Journey to the Center of the Earth: Chapter 8  Summary & Analysis

Axel and Lidenbrock board a train in Holstein. They have a carriage to themselves, and Lidenbrock looks over the files that will enable the pair to travel freely, including a letter of introduction from a Danish diplomat (a friend of Lidenbrock’s) to the governor of Iceland. They arrive at their destination early, a day before their ship is set to depart. Lidenbrock fumes and rages the entire time, until finally they are allowed to board the ship. They sail through the night to Zealand, a large Danish island, and in the morning they board a second train to get to Copenhagen. The train passes an insane asylum, and Axel notes that even such a large institution would be “too small to contain all the madness of Professor Lidenbrock.”

In Copenhagen, Axel and Lidenbrock visit the Museum of Northern Antiquities. Lidenbrock has a letter of introduction to the museum curator, who welcomes the men warmly. They do not reveal the reason behind their journey. The curator finds the men passage on a schooner that leaves in five days. In the meantime, Axel and his uncle explore the city. Axel is delighted by the wonders of Copenhagen, but Lidenbrock pays no attention to the capital’s marvels. Axel misses Gräuben and imagines the fun they could have together in Copenhagen.

Lidenbrock sees a steeple with a tall, winding staircase, and he orders Axel to climb it with him. At the top of the stairs is a narrow and precarious platform. Axel refuses to step onto it, but Lidenbrock calls him a coward and Axel is “compelled to obey” his uncle. The two men walk onto the platform, and Lidenbrock tells Axel to look down, insisting they must practice “abyss lessons.” Despite his vertigo, Axel looks out over the dizzying height for a full hour before Lidenbrock allows him to descend the stairs. They repeat this exercise every day for the next five days.