Jules Verne - Voyage au centre de la terre - 1875

VERNE, Jules. Journey to the Center of the Earth. Paris, Library of Education and Recreation, J. Hetzel, s.d. [c. 1875].
In-8 (270 x 180 mm). Vignettes by Édouard Riou. Publisher's cloth binding in red percaline, gilt very well preserved, wear to corners and headcaps. Original flyleaves intact. Foxing scattered.

An icon of adventure literature in its seductive Hetzel publisher's binding.
A true monument of the novel of anticipation and exploration, Journey to the Center of the Earth asserts itself as one of the most emblematic titles in the Voyages Extraordinaires. Published by Pierre-Jules Hetzel, this illustrated copy by Édouard Riou retains all the dramatic tension and the scientific wonder of the epic of Professor Lidenbrock and his nephew Axel.

To feed the striking realism of his narrative, Jules Verne drew directly on the most heated scientific debates of his time about the internal structure of the globe and paleontology. The author had the intuition to place the access to this sunken world at the summit of the Icelandic volcano Snæfellsjökull, transforming this real site into a universal literary myth that continues to captivate the imagination of collectors and enthusiasts of exploration.