The book is a classic 1864 science fiction novel. The story involves German professor Otto Lidenbrock who believes there are volcanic tubes going toward the centre of the Earth. While looking through a book, Lidenbrock and his nephew Axel find a coded note written in runic script. They decode and translate the note, which is revealed to be a medieval note written by the Icelandic alchemist Arne Saknussemm, who claims to have discovered a passage to the centre of the Earth in Iceland. He, his nephew Axel, and their guide Hans descend into an extinct Icelandic volcano, encountering many adventures, including prehistoric animals and natural hazards, before eventually coming to the surface again in southern Italy, at the Stromboli volcano. How they survive and come out of the pit after being ejected from Stromboli, a volcanic island in southern Italy, is an interesting story.