John Green and Rosianna Halse Rojas selected Journey to the Center of the Earth as a bonus public domain pick for Life’s Library during the first months of the pandemic. In this episode, they discuss the novel and the 1959 movie, contemplating topics of translation, abridgement, Romantic awe, and the story’s surprising relevance to modern times.

This episode was originally released to subscribers in May 2020. The Life’s Library Discord and subscriptions are now closed after a wonderful three years of reading together. Check out past books at www.lifeslibrarybookclub.com, Twitter, and Instagram.

Episode transcript.

Life’s Library logo by Bethany Mannion.