Now available in a new translation, this classic of nineteenth century French literature has been consistently praised for its style and its vision of the world. Professor Lidenbrock and his nephew Axel travel across Iceland, and then down through an extinct crater toward a sunless sea where they enter a living past and are confronted with the origins of man. Exploring the prehistory of the globe, this novel can also be read as a psychological quest, for the journey itself is as important as arrival or discovery. Verne's distinctive combination of realism and Romanticism has marked figures as diverse as Sartre and Tournier, Mark Twain and Conan Doyle. About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more. 'this edition of what symbolically and psychoanalytically must be his richest text will, however, do much to encourage a more just apprectiation. William Butcher's new translation is effective and enjoyable, The end-notes are extremely useful ... Valuable avenues of analysis are suggested with brisk confidence,' The Modern Language Review'a virtuoso exegete' French Studies William Butcher is a lecturer in French, and has taught modern languages and pure mathematics in Malaysia and France.