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丿賵乇 丿賳蹖丕 丿乇 賴卮鬲丕丿 乇賵夭
One night in the reform club, Phileas Fogg bets his companions that he can travel across the globe in just eighty days. Breaking the well-established routine of his daily life, he immediately sets off for Dover with his astonished valet Passepartout. Passing through exotic lands and dangerous locations, they seize whatever transportation is at hand鈥攚hether train or elephant鈥攐vercoming set-backs and always racing against the clock.
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1872
12714 people are currently reading
153092 people want to read
About the author
Jules Verne
6,890听books11.6k听followersNovels of French writer Jules Gabriel Verne, considered the founder of modern science fiction, include
Journey to the Center of the Earth
(1864) and
Around the World in Eighty Days
(1873).
This author who pioneered the genre. People best know him for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870).
Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before people invented navigable aircraft and practical submarines and devised any means of spacecraft. He ranks behind Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie as the second most translated author of all time. People made his prominent films. People often refer to Verne alongside Herbert George Wells as the "father of science fiction."
This author who pioneered the genre. People best know him for Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1870).
Verne wrote about space, air, and underwater travel before people invented navigable aircraft and practical submarines and devised any means of spacecraft. He ranks behind Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie as the second most translated author of all time. People made his prominent films. People often refer to Verne alongside Herbert George Wells as the "father of science fiction."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,630 reviews
February 7, 2018
"Truly, would you not for less than that make a tour around the world?"
This is the second Verne book I have devoured in two days which have both been accredited four-five stars. I could end the review at that and I would be content!
Similar to The Journey to the Centre of the Earth which I read yesterday - Verne creates amazingly awesome and complex characters. The main protagonist Mr. Fogg is an obsessive-compulsive routine loving timekeeper who bets his chums at the club that he can travel around the world in 80 days, which a newspaper said was possible - if no delays were incurred. He is so deep, that so much is beneath the surface of this quiet, content gentleman. Never fearing or worrying whatever dilemmas are thrown in his path and always willing to fail the mission to help his friends. He is also very good at handling a boat. I have to ask - does anyone know if he has been in any of Verne's previous stories as it seems like he has an amazing past. If he hasn't been present and that is just what is built up by the writing in this book I am speechless.
His trusty French manservant is amazing too - Not for a long time have two characters been so three dimensional and have I truly cared about them so much in 200 or so pages. This dude is clever, he worries like he is always ruining the plan but he is very loyal, apt gymnast and sometimes a lifesaver.
Other characters Fix (a stalking policeman) and Aouda (a rescued Indian damsel) are amazingly created colourful characters too.
I don't want to say too much of the story but it takes places all over the world. London, China, India, Japan, HK, America, Liverpool amongst others. Full of amazing set pieces that whilst being gripping always bring a smile to your face. Traveling on an elephant to rescue a lady due to be burnt to the death, fighting bandits on railway lines in the US are just a couple of these many amazing incidents. I was expecting a scene with a hot air balloon which I see in all the film version advertisements which (spoiler) is not in the book.
I do think that later I am going to watch the Steve Coogan /Jackie Chan version of this to see how it compares.
Once again my 欧宝娱乐 friends, this was free on Kindle/Amazon. Check it out.
Love as always. James x
This is the second Verne book I have devoured in two days which have both been accredited four-five stars. I could end the review at that and I would be content!
Similar to The Journey to the Centre of the Earth which I read yesterday - Verne creates amazingly awesome and complex characters. The main protagonist Mr. Fogg is an obsessive-compulsive routine loving timekeeper who bets his chums at the club that he can travel around the world in 80 days, which a newspaper said was possible - if no delays were incurred. He is so deep, that so much is beneath the surface of this quiet, content gentleman. Never fearing or worrying whatever dilemmas are thrown in his path and always willing to fail the mission to help his friends. He is also very good at handling a boat. I have to ask - does anyone know if he has been in any of Verne's previous stories as it seems like he has an amazing past. If he hasn't been present and that is just what is built up by the writing in this book I am speechless.
His trusty French manservant is amazing too - Not for a long time have two characters been so three dimensional and have I truly cared about them so much in 200 or so pages. This dude is clever, he worries like he is always ruining the plan but he is very loyal, apt gymnast and sometimes a lifesaver.
Other characters Fix (a stalking policeman) and Aouda (a rescued Indian damsel) are amazingly created colourful characters too.
I don't want to say too much of the story but it takes places all over the world. London, China, India, Japan, HK, America, Liverpool amongst others. Full of amazing set pieces that whilst being gripping always bring a smile to your face. Traveling on an elephant to rescue a lady due to be burnt to the death, fighting bandits on railway lines in the US are just a couple of these many amazing incidents. I was expecting a scene with a hot air balloon which I see in all the film version advertisements which (spoiler) is not in the book.
I do think that later I am going to watch the Steve Coogan /Jackie Chan version of this to see how it compares.
Once again my 欧宝娱乐 friends, this was free on Kindle/Amazon. Check it out.
Love as always. James x
January 25, 2022
Some people will tell you this book is not an adventure, and is in fact boring. But that's not true.
If your definition of "adventure" includes more to-the-minute scheduling than it does hijinks, you will find this book action-packed. And if your idea of a good climactic fight scene involves the entire thing taking place off-page, you're in luck too.
Some people will tell you that there's only one female character in this book, and she's extremely flat. But that's not fair, either.
Every character in this book is flat. It's not a misogyny thing.
And some people will tell you this book is slow-paced and weird. But they're forgetting something important.
This was published in 1874, and at the time watching a short film that involved a moving vehicle was enough to strike fear into the hearts of war veterans. Getting your picture taken was a harrowing experience that involved a solid chance the camera would eat your soul.
By these accurate standards, this is actually a surprisingly quick read for being 150 years old. I'll just say I'm glad I'm alive now, and not then.
And also that if someone roofied me with opium and made me miss my boat, causing a series of events that led to me wandering starved through Japan without money or knowledge of the language, ultimately forcing me to attempt to join an acrobatic troupe due to lack of options, I personally would not be their friend.
But Jules Verne characters are built different.
Bottom line: Yet another installment of my Buying Classics For Their Covers And Then Not Enjoying Them series. Another coming later today.
-----------------
pre-review
they just don't write adventure stories like this one anymore!
and that's a good thing.
review to come / 2.5 stars
-----------------
currently-reading updates
anytime i read a classic just because people say it's a must-read, i call it "assigning myself homework"
clear ur sh*t book 61
no quest, just seeing how many more i can finish
If your definition of "adventure" includes more to-the-minute scheduling than it does hijinks, you will find this book action-packed. And if your idea of a good climactic fight scene involves the entire thing taking place off-page, you're in luck too.
