I definitely liked it better than 20,000 leagues under the sea. He does spend a full two pages talking about how coal is formed, but there's not as much of that as in the other one. Harry, his uncel Professor VonHardwig and the mighty Hans climb up a volcano in Iceland after reading a several hundred year old text someone claiming it lead them to the center of the earth. Hilarity ensues.
Well, not really. It is a bit drawn out in parts but rather good overall. I feel like he hit the mark more with capturing the dramatic episodes in this book. The best part is the crushing loneliness and dark despair when the party gets separated.
P127 Lost! Lost! LOST!!!
Lost at a depth which, to mu finite understanding, appeared to be immeasurable. These thirty leagues of the crust of the earth weighed upon my shoulders like the globe on the shoulders of Atlas. I felt myself crushed by an awful weight. It was indeed a position to drive the sanest man to madness!
I tried to bring my thoughts back to the world so long forgotten. It was with the greatest difficulty that I seceded in doing so.
...
They were before me, but now unreal. Under the influence of a terrible hallucination I saw the whole incident of our journey pass before me like the scenes of a panorama. I said to myself that, if in my position I retained the most faint and shadowy outline of hope, it would be a sure sign of approaching delirium. It were better to give way wholly to despair!
In fact, I did but reason with calmness and philosophy, what human power was there in existence able to take me back to the surface of the earth, and ready, too, to slot asunder, to rend in twain those huge mighty vaults which stand above my head?
p129
I tried to cry aloud, but hoarse, hollow, and inarticulate sounds alone could make themselves heard through my parched lips. I literally panted for breath.
In the midst of all these terrible sources of anguish and despair, a new horror took possession of my soul. My lamp, by falling down, had got out of order. I had no means of repairing it. Its light was already becoming paler and paler and would soon expire.
...
At last, one final trembling flame remained in the lamp; I followed it with all the power of my vision; I gasped for breath; I concentrated upon it all the power of my soul, as upon the last scintillation of light i was ever destined to see: and then I was to be lost forever in Cimmerian and tenebrous shades.
