Why Hell Stinks of Sulfur: Mythology and Geology of the Underworld

Kroonenberg (geology, emeritus, Delft Univ. of Technology, Netherlands; The Human Scale) seeks as a geologist to locate the so-called underworld as described in classical mythology and the literature of Virgil, Homer, Dante, Jules Verne, and others. He arranges his study by components of the underworld and journeys to it, so there are chapters on "The Entrance to Hell," "Charon's Ferry," and "The Centre of the Earth." The basic premise is good, but at least in this translation by Brown, the author rambles and is difficult to follow. It is unclear who Kroonenberg's intended readers are, but he assumes that they have knowledge of both the classics and geology. If readers lack one or the other, it will be all the more difficult for them to follow the narrative. The author is more successful in the second half of the book when he discusses underground water, mines, quarries, oil wells, and the true nature of the interior of the earth.