Some people will tell you that there's only one female character in this book, and she's extremely flat. But that's not fair, either.
Every character in this book is flat. It's not a misogyny thing.
And some people will tell you this book is slow-paced and weird. But they're forgetting something important.
This was published in 1874, and at the time watching a short film that involved a moving vehicle was enough to strike fear into the hearts of war veterans. Getting your picture taken was a harrowing experience that involved a solid chance the camera would eat your soul.
By these accurate standards, this is actually a surprisingly quick read for being 150 years old. I'll just say I'm glad I'm alive now, and not then.
And also that if someone roofied me with opium and made me miss my boat, causing a series of events that led to me wandering starved through Japan without money or knowledge of the language, ultimately forcing me to attempt to join an acrobatic troupe due to lack of options, I personally would not be their friend.
But Jules Verne characters are built different.
Bottom line: Yet another installment of my Buying Classics For Their Covers And Then Not Enjoying Them series. Another coming later today.
-----------------
pre-review
they just don't write adventure stories like this one anymore!
and that's a good thing.
review to come / 2.5 stars
-----------------
currently-reading updates
anytime i read a classic just because people say it's a must-read, i call it "assigning myself homework"
clear ur sh*t book 61
no quest, just seeing how many more i can finish
July 9, 2024
Challenge and adventure鈥� The concept of Jules Verne鈥檚 Around the World in Eighty Days is one of the most original in literature鈥� The tale is entertaining and chivalric鈥�
By hook or by crook the goal must be achieved鈥� By steamship or by elephant鈥� No matter what, move forward!
The books of our childhood stay with us for life.
By hook or by crook the goal must be achieved鈥� By steamship or by elephant鈥� No matter what, move forward!
The elephant was led in and got ready without delay. The Parsee knew the job of mahout, or elephant driver, inside out. He covered the elephant鈥檚 back with a sort of saddle-cloth and set up, one on each side of the animal鈥檚 flanks, two rather uncomfortable-looking baskets.
Phileas Fogg paid the Indian in banknotes, which came out of his famous bag. It really looked as if they were being surgically removed from Passepartout鈥檚 insides!
The books of our childhood stay with us for life.
September 9, 2020
Well... So I do believe I saved a book's life. About to be tossed away, being a pariah of the garage sale variety, I not only took it home; I ...READ it. Aglow with endearing cliches, this is the source of plenty of adventure stories, many of which are films, comics, etc.
Verne's imagination is grand & the plot is silly and almost kid-like. But absurd it ain't. It is fun exactly because there is a topsy turvy madness to visiting places just to prove a point. It is fun because it is rife with interesting observations, factoids, themes that in Verne's day were barely in development. There is romance, the plot is thick with well... things happening, a ticking clock looms a large shadow, and a velocity is masterfully established that seems almost incredibly doable--the reader wants to experience this. (Airplanes suck ass anyway!)
Verne's imagination is grand & the plot is silly and almost kid-like. But absurd it ain't. It is fun exactly because there is a topsy turvy madness to visiting places just to prove a point. It is fun because it is rife with interesting observations, factoids, themes that in Verne's day were barely in development. There is romance, the plot is thick with well... things happening, a ticking clock looms a large shadow, and a velocity is masterfully established that seems almost incredibly doable--the reader wants to experience this. (Airplanes suck ass anyway!)
March 10, 2021
賷賵賲賴 賲丨爻賵亘 亘丕賱丿賯丕卅賯馃暃..賵 丕賮毓丕賱賴 賲鬲賵賯毓丞 賱卮賴賵乇 亘賱 賵 兀毓賵丕賲
賮賷賱賷丕爻 賮賵噩..賲鬲丨匕賱賯丕..丿賯賷賯丕..睾丕乇賯丕 賮賷 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱 丕賱鬲賷 鬲囟賷毓 毓賱賷賴 亘賴噩丞 丕賱丨賷丕丞
..亘亘丕賱睾 賮賷 賳馗丕賲賴 賵 丕賳囟亘丕胤賴 丨鬲賶 丕賳賴 賲賳 丕賱賲爻鬲丨賷賱 乇丐賷鬲賴 毓氐亘賷丕 兀賵 賲睾鬲丕馗丕馃槧. .賲鬲賵鬲乇丕 丕賵 賲鬲毓噩賱丕
賮賵噩 賷亘丕賱睾 賮賷 丕賳賮氐丕賱賴 毓賳 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賵 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 ..賷鬲亘賳賶 丕賱丕毓鬲丿丕賱 賵 丕賱賲丨丿賵丿賷丞. .賷鬲噩賳亘 丕賱賲賳丕賯卮丕鬲. .."賱丕 丕賱賵賲賴 丨賯丕" 亘賱 丕賳賷 丕賳亘賴乇 丕丨賷丕賳丕 亘賴匕丕 丕賱賳賲胤 賵 賯丿乇鬲賴 毓賱賶 丕賱氐賲賵丿 ...賱賰賳賷 賲賳丿賴卮丞 賲賳 丕禺鬲賷丕乇賴 賮賷 賲賳鬲氐賮 丕賱賯乇賳 18 ..丕賱丿賳賷丕 賴賶 賴賷 廿匕賳
亘丕禺鬲氐丕乇 賮賷賱賷丕爻 賮賵噩 賷鬲賮丕丿賶 亘賰賱 賯賵鬲賴 丕賳 賷賰賵賳 廿賳爻丕賳丕..
