, Chapter 33 today. I will try to find time and wifi to comment more tomorrow. You say the name of the protagonist in your copies is name Harry. My protagonist is Axel Lidenbrock and the uncle is Otto Lindenbrock. I have heard reviews that say the names of the characters have changed over time. I wonder which of us (if any) have an edition with the original names of his characters?

I have gotten to chapter 35. After Axel (Harry) decodes the cryptogram the book started to get a little less interesting. It took quite some time before they even got to the crater. Once they got to the crater my interest was renewed. This book seems to be vastly different than what I remember of the movie. I can see why they might have changed it, because the book is a little slow at times.

I’m enjoying the story much more now that Axel is finally starting to enjoy himself! I was tiring of hearing so many complaints and arguments with the Professor. I’m also glad to see a more human, caring side of his uncle. When Axel gets separated from the group we see that he really does care about his nephew. I’m not too fond of the professor but I’m glad he truly cares, deep down about his nephew.

I finally understand why there is a giant serpent on the front of my book! I have gotten past the part where the two sea creatures fight. I was wondering when the front of my copy would finally make sense.

Axel’s dream on the raft about prehistoric creatures was beautiful to imagine. I see the Lindenbrock Sea so clearly in my mind, even clearer than the other places Axel, his uncle and their guide pass through. As you mention Carolyn, Jules Verne begins to impress me more with beautiful descriptions and sayings. I hope there will be more of this in his other books.

Is this sea in the movie? I don’t remember much of the movie and what I do remember doesn’t really fit with this storyline.

I will share some of the extras in my book tomorrow or Friday. It must be nice to have illustrations in your book Kerri. Too bad our editions don’t have any, Carolyn.

I looked it up and the names in your version seem to be the "correct" ones, Leeanne. It seems like such an odd thing for a translator to change, but they did- Axel and Harry aren't even remotely similar names!

I agree that it picked up once Axel/Harry stopped complaining and started being more bold and interested in what was happening around him. Though I can understand being irked about the foolishness of the journey and the likelihood of death because of his Uncle! I love Hans for his sense, and his diligence with just getting on and doing the logical thing -- like finding the water for example.

I can't remember if the sea is in the movie or not. The more I read, the less I was confident with what had been in the film and what wasn't - if they add it to Netflix I think I will re-watch it, as I think I might now appreciate any nods to the source material.

The extra information in your copy sounds like a lovely addition to the book.

I look forward to the quote you wanted to share Carolyn! I was quite taken with some of the wonderful descriptions that featured in the second half of the book, they were very vivid and often quite beautiful.

Despite some of the more clunky elements (which may translation issues) I can see why the novel has remained popular.

The flaw you point out in the Brendan Fraser film is a good one Carolyn, and one I have to say I never noticed or thought of! But I agree, either boiling or preserving, not both!

I have only seen part of "Groundhog Day" and didn't realise Chris Elliott was in it. It's one I have to sit down and watch in its entirety because I think I will enjoy it. :)

Also in "Groundhog Day", which I know by heart, is the high school principal from "The Goldbergs" and their even better spinoff, "Schooled"! It is more poignant than the comedic tone implies. And darn it, come to think of it, it is another film about how to use your time effectively in a type of "quarantine"; like taking piano lessons and making friends! Similar to the kids of the novel "Flowers In The Attic", Bill Murray's character also excels at flipping playing cards into a wastepaper basket.

Yes, we ought to rewatch "Journey 1: To The Centre Of The Earth". Ron & I caught "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" on the satellite dish, with Michael Caine and Dwayne Johnson. That is a Jules Verne novel I need to acquire, as well as an unabridged "Ten Thousand Leagues Under The Sea", the story I am most keen about. A connection is implied in the film between the island novels of three authors of the same period: "The Mysterious Island", "Treasure Island", and "Gulliver's Travels".

I enjoy proving to have a good eye for translating quality, thanks to your information, Kerri. A translator who is named is the way to go, or I would rather read Jules Verne in French! The translations of Winnipeg's own Gabrielle Roy are impeccable, no doubt with an English-speaker as the better choice for the output language, like the person behind Leeanne's copy. I will read "Where Nests The Water Hen" by Gabrielle soon.

I am disgusted to discover that Kerri & I had the worst translator! I don't have time to reread anything because my home is blessed with the equivalent of Kindle books in quantity. However, to find that the 1871 English version dared to rewrite things almost demands that I restart the book some other time.

