Which languages can I read Journey to the Centre of the Earth in?

English and German. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.

The original English is A2 Easy. In translation, German is A2 Easy. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.

About 44,777 words in 44 chapters: around 8 h 30 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.

Yes. Read it online with no account. The e-reader files (EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account; the PDF doesn't.

Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?

Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.

Easy Classics A2 · Story 15

Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Retold in easy English (A2) from the novel by Jules Verne

In each language: Journey to the Centre of the Earth · Reise zum Mittelpunkt der Erde

Jules Verne's great adventure, retold in full in easy English. In Hamburg, Professor Hardwigg finds an old book with a secret message hidden inside. It leads to a volcano in Iceland, and to a way down into the earth. With his nephew Harry and the silent guide Hans, he climbs into the dark. Underground they find rivers, forests, an ocean and monsters nobody has ever seen. How deep can three men go, and will they ever come back?

In English and German · 44 chapters · about 44,800 words · 8 h 30 min to read.

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How it begins

EnglishGerman

The Professor and His Old Book

Der Professor und sein altes Buch

My name is Harry. This story is hard to believe, and I know it. Even today I sometimes cannot believe it myself. But every word is true.

Ich heiße Harry. Diese Geschichte ist schwer zu glauben, das weiß ich. Auch heute kann ich sie manchmal selbst nicht glauben. Aber jedes Wort ist wahr.

I lived in Hamburg, in Germany, with my uncle. He was the husband of my mother’s sister. My father and mother were dead, so my uncle took me into his house and taught me. He was Professor Hardwigg, a famous man of science. He knew everything about stones and the earth, and I wanted to learn it all.

Ich habe in Hamburg in Deutschland bei meinem Onkel gewohnt. Er war mit der Schwester von meiner Mutter verheiratet. Mein Vater und meine Mutter waren tot, also hat mein Onkel mich in sein Haus genommen und unterrichtet. Er war Professor Hardwigg, ein berühmter Wissenschaftler. Er hat alles über Steine und die Erde gewusst, und ich wollte alles lernen.

The opening paragraphs, as the reader shows them. Read on

Languages

Journey to the Centre of the Earth · English (original)A2 Easy · 44,777 words · ~8 h 15 min
Reise zum Mittelpunkt der Erde · GermanA2 Easy · 46,127 words · ~8 h 30 min

Open in the reader: German with English · English with German

Reading it as a parallel text

A parallel text puts a story next to its translation, paragraph by paragraph. Read in the language you are working on and glance across only when a sentence stops you: the story keeps moving, and the words you look up stay in context. More in how to read with a parallel text.

Questions

Which languages can I read Journey to the Centre of the Earth in?: English and German. Pick the language you want to read and the one to keep beside it: every paragraph sits next to its translation, so you can check a sentence without losing your place.
What level is it?: The original English is A2 Easy. In translation, German is A2 Easy. Levels follow the Common European Framework, from A1 (beginner) to C2.
How long is it?: About 44,777 words in 44 chapters: around 8 h 30 min of reading, with the translation beside it. The time depends on the edition's level: an easier edition is read more slowly.
Is it free?: Yes. Read it online with no account. The e-reader files (EPUB, and AZW3 and MOBI for Kindle) need a free account; the PDF doesn't.
Can I read it on a Kindle or Kobo?: Yes. Download the EPUB for Kobo, Apple Books and most e-readers, or the AZW3 or MOBI for a Kindle, with each paragraph followed by its translation. There is also a side-by-side PDF to print, and each language on its own.