賵 賴匕丕 賷爻鬲賮夭 夭賲賱丕丐賴 賮賷 丕賱賳丕丿賷 賮乇丕賴賳賵賴 毓賱賶 兀賳賴 賱賳 賷賳噩丨 賮賷 丕賱丿賵乇丕賳 丨賵賱 丕賱毓丕賱賲 賮賷 80賷賵賲. .賲賴賲丕 賰丕賳 賲賳囟亘胤丕
賵 賴賰匕丕 賳亘丿兀 兀睾乇亘 乇丨賱丕鬲 噩賵賱 賮賷乇賳 .. 賵 丕爻鬲禺丿賲 賮賷賴丕 賰賱 賵爻丕卅賱 丕賱賳賯賱 丕賱賲鬲丕丨丞 賵 丕賱賱丕賲毓賯賵賱丞丕賷囟丕馃悩
馃専馃専馃専賱賲丕匕丕 孬賱丕孬 賳噩賵賲 賮賯胤 丕匕賳 責
丕賵賱丕 賱丕賳賴丕 亘毓賷丿丞 賳賵毓丕 毓賳 噩賵 賮賷乇賳 丕賱禺賷丕賱賷 丕賱賲毓鬲丕丿..孬丕賳賷丕 : 賱丕賳賴丕 廿丨丿賶 乇賵丕賷丕鬲賷 丕賱賲丿乇爻賷丞..孬丕賱孬丕 : 賱丕賳賴丕 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賵丨賷丿丞 丕賱鬲賷 賯乇丕鬲賴丕 亘丕賱賱睾丞 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 賲賲丕 賯賱賱 賲鬲毓鬲賷 亘賴丕 .. 賮丕賳丕 丕毓鬲乇賮: 賱賷爻 賴賳丕賰 丕賷 毓賲丕乇 亘賷賳賷 賵 亘賷賳 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 ..賵 賱賳 賷賰賵賳 丕亘丿丕..丕亘丿丕
亘賱 丕毓鬲亘乇 兀氐丿賯丕卅賷 丕賱匕賷賳 賷噩賷丿賵賳賴丕 亘丕乇毓賷賷賳 賰丕賱爻丨乇丞 鬲賲丕賲
賮賷賱賷丕爻 賮賵噩..賲鬲丨匕賱賯丕..丿賯賷賯丕..睾丕乇賯丕 賮賷 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱 丕賱鬲賷 鬲囟賷毓 毓賱賷賴 亘賴噩丞 丕賱丨賷丕丞
..亘亘丕賱睾 賮賷 賳馗丕賲賴 賵 丕賳囟亘丕胤賴 丨鬲賶 丕賳賴 賲賳 丕賱賲爻鬲丨賷賱 乇丐賷鬲賴 毓氐亘賷丕 兀賵 賲睾鬲丕馗丕馃槧. .賲鬲賵鬲乇丕 丕賵 賲鬲毓噩賱丕
賮賵噩 賷亘丕賱睾 賮賷 丕賳賮氐丕賱賴 毓賳 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賵 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 ..賷鬲亘賳賶 丕賱丕毓鬲丿丕賱 賵 丕賱賲丨丿賵丿賷丞. .賷鬲噩賳亘 丕賱賲賳丕賯卮丕鬲. .."賱丕 丕賱賵賲賴 丨賯丕" 亘賱 丕賳賷 丕賳亘賴乇 丕丨賷丕賳丕 亘賴匕丕 丕賱賳賲胤 賵 賯丿乇鬲賴 毓賱賶 丕賱氐賲賵丿 ...賱賰賳賷 賲賳丿賴卮丞 賲賳 丕禺鬲賷丕乇賴 賮賷 賲賳鬲氐賮 丕賱賯乇賳 18 ..丕賱丿賳賷丕 賴賶 賴賷 廿匕賳
亘丕禺鬲氐丕乇 賮賷賱賷丕爻 賮賵噩 賷鬲賮丕丿賶 亘賰賱 賯賵鬲賴 丕賳 賷賰賵賳 廿賳爻丕賳丕..
賵 賴匕丕 賷爻鬲賮夭 夭賲賱丕丐賴 賮賷 丕賱賳丕丿賷 賮乇丕賴賳賵賴 毓賱賶 兀賳賴 賱賳 賷賳噩丨 賮賷 丕賱丿賵乇丕賳 丨賵賱 丕賱毓丕賱賲 賮賷 80賷賵賲. .賲賴賲丕 賰丕賳 賲賳囟亘胤丕
賵 賴賰匕丕 賳亘丿兀 兀睾乇亘 乇丨賱丕鬲 噩賵賱 賮賷乇賳 .. 賵 丕爻鬲禺丿賲 賮賷賴丕 賰賱 賵爻丕卅賱 丕賱賳賯賱 丕賱賲鬲丕丨丞 賵 丕賱賱丕賲毓賯賵賱丞丕賷囟丕馃悩
馃専馃専馃専賱賲丕匕丕 孬賱丕孬 賳噩賵賲 賮賯胤 丕匕賳 責
丕賵賱丕 賱丕賳賴丕 亘毓賷丿丞 賳賵毓丕 毓賳 噩賵 賮賷乇賳 丕賱禺賷丕賱賷 丕賱賲毓鬲丕丿..孬丕賳賷丕 : 賱丕賳賴丕 廿丨丿賶 乇賵丕賷丕鬲賷 丕賱賲丿乇爻賷丞..孬丕賱孬丕 : 賱丕賳賴丕 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賵丨賷丿丞 丕賱鬲賷 賯乇丕鬲賴丕 亘丕賱賱睾丞 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 賲賲丕 賯賱賱 賲鬲毓鬲賷 亘賴丕 .. 賮丕賳丕 丕毓鬲乇賮: 賱賷爻 賴賳丕賰 丕賷 毓賲丕乇 亘賷賳賷 賵 亘賷賳 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 ..賵 賱賳 賷賰賵賳 丕亘丿丕..丕亘丿丕
亘賱 丕毓鬲亘乇 兀氐丿賯丕卅賷 丕賱匕賷賳 賷噩賷丿賵賳賴丕 亘丕乇毓賷賷賳 賰丕賱爻丨乇丞 鬲賲丕賲
September 24, 2017
"Mum, could we travel the world in the same way that Phileas Fogg and Passepartout did?"
The question propels me back in time, about three decades. This was the first Jules Verne book I read. I carried it home in a heavy school bag, in the darkness after an winter afternoon in the public library. I was ten, and I had to fill my long evenings, which started at sun set around half past two. I still remember the smell of the book, picked from the "Classics for children" section, and how I opened it and started reading. I knew almost nothing of Victorian England, of travelling to exotic countries, of the honour connected to a wager, of foul play or of religious customs in other cultures or of nature's peculiarities in different geographical areas.
According to my memory, I finished the story that same evening, and went back to the library the very next day to check out the entire stock of Jules Verne. I might be wrong, knowing the strange turns memory takes when something is considered of special importance. It might have been two or three days later. It is a fact, though, that I read all of his novels that dark winter, one after the other, completely enthralled, completely lost in the storytelling.
And as fast as I was captured, I was released again. I had that Jules Verne spell, I loved it, but I never looked back. I was done. Jules Verne made me realise the potential of books, helped me open the treasure chest of world literature, and he served as a bridge to ever bigger journeys around the literary world. I like to imagine that my journey around Jules Verne's universe took about 80 reading sessions, and that I returned the books to the library so much more enthusiastic about the world of reading that I was ready for my life as a reader.
Afterwards I instinctively felt that those books should remain in my childhood, that I might find things in them I would find ludicrous or horrible now. But the initiation rite of reading Verne when I was an impressionable ten-year-old will always be a memory of great importance to me.