I may have been mistaken about the temperature glitch because it would be true of the book as well as the film. Surely the space under the Earth does preserve a whole culture of life and artifacts. It must only be the passage back to the top under the Mediterranean, leading to an active volcano, where lava courses through. But I wonder what you ladies make of waiting for the shadow, that I believe is a glitch for needless drama. Surely a mark at the entrance or in Arne Sussemann's notes could say: "choose the middle entrance". Or as I wrote previously, surely people made their way into the right one without instructions.

I will highlight some passages another time to this being long. As Kerri likes Hans, I'm keen to get out of the way that I loathe him; sorry! Any third person good at building would have served them. I loathed him more with each description of being "indifferent". He didn't deserve to behold an unknown place of wonder, if unmoved by it! I resented him for only caring about following orders safely and receiving his pay; however loyal and helpful he was. It was more than being a kind of person who doesn't show what they feel on their face: the repeated specification was "indifference". I loathe lack of expression, colour, and preference.

I disliked the professor too, even though Leeanne, you are right that it was poignant to cry over the difficulty to his nephew. He is so bitchy and selfish; once again, we could have chosen anyone with his scientific interest and education to better appreciate the voyage. No different than tHans: he had no sentimental reactions to nor patience for anything, except when the journey and their discoveries went his way.

The nephew argued rightfully but went on too long. Harry / Axel did not willingly join the trip and considered it dangerous and untried. We know from those long passages in Germany that his uncle was stupid and immature about skipping meals, until he concluded something he was working on. Politely waiting for lunch is one thing in Germany. Harry / Axel could not allow him to be rash to their peril in the Earth's core.

I propose that of the three, he is the only one with the character to appreciate where they were fully. When there was anything cool to see, his excitement abounded and he had the scientific knowledge to assess it. Yes Leeanne, his imagination of prehistoric creatures was wonderful! It did come true, didn't it? I was confused when Hans clarified that only two sea monsters were fighting. However, they really did behold the whale and sturgeon fish on their way there, didn't they?

I don't think the element of needing the shadow really holds up if you give it even a moments thought -- as you say, it makes no difference to the entrance actually being there, so it would have made just as much sense to mark the appropriate place or provide a slightly more specific instruction! It puts a time limit on the initial journey, though I'm not sure that this was needed since the Professor didn't really need any additional motivation to embark on their journey.

Bitchy and selfish does describe the professor well! I had mixed feelings toward him. There were times when I almost liked him and appreciated his unbridled enthusiasm for the quest, but his motivations didn't line up with what mine would have been in the same situation, and he was to eager to drag his nephew along on a perilous journey that he didn't want to partake in! He was utterly self-absorbed and his priorities were questionable.

I agree that Harry/Axel was the only one who really appreciated the journey, where they were, what they were discovering etc.
Also, yes I think they saw the whale and fish. That's how I read it anyway, though I did get slightly confused during that chapter with what was real and what wasn't.

I read that our particular translation Carolyn, remains widely used because it is in the public domain, so much cheaper to publish. I think I will look up his other books before I purchase any to see if there is similar situation with them.

I have finished this book and will write a review soon. I’m pleased to say that overall I enjoyed it and found the ending quite satisfying, even though they never make it to the true centre of the earth.

You two have opposite opinions on Hans. I have mixed feelings on both Hans and the professor. In the extras section of my book there is a brief explanation of each of the characters. Hans is described as following.

“A man of few words, Hans is brave, strong and calm in the face of danger. He saves the day more than once, and in some ways is the true hero of the story.”

I feel that this is an accurate description of Hans, don’t you? If it wasn’t for Hans, Axel/Harry and his uncle would certainly have died on their journey. I was as grateful to have him along as Axel/Harry was. He was very reliable, getting many important things done that Axel and his uncle overlooked.

I do agree with Carolyn though, that his indifference to everything that was going on around him bothered me greatly. There was not one single reaction of awe, worry or excitement from him. How could anyone not feel something when experiencing a journey like this?! At least the professor gets excited and awestruck by what he sees. Meanwhile Hans has no reaction whatsoever of that sort, to anything. For this reason I lean more towards Carolyn’s opinion.

I also have mixed feelings on the professor. He is very selfish, has practically no patience, very self absorbed, and has a terrible temper! He annoyed me immensely at times, but I liked him at others. I was happy to see that he really does care about his nephew, even though he rarely shows it. I didn’t like how he forces Axel/Harry to come with him on the journey, when Axel obviously doesn’t want to. Yet in a way I’m glad he did because otherwise Axel/Harry would have missed out on the incredible experience of exploring the inside of the earth.

