2. Jules Gabriel Verne was born on 8 February 1828 in Nantes,
Pays de la Loire, France, the first of five children born to Sophie
Henriette Allotte de la Fuye (d. 1887) and Pierre Verne (1779-
1871), attorney. In the busy maritime port city and summers
spent on the Loire River, Verne was exposed to the comings and
goings of schooners and ships that sparked his imagination for
travel and adventure. After attending boarding school during
which he started to write short stories and poetry, Verne settled
in Paris to study law, as his father had done.

3. While doing so, he spent his free time on theatre and
writing. He wrote many travellers’ stories. Verne met his
future wife, Honorine de Viane Morel. They were married
in 1857. With her encouragement, he wrote more books
and started looking for a publisher. It was around this
time, he met Pierre-Jules Hetzel, one of the most
important French publishers of the 19th century. They
formed an excellent writer-publisher team. Hetzel
helped improve Verne’s writings. Acting on Hetzel’s
advice, Verne added comical accents to his novels and
changed the sad endings into happy ones.
Verne’s literary career was launched. In 1863 Five
Weeks in a Balloon and Journeys and Discoveries in
Africa by Three Englishmen was published to wide
acclaim, the first of his extraordinary adventures series. It
was soon followed by Journey to the Centre of the Earth
(1864), From the Earth to the Moon (1865), and its sequel
All Around the Moon (1870).

4. When not living in Amiens, Picardie,
France, Verne and his wife spent much time
sailing on his ship the Saint-Michel. His own
adventures sailing to myriad ports in the
British Isles, Portugal, the Netherlands, and
the Mediterranean provided much fodder
for his short and novels. In 1867 he travelled
to America.
In 1886 Verne’s mentally ill nephew
Gaston shot him, and thereafter he walked
with a limp. In 1888 Verne was elected
councillor of Amiens, a position he served
faithfully for the next fifteen years. He also
continued to travel and write. After
developing diabetes, Jules Verne died on
24 March 1905.

5. The novel Journey to the Centre of the Earth
is about the quest to the centre of the earth.
The story begins in Hamburg, Germany in May
1862 with Professor Otto Lidenbrock reading a
book he had just bought. It was an original
Runic manuscript of an Icelandic saga written
by a famous Icelander explorer, Arne
Saknussemm. After decoding the scrap of
paper, he decided to undertake the Journey
to the Centre of the Earth that the paper said
was possible. Brushing aside the concerns of his
nephew, the Professor insisted that Axel
accompany him on the journey.

6. The main characters are:
 Professor Otto Lidenbrock
 Axel Lidenbrock
The minor characters are:
 Gretchen

7.  He was a middle-aged rather eccentric
dedicated scientist.
 He had an intense scientific curiosity.
 Being of an impatient nature, he was eager to
get results in whatever he did.
 After reading the Runic script, he was
determined to make the journey to the centre
of the Earth.
 Once he had decided to do it, he pursued it till
it was accomplished.
 Though headstrong about what he wanted
Axel to do, he was also a loving uncle.

8.  He was Professor Lidenbrock’s young nephew.
 He had a girlfriend by the name of Gretchen.
 He was a filial nephew to Professor Lidenbrock.
 At times, he was helpful to his uncle.
 It was him who found the secret to decode the
message in Runic script.
 Later, he found the message on the back of
the paper he was holding.
 Though he had misgivings about the journey his
uncle wanted to embark, his loyalty to made
him go with his uncle.

9.  She was the girlfriend of Axel.
 It was she who encouraged Axel to
accompany his uncle on the journey.
 She trusted Axel enough to know he
would marry her on his return.

10. Setting refers to
 period or time span of the events
 places in which events take place
Time span
 the events happened in the year 1862
Places
 Hamburg

11. Discovery of book by Arne Saknussemm
 Professor Lidenbrock told Axel about the book he was
reading.
 It was an original Runic manuscript of an Icelandic saga
written by a famous Icelander explorer, Arne Saknussemm.
 Axel decoded the message in Runic symbols by reading it
backwards.
 He then read the sentences on the back of the paper.
 They were addressed to a bold traveller.
 They mentioned about a journey to the centre of the
Earth.
 Professor Lidenbrock decided to undertake the journey to
the centre of the earth.
 He insisted that Axel accompany him on the journey.
 He decided to leave on the journey immediately.

12. Themes
The theme of the novel
(chapter 1) is achieving
one’s dream.

13.  Professor Lidenbrock shows that with
determination, one can achieve one’s
dream.
 Being a committed scientist, he did
anything he could to increase knowledge
in science.
 So when he got an opportunity to do so in
making the journey to the centre of the
Earth, he seized it immediately.
 Axel’s doubts and warnings did not deter
him.

14. The vales in the story are :
1. perseverance
2. optimism
3. courage
4. commitment and dedication
5. loyalty
6. trust
7. respect

15. Messages deal with
 life, its struggle and success
 man’s problems and solutions
 what the author wants the readers to
learn from the novel

16. The novel highlights these messages:
1. We must be persevering in what we do.
2. We must work diligently and
conscientiously
3. We must be committed to whatever
tasks we are pursuing.
4. We have to be optimistic and hopeful
when facing challenges.
5. We must be loyal and respectful to our
elders.
6. We must be responsible for our actions.
7. We must face obstacles and hazards
with courage.