And of course I enjoy each minute my children spend with Jules Verne. More routined globetrotters than I was, they ask different questions, and reflect more on the radically changed technology and knowledge since the time of Phileas Fogg, whereas I had difficulties understanding the cultural codes in the world - which my children recognise directly from long experience in international schools.
The main plot remains exciting, and the cheesy conclusion is as rewarding as any modern "happy end" could be:
"But what then? What had he really gained by all this trouble? What had he brought back from this long and weary journey?
Nothing, you say? Perhaps so; nothing but a charming woman, who, strange as it may appear, made him the happiest of men!
Truly, would you not for less than that make the tour around the world?"
As for the question my son asked - I think it would be difficult, not to say impossible, to replicate the journey exactly like that, given the geopolitical and technological changes in the world. Luckily, we still have the option to travel with Fogg and Passepartout!
The question propels me back in time, about three decades. This was the first Jules Verne book I read. I carried it home in a heavy school bag, in the darkness after an winter afternoon in the public library. I was ten, and I had to fill my long evenings, which started at sun set around half past two. I still remember the smell of the book, picked from the "Classics for children" section, and how I opened it and started reading. I knew almost nothing of Victorian England, of travelling to exotic countries, of the honour connected to a wager, of foul play or of religious customs in other cultures or of nature's peculiarities in different geographical areas.
According to my memory, I finished the story that same evening, and went back to the library the very next day to check out the entire stock of Jules Verne. I might be wrong, knowing the strange turns memory takes when something is considered of special importance. It might have been two or three days later. It is a fact, though, that I read all of his novels that dark winter, one after the other, completely enthralled, completely lost in the storytelling.
And as fast as I was captured, I was released again. I had that Jules Verne spell, I loved it, but I never looked back. I was done. Jules Verne made me realise the potential of books, helped me open the treasure chest of world literature, and he served as a bridge to ever bigger journeys around the literary world. I like to imagine that my journey around Jules Verne's universe took about 80 reading sessions, and that I returned the books to the library so much more enthusiastic about the world of reading that I was ready for my life as a reader.
Afterwards I instinctively felt that those books should remain in my childhood, that I might find things in them I would find ludicrous or horrible now. But the initiation rite of reading Verne when I was an impressionable ten-year-old will always be a memory of great importance to me.
And of course I enjoy each minute my children spend with Jules Verne. More routined globetrotters than I was, they ask different questions, and reflect more on the radically changed technology and knowledge since the time of Phileas Fogg, whereas I had difficulties understanding the cultural codes in the world - which my children recognise directly from long experience in international schools.
The main plot remains exciting, and the cheesy conclusion is as rewarding as any modern "happy end" could be:
"But what then? What had he really gained by all this trouble? What had he brought back from this long and weary journey?
Nothing, you say? Perhaps so; nothing but a charming woman, who, strange as it may appear, made him the happiest of men!
Truly, would you not for less than that make the tour around the world?"
As for the question my son asked - I think it would be difficult, not to say impossible, to replicate the journey exactly like that, given the geopolitical and technological changes in the world. Luckily, we still have the option to travel with Fogg and Passepartout!
April 14, 2024
It had been a long time since I hadn't read an adventure by Jules Verne. It is, of course, to place in the historical context of the 19th century. The adventures of Phileas Fogg had intended to introduce readers to the world's diversity. It was. Also, it seems to show the British power and hegemony, which was then the first world power, and discovering the new means of transport. This fact made it possible to travel worldwide quickly, such as through the steam navy or the transcontinental railways. We do not get bored for a second, and the adventures of our companions are still as hectic a century and a half later. Jules Verne remains a staple of the adventure novel.
May 24, 2025
Around the year 1870, there was much discussion of the idea that a sufficiently determined world traveller could traverse the entire globe with hitherto unimaginable speed. Such discussions engaged the interest of Jules Verne, a writer who was always interested in the ways in which human beings鈥� scientific endeavours were changing the world 鈥� and the ultimate result was Around the World in Eighty Days (1872). This novel caused a sensation in Verne鈥檚 time, and with its emphasis on adventure and ingenuity, it may be the most characteristically 鈥淰ernian鈥� of all Jules Verne鈥檚 works.
The novel begins with Phileas Fogg, a phlegmatic English gentleman who is a member of London鈥檚 Reform Club, offering a bet in the context of a conversation about the speed of global travel. In response to the skepticism of some of his fellow club members, Phileas Fogg states that 鈥淚 bet 拢20,000 against anyone that I will go around the world in eighty days or less 鈥� in other words, 1,920 hours or 115,200 minutes.鈥� Five members of the Reform Club take the bet, and it is a substantial one 鈥� for 拢20,000 in 1872 would be the equivalent of 拢2.3 million, or about $3 million (U.S.), today. Phileas Fogg is staking his entire fortune on this 80-days business.
As he sets forth on the settling of this wager, Phileas Fogg has some things going for him and other things going against him. The good news is that Phileas Fogg has a new servant 鈥� a Frenchman named Passepartout. The two are well-matched: where Fogg is detached and unemotional, Passepartout is passionate and engaged; Fogg is an intellectual, and Passepartout an athletic man of action. Passepartout is truly the perfect travel companion for Phileas Fogg鈥檚 journey.
The bad news, by contrast, is that Phileas Fogg is unjustly suspected, by a police detective named Fix, of having robbed the Bank of England. Fix has the intellectual inflexibility of the Prefect of Police from Edgar Allan Poe鈥檚 Parisian mystery stories, combined with the unflinching determination and drive of Inspector Javert from Victor Hugo鈥檚 Les Mis茅rables (1862). Fix, ever in search of an arrest warrant he can use against Phileas Fogg at some point when Fogg is on British soil, will be a constant companion, and foil, throughout the travellers鈥� journey.
The intended travel itinerary for Phileas Fogg and Passepartout is as follows:
鈥� London to Suez, Egypt;
鈥� Suez to Bombay, India;
鈥� Across India from Bombay to Calcutta;
鈥� Calcutta via Singapore to Hong Kong;
鈥� Hong Kong to Yokohama, Japan;
鈥� Yokohama to San Francisco, California, U.S.A.;
鈥� Across the United States of America, from San Francisco to New York; and, finally,
鈥� New York to London.
It all seems do-able, in accordance with Phileas Fogg鈥檚 gift for meticulous planning 鈥� but of course, a variety of things go wrong throughout the trip, making for plenty of moments of intrigue and fast-paced adventure.