I also appreciated his reactions to everything. His temper flares when things don’t go his way, reminding me of an angry little boy who wants a cookie or something. He gets excited though, especially when they discover the bones on the shore. I enjoyed along with Axel/Harry, those moments when the professor would get all excited and start ranting about the discoveries he was making, and explaining them to his nephew, even though I didn’t quite understand it all.

We see many emotions from the professor, unlike with Hans. While he’s definitely not the most pleasant person, or the easiest to get along with, I appreciated him just the same.

I agree that the shadow was unnecessary. Arne Saknussemm could have just written which entrance to use in his cryptogram. Waiting for the shadow held the characters up for like 2 days or something? The story didn’t need the extra drama or anything else to slow it down. The story’s long enough as it is.

There are wonderful points about which to have a conversation and we have hit upon them all, as of Leeanne's entry! Please share what your educational edition says about the actual centre of the Earth and what ground-penetrating radar or whatever seismic measuring was used, theorizes that we would find there. I will look for favourite passages to add at the end.

Even this anonymous 1871 translator made sure to transpose and interpret them unusually well, I should say. Complicated translations are handled with care. Colloquial language and common words tend to miss the mark, when one's first fluent language is not the output, target language. Like I remarked before, Leeanne's translator is English. He needed to know French fluently enough to interpret what Jules Vernes wrote but his output quality was masterful, to the full strength of his linguistic ability and familiarity. I am trilingual but couldn't do justice to French of Spanish. However, after I brushed up a good while, I could do well at putting things into correct and eloquent English. Do you know what I mean? I imagine you know some French, Leeanne?

Aw! I see a hummingbird across from this office window, suspended atop a hanging-basket on our other building's wall (called "the library" on the main side and "the workshop" on the end). He or she was drinking Lilliput Zinnias! Speaking of Lilliput, are you familiar with "Gulliver's Travels" and "Treasure Island"? I mentioned the awesome movie premise of "Journey 2" with Dwayne Johnson and Michael Cane; wherein a combination of those classic novels with Jules' "The Mysterious Island" join together to make a map of the same island. It makes me want to read all three! I likely have at least a kid's abridged version of the first two but only 3 others of Jules'.

We agree that waiting for a shadow's direction, for 2 weeks I believe because it was the end of August when they entered the centre path, was an unsuccessful plot. I think "Journey 1" made travel timing urgent due to lava flow, no doubt crafted for the movie. However as discussed, that makes no sense to all of those preserved landmarks, bones, and living plants, animals, and people. Not unless it specifically had to do with the Mediterranean section, if using the Italian active volcano exit.

Two things I ponder: Do you ladies think it was set to erupt, or did due to the explosion to remove the rockfall? Maybe they could have carved through with less gunpower? The film made that exit an emergency, as if they couldn't last underground any longer. But secondly: if not for blasting to explore further into the Earth's core, doesn't it seem a given in the novel that they had the option to exit the way they had come, or from some other place they would have found at the centre?

The Earth's core is an argument I have glimpsed in a review or two. I believe they can be considered to have reached, survived, and explored the wonders under the Earth and proved corrected, new scientific and biological realities. To put it colloquially, I propose they could say they had been there and be eligible for souvenir t-shirts, haha! Not getting the other 4000 km into the Earth doesn't detract from that. Should I say I didn't officially see England and Scotland, because I only had time to traverse a certain span of regions? They made it, proved it possible and beheld that other world, even though they didn't see everything or every avenue.

Finally, I disliked Hans so much I wanted to slap him and I see from Leeanne that his maddening "indifference" was not a poor translation of his demeanour. Was he any more loyal or helpful than any other third party should be? I think they could have hired any other third person, even though I agree that third woman or man power was needed and lifesaving. His description came across to me that he was loyal to anyone with the paycheque. Of course once on the journey, he wouldn't let a teammate be harmed. His survival was their survival but also, he was as decent as most humans ought to be, rather than the saint they called him.

