The Underground City [Paperback]

Jules Verne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 30, 2006

The Underground City, by Jules Verne, is a novel about the fortunes of a mining community called Aberfoyle which is near Stirling, Scotland. Miner James Starr, after receiving a letter from an old friend, leaves for the Aberfoyle mine. Although believed to be mined out a decade earlier, James Starr finds a mine overman, Simon Ford, along with his family living deep inside the mine. Simon Ford has found a large vein of coal in the mine but the characters must deal with mysterious and unexplainable happenings in and around the mine.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jules Verne (1828-1905) used a combination of scientific facts and his imagination to take readers on extraordinary imaginative journeys to fantastic places. In such books as " Around the World in Eighty Days, From the Earth to the Moon, " and " Journey to the Center of the Earth, " he predicted many technological advances of the twentieth century, including the invention of the automobile, telephone, and nuclear submarines, as well as atomic power and travel to the moon by rocket.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Filiquarian Publishing, LLC. (November 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599869322
• ISBN-13: 978-1599869322
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,834,222 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Typical Verne, October 18, 2007

By 

Charles Evans "Call me Kevin" (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Underground City (Paperback)

I would like to start off by applauding Amazon and the publisher for printing this relatively obscure title. A reader looking for the mainstream works by Verne has multiple options - those of us who want to read a larger selection of his works ...must search!

"The Underground City" is a relatively short but entertaining novel. The first 100 pages read very fast - and reminded me strongly of "Journey to the Center of the Earth". The final 80 pages were a little more hoo-hum... and I was left disappointed in the ending. In fact, the novel was a little disjointed - and I wondered if this was one of the woks that was finished by Verne's son after his death (Which I still do not know).

Some reveiwers find the story unrealistic... well that is to be expected by Verne. While many think of his works as "Science Fiction" I think they have moved to the genre of fantasy. Verne transports you to a time and place where science was seen as having limitless possibilities... now in the 21st century we better understand what is possible and what is just our imagination.

"The Underground City" is a typical work by Verne. Certainly not his greatest work - it really doesn't compare to "The Mysterious Island". Yet, most fans will be satisified that they were able to find and read something that is just "typical" Verne.

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't Buy This Edition!, April 29, 2008

By 

Gretchen Renshaw (Southern California USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Underground City (Paperback)

This is a poorly formatted edition of the public domain translation available several places on the internet. This translation was heavily edited for the english language edition by Verne's publisher. For a new translation from the original french version, containing three more chapters, try ISBN 1-84282-080-x. It is more enjoyable reading.

5.0 out of 5 stars not typical, but worth reading, March 31, 2011

By 

Uri - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Underground City (Paperback)

With so many formula cookie cutter books being published these days, it's refreshing to find this little known gem by the famous Jules Verne. While not his best book, Verne was still better on his weaker days than many others writers on their best days. Well worth the price. You won't be disappointed.