In India, for instance, the travellers find, to their dismay, that there is actually a gap of unfinished railroad in the Trans-Indian Railway on which they were planning to cross the subcontinent. As the book鈥檚 narrator dryly puts it, 鈥淣ewspapers are like certain watches that insist on being fast, and they had prematurely announced the completion of the line.鈥� At first, Phileas Fogg insists that he will cross the subcontinent on foot, if need be, but then Passepartout has a suggestion:
鈥淪ir, I think I鈥檝e found a means of transport.鈥�
鈥淲hat sort?鈥�
鈥淎n elephant! An elephant belonging to an Indian who lives only a hundred yards from here.鈥�
鈥淟et鈥檚 go and see the elephant,鈥� replied Mr. Fogg.
A pattern is established here; as things go wrong, and the travellers are in danger of falling behind schedule, Phileas Fogg and Passepartout must repeatedly utilize their ingenuity and improvise new travel plans in order to stay on pace for completing his 80-day round-the-world voyage on time. Not only do they get across India on time, but they manage, in the process, to rescue a beautiful young Indian widow, one Mrs. Aouda, from being burned alive in the practice of sati.
I was glad that Mrs. Aouda was a presence in the novel. So often, Verne鈥檚 adventure novels are so male-dominated, with two or three guys having all the fun 鈥� Professor Otto Lidenbrock, Axel, and the Icelandic guide Hans in Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864); Professor Aronnax, Conseil, and the Canadian harpooner Ned Land in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870). About the best one can hope for in terms of women's agency, in these lads-only affairs, is that there will be a love interest 鈥� a pretty young woman back home, waiting with mingled pride and anxiety for the adventurer of her dreams to complete his journey. Mrs. Aouda, in Around the World in Eighty Days, humanizes the proceedings considerably 鈥� and one gets the sense that she is slowly but surely thawing out Phileas Fogg鈥檚 phlegmatic temperament.
Travel problems do, however, persist. At one point, for instance, Phileas Fogg finds himself stuck in Hong Kong 鈥� largely, though he does not know this, through the machinations of Fix, who has separated Passepartout from the rest of the group by taking him to an opium den (!), and is hoping that his long-overdue arrest warrant will arrive in British-held Hong Kong, enabling him at last to arrest Phileas Fogg. The ship for Yokohama has left early, meaning that Phileas Fogg鈥檚 prospects for completing the voyage on time seem lost.
But Fogg once again seizes the opportunity to find a new way forward toward recommencing the seemingly lost Yokohama-to-San Francisco stage of his voyage, through a chance encounter with a sailor in Hong Kong鈥檚 outer harbour:
鈥淚s your honour after a boat?鈥� the sailor said to him, taking his cap off.
鈥淒o you have a boat ready to sail?鈥� asked Mr. Fogg.
鈥淵es, your honour 鈥� a pilot boat: Number 43, the best of the whole lot.鈥�
鈥淚s it fast?鈥�
鈥淏etween eight and nine knots, as near as makes no difference. Do you want to see it?鈥�
鈥渊别蝉.鈥�
鈥淵our honour couldn鈥檛 ask for more. Is it for a boat trip?鈥�
鈥淣o, for a voyage.鈥�
鈥淎 voyage?鈥�
鈥淎re you prepared to take me to Yokohama?鈥�
The sailor couldn鈥檛 believe what he鈥檇 just heard. He just stood there, aghast.
鈥淵our honour must be joking!鈥� he said.
鈥淣o. I鈥檝e missed the Carnatic and I must be in Yokohama by the 14th at the latest, to catch the steamer for San Francisco.鈥�
鈥淪orry,鈥� replied the sailor, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 impossible.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 offering you 拢100 a day and a bonus of 拢200 if you get me there on time.鈥�
鈥淎re you serious?鈥� asked the sailor.
鈥淒eadly serious,鈥� replied Mr. Fogg.
They get across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco, and begin a train journey across the United States of America. The American railway, unlike its Indian counterpart, is actually complete from coast to coast, but there is still plenty of trouble awaiting the travellers, as Sioux warriors attack the transcontinental train. Passepartout detaches the locomotive from the passenger cars, and the passenger cars safely reach the Kearney station. But Passepartout and a couple of others, with the engine, fall into the hands of the Sioux.
Phileas Fogg at once expresses his determination to rescue Passepartout, even though 鈥淚n making this decision Phileas Fogg was sacrificing everything. He had just condemned himself to financial ruin. A single day鈥檚 delay meant he would miss the steamer from New York. His bet was irretrievably lost. But at the thought of 鈥榯his is my duty鈥� he had not hesitated.鈥�
Phileas Fogg, in his plans to go and rescue Passepartout, asks Fix to look after Mrs. Aouda, leaving the police inspector feeling decidedly conflicted. 鈥淗ow could he let go of this man, whom he had followed so doggedly and with such persistence? How could he let him venture into the wilderness like this? Fix looked at the gentleman intently and despite himself, for all his feelings against Fogg and in spite of the struggle that was going on inside him, he felt uncomfortable when confronted with that calm and honest expression.鈥�
And once Phileas Fogg and the U.S. Army detachment from Fort Kearney have indeed rescued Passepartout, it turns out that there is 鈥� once again 鈥� an alternate means of transportation, this time across across the frozen Northern plains:
It was a sort of frame built upon two long beams that were turned up at the end like the runners on a sledge, and there was room for about five or six people. A third of the way along the frame, to the front, stood a very tall mast, to which was attached a huge spanker sail. From this mast, which was firmly held in position by cables, stretched an iron stay, the purpose of which was to hoist a very large jib. At the rear a sort of oar-rudder enabled the contraption to be steered.
It was, as can be seen from this description, a sledge, but with the rigging of a sloop. In winter, on the ice-bound plain, when the trains are no longer running because of the snow, these vehicles travel very fast from station to station. What is more, they have an enormous expanse of sail 鈥� greater even than a racing cutter, which is liable to capsize 鈥� and with the wind behind them they glide along the surface of the prairies as fast if not faster than express trains.
One of the pre-eminent pleasures of Around the World in Eighty Days is looking on as Phileas Fogg, time after time, figures out a new way to continue with his voyage, once his original plans have not worked out. And the journey of this sail-sled across the snowy plains makes for some of the most exciting and fast-moving passages of the novel.
The resolution of the novel is probably not as surprising for readers nowadays as it was in 1872, but it is a fun denouement nonetheless. In an informative foreword to this Penguin Classics edition of Around the World in Eighty Days, science-fiction author and scholar Brian Aldiss reminds us that one can now go around the world in 55 hours (London Heathrow to Sydney to Los Angeles, and then back to Heathrow), whilst effectively setting what may have been Verne鈥檚 most popular adventure novel in the context of its time.