Yes, Jules could have gotten Axel (since that is the intended character) on the trip without the professor looking presumptuous and Axel looking like a spineless follower. In the end, we three agree that he appreciated the journey most. I am glad the professor got to see it and instead of saying so of Hans; Axel and his uncle were both needed. They corrected and reassured each other at important points and based in the marvels together. Had they gone independently or with someone else, each would have been elated to rush home and tell the other what they beheld and witnessed. Giant people, animals, and plants still around? I loved that! If age is cited for Axel's uncle, I wonder why Axel did not go back to look further into the Earth core, knowing it is safe, as long as you avoid sea travel and volcano channels.

...reminding me of an angry little boy who wants a cookie or something
This is the perfect description of him Leeanne! I found this aspect a little irritating at times, but I did appreciate the strength of his emotions! I am also not sure that I understood all of the professors explanations, though I did enjoy reading them.
I particularly liked the flashback scene/memory, where we learn the Professor has saved Axel before. I think this helped me see why he was willing to put faith in him and accompany him on a journey that he himself was not that keen on!

I have not read "Gulliver's Travels" or "Treasure Island", though I do have a copy of "Treasure Island". I'm most familiar with the story from The Muppets version of the story but would like to read the original book. The idea behind "Journey 2" sounds like a really great one and makes me even more interested in watching it!

I hadn't given much thought to the explosions actually! I suppose it could have been triggered by their use of explosive materials- they certainly did a lot of damage. I think they could have exited the way they came if they had had more food with them, but without I think they would have died before they could make it. Unless they experimented with eating the plants and mushrooms.

I think they can definitely claim that their journey was to the centre of the Earth, that they made it at all counts, regardless of whether they explored every part of it, which surely wouldn't be possible anyway!

I do think that Hans didn't have much personality and could be easily interchanged with any other capable figure, but I think after the Professor's mood swings and Axel's whining I found him to be a calm respite within the book. I can see how he would be irritating though. I do agree that he acted as most sensible, decent people would have though, and was not a saint, though perhaps if someone saves your life three or four times you are inclined to view them in that light, even if they were just doing their job.

I think Axel maybe needed his uncles enthusiasm and even bullying to push him into the adventure, so I can see why he wouldn't want to return, as he wanted to marry and live a quiet life. If the book were a little more modern I would suggest that he should take his wife with him on a return trip! Perhaps the main thing with the ending that I wonder about is the Professor being able to refrain from returning. Even if he were older, he doesn't seem someone who would let that stop him. He was more that willing to die in the attempt the first time around. Though I suppose being held in high esteem by important people and having a large amount of people willing to listen to his every word may be enough to keep him content!

I cannot remember if they mentioned whether anyone else attempted the journey in their footsteps. It said some people of course questioned the validity of the story, but surely once it had been done and talked about publically there would be many more people eager to explore further, armed with more information to help them prepare for what it would entail?

Humphrey Davy- an English scientist famous for discoveries such as potassium and sodium. He did believe in the same theory about the centre of the earth as Professor Lidenbrock, but later in life he changed his mind.

The Earth’s mantle can reach temperatures of over 3500°C. Beneath the earth's mantle lies its core: the true centre o the earth. Unlike the mantle, the core is made of metal. Scientists estimate it may be between 5000-7000°C.

The Professor assures Axel that the volcano Sneffels is extinct because it hasn’t erupted since 1219. Today scientists consider the lifecycle of volcanoes to be so long that if the volcano has erupted within human history, it is still active.

“Seismologists have been able to work out what’s inside the centre of the earth without ever having gone inside it. Seismologists figure this out by studying the waves of energy sent down through our planet by earthquakes. By looking at how and when these waves reach sensitive measuring stations all around the globe, seismologists can work out what sort of materials they travelled through and build a 3D picture of the inside of the earth.”

Fun fact: Sneffels is a real volcano! Snæfellsjökull is a real volcano in Iceland, although there is no evidence that it has a passage to the centre of the earth in it!

That is the most interesting information in the back of my book.

I understand what you mean Carolyn. I was always better at translating English into French or vice versa with a online dictionary and other helpful websites, though I wouldn’t be able to translate anything major. I know French verbs, several sayings and many random words off the top of my head but I’m terrible at conversations. I just don’t have a reason to use French or Spanish a lot, you know?

I’ve seen the movie “Gulliver’s Travels” and I saw the play of “Treasure Island” (which was SO good) but have never read the books. I think I saw “Journey 2” around the same time as I saw “Journey 1” so I remember it only slightly better. I do remember liking it much more than “Journey 1”. “Journey 2 is on Netflix so I think I’ll watch it again soon!

