I was mistaken then, i believed he was not german, the uncle in question is Arkne Sakmunsen (sp?) then?, well there goes my little pet theory about Verne and german characters as villains.
i should have researched it a bit more before trying to make it sail the dangerous waters of the SDMB!
I love Journey to the Centre of the Earth. The book is so MUCH better than any of the movies in with yummy James Mason in it. I also have an audiotape of the book read by Tom Baker! I can just see him grinning as he reads it. Those tapes go with us on every road trip.
CalMeacham:
I thought their names were Professor Von Hardwigg and Harry. But I just googled “Journey to the Center of the Earth” with “uncle” and got cites showing both pairs of names.
What gives? Different translations? Presumably, but I don’t know why a translator would mess with the names.
Fiver my copy of Journey to the Centre of the Earth names the uncle as Professor von Hardwigg and the nephew as Harry.
Arne Saknussem was the original Viking explorer whose account of his journey inspired Von Hardwigg to go as well.