I have never travelled around the world as Phileas Fogg and Passepartout did; but I have now visited all of the countries mentioned in Verne鈥檚 novel. I鈥檝e visited 85 countries so far, come to that. And as it was when I was a child of 10 or so, so it is now that I am in my sixties: Le Tour du monde en quatre-vingte jours remains one of the most delightful travel adventures ever set down.
The novel begins with Phileas Fogg, a phlegmatic English gentleman who is a member of London鈥檚 Reform Club, offering a bet in the context of a conversation about the speed of global travel. In response to the skepticism of some of his fellow club members, Phileas Fogg states that 鈥淚 bet 拢20,000 against anyone that I will go around the world in eighty days or less 鈥� in other words, 1,920 hours or 115,200 minutes.鈥� Five members of the Reform Club take the bet, and it is a substantial one 鈥� for 拢20,000 in 1872 would be the equivalent of 拢2.3 million, or about $3 million (U.S.), today. Phileas Fogg is staking his entire fortune on this 80-days business.
As he sets forth on the settling of this wager, Phileas Fogg has some things going for him and other things going against him. The good news is that Phileas Fogg has a new servant 鈥� a Frenchman named Passepartout. The two are well-matched: where Fogg is detached and unemotional, Passepartout is passionate and engaged; Fogg is an intellectual, and Passepartout an athletic man of action. Passepartout is truly the perfect travel companion for Phileas Fogg鈥檚 journey.
The bad news, by contrast, is that Phileas Fogg is unjustly suspected, by a police detective named Fix, of having robbed the Bank of England. Fix has the intellectual inflexibility of the Prefect of Police from Edgar Allan Poe鈥檚 Parisian mystery stories, combined with the unflinching determination and drive of Inspector Javert from Victor Hugo鈥檚 Les Mis茅rables (1862). Fix, ever in search of an arrest warrant he can use against Phileas Fogg at some point when Fogg is on British soil, will be a constant companion, and foil, throughout the travellers鈥� journey.
The intended travel itinerary for Phileas Fogg and Passepartout is as follows:
鈥� London to Suez, Egypt;
鈥� Suez to Bombay, India;
鈥� Across India from Bombay to Calcutta;
鈥� Calcutta via Singapore to Hong Kong;
鈥� Hong Kong to Yokohama, Japan;
鈥� Yokohama to San Francisco, California, U.S.A.;
鈥� Across the United States of America, from San Francisco to New York; and, finally,
鈥� New York to London.
It all seems do-able, in accordance with Phileas Fogg鈥檚 gift for meticulous planning 鈥� but of course, a variety of things go wrong throughout the trip, making for plenty of moments of intrigue and fast-paced adventure.
In India, for instance, the travellers find, to their dismay, that there is actually a gap of unfinished railroad in the Trans-Indian Railway on which they were planning to cross the subcontinent. As the book鈥檚 narrator dryly puts it, 鈥淣ewspapers are like certain watches that insist on being fast, and they had prematurely announced the completion of the line.鈥� At first, Phileas Fogg insists that he will cross the subcontinent on foot, if need be, but then Passepartout has a suggestion:
鈥淪ir, I think I鈥檝e found a means of transport.鈥�
鈥淲hat sort?鈥�
鈥淎n elephant! An elephant belonging to an Indian who lives only a hundred yards from here.鈥�
鈥淟et鈥檚 go and see the elephant,鈥� replied Mr. Fogg.
A pattern is established here; as things go wrong, and the travellers are in danger of falling behind schedule, Phileas Fogg and Passepartout must repeatedly utilize their ingenuity and improvise new travel plans in order to stay on pace for completing his 80-day round-the-world voyage on time. Not only do they get across India on time, but they manage, in the process, to rescue a beautiful young Indian widow, one Mrs. Aouda, from being burned alive in the practice of sati.
I was glad that Mrs. Aouda was a presence in the novel. So often, Verne鈥檚 adventure novels are so male-dominated, with two or three guys having all the fun 鈥� Professor Otto Lidenbrock, Axel, and the Icelandic guide Hans in Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864); Professor Aronnax, Conseil, and the Canadian harpooner Ned Land in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870). About the best one can hope for in terms of women's agency, in these lads-only affairs, is that there will be a love interest 鈥� a pretty young woman back home, waiting with mingled pride and anxiety for the adventurer of her dreams to complete his journey. Mrs. Aouda, in Around the World in Eighty Days, humanizes the proceedings considerably 鈥� and one gets the sense that she is slowly but surely thawing out Phileas Fogg鈥檚 phlegmatic temperament.
Travel problems do, however, persist. At one point, for instance, Phileas Fogg finds himself stuck in Hong Kong 鈥� largely, though he does not know this, through the machinations of Fix, who has separated Passepartout from the rest of the group by taking him to an opium den (!), and is hoping that his long-overdue arrest warrant will arrive in British-held Hong Kong, enabling him at last to arrest Phileas Fogg. The ship for Yokohama has left early, meaning that Phileas Fogg鈥檚 prospects for completing the voyage on time seem lost.
But Fogg once again seizes the opportunity to find a new way forward toward recommencing the seemingly lost Yokohama-to-San Francisco stage of his voyage, through a chance encounter with a sailor in Hong Kong鈥檚 outer harbour:
鈥淚s your honour after a boat?鈥� the sailor said to him, taking his cap off.
鈥淒o you have a boat ready to sail?鈥� asked Mr. Fogg.
鈥淵es, your honour 鈥� a pilot boat: Number 43, the best of the whole lot.鈥�
鈥淚s it fast?鈥�
鈥淏etween eight and nine knots, as near as makes no difference. Do you want to see it?鈥�
鈥渊别蝉.鈥�
鈥淵our honour couldn鈥檛 ask for more. Is it for a boat trip?鈥�
鈥淣o, for a voyage.鈥�
鈥淎 voyage?鈥�
鈥淎re you prepared to take me to Yokohama?鈥�
The sailor couldn鈥檛 believe what he鈥檇 just heard. He just stood there, aghast.
鈥淵our honour must be joking!鈥� he said.
鈥淣o. I鈥檝e missed the Carnatic and I must be in Yokohama by the 14th at the latest, to catch the steamer for San Francisco.鈥�
鈥淪orry,鈥� replied the sailor, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 impossible.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 offering you 拢100 a day and a bonus of 拢200 if you get me there on time.鈥�
鈥淎re you serious?鈥� asked the sailor.
鈥淒eadly serious,鈥� replied Mr. Fogg.