From how my book explained the explosion and sudden eruption, I believe they caused the volcano to explode. They should have been more careful, maybe using less explosives. I knew as soon as they prepared to blow up the rocks that something bad was going to happen.

I think finding a way out, back to the surface could technically have been an option, but it would have taken a long time. They only had so much food and were so far from Sneffels by the end. They probably would have either starved, or gotten lost on the return trip. Thanks to Axel, we know how easy it is to get lost down there.

Kerri is right, Hans does balance out his companions’ personalities. I also agree that he could have been exchanged for another guide.

I think Axel just didn’t have a desire to return, unlike his uncle. He mentions several times throughout the story that he wants to get back to his beloved “Virlandaise” (Grauben), and live a happy life with her. Plus he doesn’t feel like they failed, he had seen enough to make up for not actually making it to the centre. He is proud of what they accomplished, as he should be.

I love each of your contributions to questions and reactions! I had only buddy-read a couple of times before this and find that I understand and fill in things so much better with partners. If you have your own conversation points to propose or questions, I would love to hear them. Please feel free to lead us.

Might there be safe spaces of crevasses for life, between the heated mantel and core? I am glad your loan was long and love what you imparted to us! I also am certain that readers were tempted to check Snæfellsjökull, haha. Many believe that some fiction conceals real events. "Treasure Island" is often theorized to represent numerous real events. I must read it if I have an unabbridged adult version and "Gulliver's Travels".

Your education about human history delineating live and extinct volcanoes scares me; even though eruptions are assuredly outside most of our lifetimes for wide spans of centuries. I think that may pertain to the premise of "Dante's Peak" (good old Pierce Brosnan). Would you girls risk a hike into a volcano crater that hadn't erupted since 1219? I would, only for a brief duration. I would not camp there long nor live near it. Unless a passage led out of it to the centre of the Earth or someplace.

I am fluent in both of those languages, especially French, if rusty. Even I would need to be much better versed in common phrases, than merely strengthening my vocabulary and correcting erroneous grammar. Unless we have indeed mastered other languages, our translating output should be our native language. Then we can interpret with all the eloquence and correctness. Internet and book dictionaries can only give us the right words. Fluency allows us to interpret the intent of an expression, message, or word. The job is of course to interpret more than translate, every context.

I worked in the translating department of the government several times as a temp and loved it. You had to be fluent in French, however rusty I was, in need of grammatical correcting. However the job was transposing existing translations into the right spaces, which only a reader of French would correctly recognized. We were required to cut & paste, never type, because typos are easy to make. Any short passages that we had to type by hand, were highlighted to bring to a team member for approval. I loved that whole experience for a lot of reasons and remember women and men there fondly.

Six years of French immersion school was my first valuable experience in switching between languages, with Spanish added in grades 9, 10, 12 I think and as my university major. In university, I double-minored in German and psychology. I barely know German, for 3 years in class aren't enough. I wasn't out in the real world like with French and Spanish. But it is something I am proud of, for all that I struggled in math.

The spot with a matching lake under the Meditterranean and a forest of plants nearby, was ample for foodstocking. Take time to build a cart they could wheel around or fashion some sort of awesome hemp or burlap storage cases they could sling. Retreat to the entrance, or carefully make a small blast to continue downward. I believe it was a lake and not saltwater, wasn't it? There was fresh water around too.

I could see taking a wrong turn but not for Alex to be lost long enough to be so far from his companions. They checked on each other and depended on each other, lonely and nervous in a strange place. Alex didn't veer off but stopped to look at something and his teammates kept walking. He took a wrong turn after trying to catch-up to them. Not watching each other for awhile on a straight road is natural but not to be lost by a turn that, when they deliberated and shared the decision of every crossroads. However, I enjoyed the sound phenomenon. We have such a thing in the centre of our Golden Boy parliament building in Winnipeg.

Did you find the error "September 31", or were dates different in the 1800s? Also, Greta was called the niece or "ward" at the end but "daughter" in the beginning. Not marrying your uncle's daughter would be way better but were either of these mistakes in the proper translation, Leeanne?

I wondered why there were miles of empty tunnels, when life abounded. I think the centre was space-limited compared to the Earth; however vast it was inside. Wouldn't you think animals if not large people, would trickle past the Mediterranean spot? I suppose Earth has numerous tunnels people don't know about but animals usually use them. However, the intention of discovering one wonder at a time, culminating in living creatures, was successful. I won't spoil that, when I catch-up my queue of 23 books.

