English

__**Book Review**__

Journey to the Centre of the Earth By Jules Verne

//Journey to the Centre of the Earth// is a sci-fi novel set in Germany, 1874 (I think). It is a very realistic setting in the present time in which Verne was writing it in.

It is a story about an intimidating uncle, Professor Liedenbrock and his nephew Axel. The book is written from Axel's point of view and he mentions how frightened he was of his uncle and even called him cruel in many sections of the book. He did everything his uncle told him to do and wouldn't think otherwise. Axel is also in love with his uncle's ward that is referred to as Gräuben or Virlandaise. None of these characters posses any inhuman qualities.

In the story, this hot-tempered uncle finds an Icelandic tome and an old parchment falls out of it as him and his nephew are reading it. The message says that there is a path to reach the centre of the earth and this is where the story begins. They travel to many different countries and finally find themselves in Iceland. They are given a guide named Hans and discover many glorious, wonderful and for Axel, terrifying things.

Verne has taken a very detailed approach in writing this story. I laughed to myself reading a scene in which the professor calls to his nephew to run after him. A page and a half of detail is written and then the nephew says "//so, I rushed after him".// I found this book quite a difficult one to read, it may just be me though, and a sophisticated reader would surely swallow this book up. At times, I found it fantastically dull. As I was reading the first section of the book, before they go into the volcano to the centre of the earth, they visited a number of different places and as every detail of that was written down, I found myself longing for the section to begin where they encountered underground seas, monsters, pre-historic animals and erupting volcanos.

Even though the detail that Verne used made me nod off time and time again, it must be praised for the exquisite realism that brings the salty air, the crashing waves and the heat of the fire to the reader. Whatever they see, you see, whatever they taste, you taste. You really do become part of the journey that is taken place.

I don't think I could really compare //The Giver// with //Journey to the Centre of the Earth// because of the many difference between them. The action and suspense in //The Giver// began all most immediately and it was a story line I had never read or even pictured before and was much easier to read. //Journey to the Centre of the Earth// was slightly familiar to me because I had seen the film many times before. It was a very slow start and more difficult to read but was also quite gripping at times.

__**Poem**__

The Teenage War

I sit here and wonder, why I even bother, to sympathise, and agree with what they say. You could cut the insecurity in the room with a knife. The gossip hangs in the air like an awkward painting. You want to look away, but are intrigued. I swear we had this conversation yesterday... The is a constant déjà vu. Why was that comment even made? The irrelevance of this now changed subject, is quite fantastic. Tears flows, and some participants in this war, storm away. Where do I go now? How did this one group of girls, suddenly split, into two?