They get across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco, and begin a train journey across the United States of America. The American railway, unlike its Indian counterpart, is actually complete from coast to coast, but there is still plenty of trouble awaiting the travellers, as Sioux warriors attack the transcontinental train. Passepartout detaches the locomotive from the passenger cars, and the passenger cars safely reach the Kearney station. But Passepartout and a couple of others, with the engine, fall into the hands of the Sioux.
Phileas Fogg at once expresses his determination to rescue Passepartout, even though 鈥淚n making this decision Phileas Fogg was sacrificing everything. He had just condemned himself to financial ruin. A single day鈥檚 delay meant he would miss the steamer from New York. His bet was irretrievably lost. But at the thought of 鈥榯his is my duty鈥� he had not hesitated.鈥�
Phileas Fogg, in his plans to go and rescue Passepartout, asks Fix to look after Mrs. Aouda, leaving the police inspector feeling decidedly conflicted. 鈥淗ow could he let go of this man, whom he had followed so doggedly and with such persistence? How could he let him venture into the wilderness like this? Fix looked at the gentleman intently and despite himself, for all his feelings against Fogg and in spite of the struggle that was going on inside him, he felt uncomfortable when confronted with that calm and honest expression.鈥�
And once Phileas Fogg and the U.S. Army detachment from Fort Kearney have indeed rescued Passepartout, it turns out that there is 鈥� once again 鈥� an alternate means of transportation, this time across across the frozen Northern plains:
It was a sort of frame built upon two long beams that were turned up at the end like the runners on a sledge, and there was room for about five or six people. A third of the way along the frame, to the front, stood a very tall mast, to which was attached a huge spanker sail. From this mast, which was firmly held in position by cables, stretched an iron stay, the purpose of which was to hoist a very large jib. At the rear a sort of oar-rudder enabled the contraption to be steered.
It was, as can be seen from this description, a sledge, but with the rigging of a sloop. In winter, on the ice-bound plain, when the trains are no longer running because of the snow, these vehicles travel very fast from station to station. What is more, they have an enormous expanse of sail 鈥� greater even than a racing cutter, which is liable to capsize 鈥� and with the wind behind them they glide along the surface of the prairies as fast if not faster than express trains.
One of the pre-eminent pleasures of Around the World in Eighty Days is looking on as Phileas Fogg, time after time, figures out a new way to continue with his voyage, once his original plans have not worked out. And the journey of this sail-sled across the snowy plains makes for some of the most exciting and fast-moving passages of the novel.
The resolution of the novel is probably not as surprising for readers nowadays as it was in 1872, but it is a fun denouement nonetheless. In an informative foreword to this Penguin Classics edition of Around the World in Eighty Days, science-fiction author and scholar Brian Aldiss reminds us that one can now go around the world in 55 hours (London Heathrow to Sydney to Los Angeles, and then back to Heathrow), whilst effectively setting what may have been Verne鈥檚 most popular adventure novel in the context of its time.
I have never travelled around the world as Phileas Fogg and Passepartout did; but I have now visited all of the countries mentioned in Verne鈥檚 novel. I鈥檝e visited 85 countries so far, come to that. And as it was when I was a child of 10 or so, so it is now that I am in my sixties: Le Tour du monde en quatre-vingte jours remains one of the most delightful travel adventures ever set down.
August 25, 2023
I had to re-read this unabridged title for a rapid reading exam for my students and it was an enjoyable process.
I鈥檝e always enjoyed this classic by Jules Verne and 鈥楢round the World in Eighty Days鈥� will always receive 5 stars from me! I鈥檝e read this book several times and it still has the power to keep me hooked even after all these years.
The story of Phileas Fogg and his journey around the world is one of the best early science fiction stories that I鈥檝e ever read. Fogg鈥檚 role as a protagonist captured my heart in 1998 when I read this book for the first time at school. I tried to imitate or rather mimic his calm and composed demeanour back then, but I was not successful. As the days go by, I鈥檝e realized that I was and am more of a Passepartout than a Fogg.
The book is evergreen, enchanting, and has that magic to it that can never go stale. My favourite scene will always be when Fogg, Passepartout, and the Parsee elephant rider saves Aouda from death in the jungles of India. Another scene which I have always highly appreciated is the ending when Aouda expresses her love for Fogg and the discovery of Passepartout as he goes out to engage a priest for their wedding.
I feel this classic can really be used as an excellent educational tool to teach Geography at schools, especially when the chapter about latitudes and longitudes are being focussed upon. When I learnt this topic for the first time in 1998, my Geography teacher at school encouraged us to read this classic and it stuck in our heads forever.
Certain racist remarks are evident in the text, but that was probably because of the mindset of the author and his ignorance about places like India which celebrates unity in diversity right from the B.C. period. This should not deter the reader from reading this classic. In fact, students can especially use these inconsistencies to research upon and to discuss the actual facts of the country or countries in a calm, dignified, and organized manner at school.
I prefer Verne to Wells, though Wells was more eclectic, intelligent, creative, and eccentric an author compared to the former. The reason for my preference is simple 鈥� if there was no Verne, there would have been no Wells, and that is something that young readers should also keep in mind while they are studying this text. This book was a pleasant journey down memory lane for me 鈥� fantastic as always!
January 11, 2009
Whether or not you've read the novel or watched the movie, Jules Verne's
is so embedded in Western culture that just about everyone knows the basic plot premise: wealthy and reticent Englishman Phileas Fogg makes gentlemanly bet with his chums that he can travel around the world in 80 days and then sets off with his temperamental French servant to do just that.
The idea for the story from the actual journey of eccentric Bostonian . (Who liked to refer to himself as "Citizen Train" - check out the .)
What I hadn't expected of Verne's novel is that it is such a blatant reminder of how far we've come in the last 135 years since colonialist superiority was treated as unquestioned fact:
"The steamer passed along near the shores, but the savage Papuans, who are in the lowest scale of humanity, but are not, as has been asserted, cannibals, did not make their appearance."
Similar descriptions applied to Punjabis, Chinese, and Native Americans are littered throughout the book. It's also clear that, at the time of writing the novel, Verne was an . Not only is the book a celebration of the British empire at its peak, but Verne is constantly praising Fogg's alleged English qualities (honor, stoicism, courage) and jabbing at his servent Passepartout's Frenchness (temperamental, impetuous, chatty).
What I found fascinating about Around the World in 80 Days has nothing to do with the book itself, but rather how Jules Verne wrote it. When he was a young boy, , he ran away from home and attempted to sail out to sea to follow the adventures of . Having failed, he promised his mother that "henceforth I will travel only in dream." For the rest of his writing career Verne rarely traveled. Rather he would surround himself with books and research the landscapes of his novels without ever setting foot there himself.