We are blessed to not recall the first film, which I remember loving. We went into this classic story as new readers, prepared to be surprised. It also lets us discuss it purely, instead of a film comparison. I will look for passages I loved, for the next comment box, which the obviously non-English 1871 translator was careful to get right.

I found the science easy to understand, rereading a few times, basic adult science. It merely has vocabulary words and concepts for us to adjust to. That natural lantern coil they made is neat. Can you tell me what the "Ruhmkorf's coil" was made of?

The discovery of minerals on the walls was downplayed from the film but I see a beautiful quote that reminds me of it in the book; to go in another comment box. We might each add comment boxes of "quotes we enjoyed".

Chapter 19:
"No mineralogists had ever found themselves in such marvellous position to study nature in her real beauty. The sounding rod could not bring to the surface the objects of value, for the study of its internal structure, which we were about to see with our own eyes, to touch with our own hands. Across the streak of the rocks, coloured by beautiful green tints, wound metallic threads of copper, of manganese, platinum, and gold. These treasures, mighty and inexhaustible, were buried in the morning of Earth's history, at such awful depths that no crowbar or pickaxe will drag them!"

--> This is the profundity of appreciation people to have for the rare, secret place they were in. The natural, awestriking beauty, and one needn't be a scientist to recognize that the layers they descended through were tangible answers to questions that we have measured distantly with machines.

Chapter 27:
"I gazed at these marvels in profound silence. Words were utterly wanting to describe the sensations of wonder I experienced. It seemed, as I stood upon that mysterious shore, as if I were some wandering inhabitant of a distant planet, present for the first time at the spectacle of some terrestrial phenomena belonging to another existence. To give substance and reality to such new sensations would have required the coinage of new words. I looked on, I thought, I reflected, I admired in a state of stupefaction."

--> This is a beautifully impressive, original way of describing wonderment. An alien beholding a terrestrial phenomena, which known words could not express. You do not expect to find a great lake or ocean there! I will look for my other favourite quote, about beholding sea creatures who made it seem like Axel was looking at a dream.

"Substance" and "reality" are my replacements for nouns I believe the translator interpreted inadequately. He had written "body" and "existence"; the latter a repetition from the previous sentence proving that his vocabulary was limited. I recognized a frequent limitation of nouns and adjectives from which he drew.

Those are interesting facts! I was pleased to see this one:
The Professor assures Axel that the volcano Sneffels is extinct because it hasn’t erupted since 1219. Today scientists consider the lifecycle of volcanoes to be so long that if the volcano has erupted within human history, it is still active. in particular because I had wondered about the time frame about that. To answer Carolyn's question about risking a hike into a volcano crater, I don't think I would. I'm quite claustrophobic and I think I would be too worried to enjoy it at all. I have the same thought with caves, and it doubles at the thought of the exploring underwater caves! The possibility of lava, no matter how unlikely, would not be an option to me! I find it all interesting but would prefer to watch a documentary than visit for myself. However, I can see the appeal, and why people are willing to do it.

Your work in the translating department sounds interesting, Carolyn, as well as the French immersion school. I am very impressed with the languages you know so well! The real life experience sounds invaluable, but the German in university sounds worthwhile too -- as does the psychology actually!

I did not notice the date error! I think in my edition Greta was the niece the entire time. Are she and Axel cousins or second cousins? I've never been good at keeping track of that kind of thing.

Building a cart seems sensible. They definitely continued to have access to fresh water, which is the most crucial thing. I think they used all their initial gear and explosives, but they could have returned a second time, better equipped. They know the location of the entrance now! I would want to take along some proper explorer types too, so you could learn as much as possible. I would suspect that there would be more animals to be discovered, though I would be wary of the people, because of their size!
I thought the sound phenomenon was interesting, though a bit scary in the sense that being lost and having to locate someone with that as a guide would make me quite anxious.

I was pleased that I couldn't remember the film too clearly, I think it helped the reading experience a lot. I had thought that I would picture the actors as the characters, but they were so different that that was never the case, not even in the first chapter.

The quote from chapter 27 is probably my favourite from the entire book! It captured it all so well and I think highlights why the book continues to work so well. I do think your replacement nouns fit better though. I noticed a noun and adjectives limitations as well. I hope other translations have more variety!

I will check my copy later and add quotes tomorrow.

I only marked three passages, though I'm sure there were more than three examples that stood out to me. I think I was so caught up in the story by this point that I forgot to make note of things that really stood out. All the parts that really resonated with me were in the final third of the book, when things got really exciting.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

I loved the sentence New wonders awaited us at every step. It's simple but has really stuck with me. Later, on the same page, I really liked this: "Providence appears to have designed the preservation in this vast and mysterious hothouse of antediluvian plants to prove the sagacity of learned men in figuring them so marvellously on paper."

Something about these really struck me. I like the idea of new wonders at every step I suppose!

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

"So," he said, between his set teeth, "fatality will play me these terrible tricks. The elements themselves conspire to overwhelm me with mortification. Air, fire, and water combine their united efforts to oppose my passage. Well, they shall see what the earnest will of a determined man can do. I will not yield, I will not retreat even one inch; and we shall see who will triumph in this great contest - man or nature."

This was a melodramatic paragraph, but I loved it. I couldn't help but admire the Professor's resilience, though I suspect nature will always win, one way or another!

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

All of the descriptions that take place within the first two pages of this chapter I adored. I especially liked the New Zealand kauris got a mention!

This book thankfully mentioned dates near the beginning of chapters, thus I easily skipped forward. In my Scholastic Books version, chapter 44 in the second paragraph references "September 31"! Does it for you, Kerri and Leeanne? And hoping you still have your library loan, Kerri's quote of chapter 27 is what I would like to see properly translated from you. It sounds off, doesn't it?

As for you, Kerri (once I understand what the heck "Mr. No Name", "free domain" was trying to write in chapter 27): the descriptions you praise are wonderful! "New wonders awaiting us at every step" really does sparkle. The whole place was certainly new to most of humankind and animalkind!

The professor's monologue of chapter 34 shows strength, bravery, and willpower that I enjoy. I will look at chapter 36 again to see the first few pages of writing that you loved.

Thank you: working in the translation department, as a cut & paste transposer of course material, was enjoyable and particularly memorable. I was a civilian contract employee at an air base! I returned there a few times and to the various buildings of an insurance company most of my years as a temp.

I liked almost all of my placements over 10 years: as a temp professionally for the agency, rather than a seeker of a job through them. Jennifer Lopez's job in "Monster In Law" reminds me of myself. :-) Most people couldn't stand getting called somewhere new nearly every day. My placements lasted weeks and months, often extended.

The agency took quite a cut, which is expected for wonderful placements. However, my jaw dropped the two times I saw my actual pay rate. It seemed too much. I would have been singing my way through the cost of living, if I had ever actually made more than $11.00\h ten years ago. Since we left the citiy, it wasn't worth the drive for low pay. I began writing (must get back to it) and keep house and land with our cats.

Sorry for the late reply, we've had a very busy few days and I've hardly been online at all! My copy says 30th of September, so I'm guessing someone fixed that error at some point.

Our dog, Izzy, had to have a sarcoma cut off her leg and now she is wandering around the house wearing one of those cone things, occasionally bumping her head into things when she seems to forget she has it on! Luckily she doesn't seem to mind it too much. I have to keep leaving the computer to check on her, as she wanders down the stairs to go outside, but then can't get herself back up them, so you have to carry her. It's only for about 10 days and then she should be healed up enough that she can go back to normal.

The reference to "Monster In Law" is a good one - I can see the appeal of the variation and the opportunities to meet new people and experience new things regularly. I hope the writing proves just as rewarding! :)

Sorry I took so long to reply. I was camping again, for possibly the last time this season so I focused on enjoying my time completely.

Your job in the translating department sounds very interesting, Carolyn. What level of government did you work for? You also mention that after you left the city and your job, you began writing and need to get back to it. Do you mean writing books or something?

I'm impressed that you know French and Spanish so well and even learned German! From what I've heard, it isn't easy to learn so I'm impressed you tried it. I have an uncle that is German though I've never heard him speak it and he doesn't really have an accent either. I unfortunately never got to meet his parents (he married into my family) who spoke fluent German and had thick accents. His mother sounded extremely interesting, as she was a gypsy apparently.

I kind of wish I could have been in French Immersion. I was in a regular Catholic school, so we just learned the basics of the language. My high school didn't have Spanish, which I would have loved to have learned in school!

I'm glad your dog will be alright Kerri. I wish her good health and a quick recovery!

And, Happy Birthday to your cats Carolyn! (You told us in the other thread but I'll post it here as I don't have time to respond to the other one today.) What an extra special relationship you must have with them, since you've known them all from birth!