In the , Jules Verne might be what you consider an OG bridgeblogger. If you have even the most remote interest in African issues then you probably follow Ethan's blog. He is incredibly talented at consuming and digesting large volumes of information about a complicated topic and then presenting that information in an easy-to-follow narrative that doesn't simplify its complexity. But in all my years of following Ethan's blog I think he's only traveled to Africa for two short conference-related trips.
The obvious difference between Ethan and Jules (apart from the fact that Ethan is both nicer and more empathetic) is the number of research and communication tools that we now have at our disposal. Verne had his local library, letters, and the telegraph. Today, apart from being able to glimpse the front pages of hundreds of newspapers from around the world at the , we are also able to learn about the world around us in real time thanks to , , , , and . What's more, we can - and often do - develop real and meaningful friendships from our interactions on those sites.
Still, there is something about being on the ground, there in person, that allows you to soak in and understand new lands, cultures, and customs in a way that even the most advanced virtual worlds . I doubt that Ethan would be such an impassioned Africaphile were it not for . And , if he really wants to understand the Middle East, the best thing to do is move there. (Though would have been a brave gesture of sincerity.)
I do understand that increased international travel is neither good for our environment nor our budgets. But, done responsibly, it is good for humanity. The more we experience other cultures the more we understand about ourselves and our place in the world. Which is why I wholly support initiatives like Abby Falik's (which hopefully won't be bogged down by the bureaucracy, legacy, and politics of Peace Corps).
As notes in a , Verne's novel celebrated the technological advances of the industrial era. Thanks to the steam engine, railways, and global colonialism, it was possible for the first time to circumnavigate the globe in just 80 days. Today we're still at the dawn of a new era of technological advances: pervasive networked and structured data. These tools will lead to a new era of exploration. There are no longer new lands, tribes, and cities to discover. Just by starting up Google Earth we can cast our eyes on every hidden corner of the world. The curiosity that inspires exploration, however, remains. Something keeps traveling and dancing around the world and keeps daydreaming about his next trip to Guyana or Venezuela or Argentina. Something inspired to travel around the world in 800 days. But exploration today isn't about discovering the so-called undiscovered. It's about understanding what has been there all along.
The idea for the story from the actual journey of eccentric Bostonian . (Who liked to refer to himself as "Citizen Train" - check out the .)
What I hadn't expected of Verne's novel is that it is such a blatant reminder of how far we've come in the last 135 years since colonialist superiority was treated as unquestioned fact:
"The steamer passed along near the shores, but the savage Papuans, who are in the lowest scale of humanity, but are not, as has been asserted, cannibals, did not make their appearance."
Similar descriptions applied to Punjabis, Chinese, and Native Americans are littered throughout the book. It's also clear that, at the time of writing the novel, Verne was an . Not only is the book a celebration of the British empire at its peak, but Verne is constantly praising Fogg's alleged English qualities (honor, stoicism, courage) and jabbing at his servent Passepartout's Frenchness (temperamental, impetuous, chatty).
What I found fascinating about Around the World in 80 Days has nothing to do with the book itself, but rather how Jules Verne wrote it. When he was a young boy, , he ran away from home and attempted to sail out to sea to follow the adventures of . Having failed, he promised his mother that "henceforth I will travel only in dream." For the rest of his writing career Verne rarely traveled. Rather he would surround himself with books and research the landscapes of his novels without ever setting foot there himself.
In the , Jules Verne might be what you consider an OG bridgeblogger. If you have even the most remote interest in African issues then you probably follow Ethan's blog. He is incredibly talented at consuming and digesting large volumes of information about a complicated topic and then presenting that information in an easy-to-follow narrative that doesn't simplify its complexity. But in all my years of following Ethan's blog I think he's only traveled to Africa for two short conference-related trips.
The obvious difference between Ethan and Jules (apart from the fact that Ethan is both nicer and more empathetic) is the number of research and communication tools that we now have at our disposal. Verne had his local library, letters, and the telegraph. Today, apart from being able to glimpse the front pages of hundreds of newspapers from around the world at the , we are also able to learn about the world around us in real time thanks to , , , , and . What's more, we can - and often do - develop real and meaningful friendships from our interactions on those sites.
Still, there is something about being on the ground, there in person, that allows you to soak in and understand new lands, cultures, and customs in a way that even the most advanced virtual worlds . I doubt that Ethan would be such an impassioned Africaphile were it not for . And , if he really wants to understand the Middle East, the best thing to do is move there. (Though would have been a brave gesture of sincerity.)
I do understand that increased international travel is neither good for our environment nor our budgets. But, done responsibly, it is good for humanity. The more we experience other cultures the more we understand about ourselves and our place in the world. Which is why I wholly support initiatives like Abby Falik's (which hopefully won't be bogged down by the bureaucracy, legacy, and politics of Peace Corps).
As notes in a , Verne's novel celebrated the technological advances of the industrial era. Thanks to the steam engine, railways, and global colonialism, it was possible for the first time to circumnavigate the globe in just 80 days. Today we're still at the dawn of a new era of technological advances: pervasive networked and structured data. These tools will lead to a new era of exploration. There are no longer new lands, tribes, and cities to discover. Just by starting up Google Earth we can cast our eyes on every hidden corner of the world. The curiosity that inspires exploration, however, remains. Something keeps traveling and dancing around the world and keeps daydreaming about his next trip to Guyana or Venezuela or Argentina. Something inspired to travel around the world in 800 days. But exploration today isn't about discovering the so-called undiscovered. It's about understanding what has been there all along.
July 15, 2019
鈥淭he chance which now seems lost may present itself at the last moment.鈥�I got this novel from my cousin. It鈥檚 her course book. I didn鈥檛 want to read this novel because it鈥檚 out of my taste. It鈥檚 neither Fantasy nor Sci-Fi. But she made me to read this鈥�
Well, this book was good. Really good. But I didn鈥檛 like it the way I should have鈥 just got little bored of these adventures.
It鈥檚 the story of a man named Phileas Fogg who bets his friends that he can make the tour of the world in 80 days. The reward of winning is 20,000 pounds which is a huge amount considering it in those days. He, with his servant, goes to this voyage. But the problem is; in those days, there happens a huge robbery in the bank. And the description of the robber matches with Mr. Fogg. So that, Detective Fix is after him during this tour.
--- I liked the character of Mr. Fogg. This man doesn鈥檛 worry about anything. I haven鈥檛 read such a calm character yet. I want to be like this but I can鈥檛 help it鈥︷煒�
--- My cousin had already watched its movie adaptation. She gave me the spoiler and I was always waiting for it鈥� BUT that never came!! And that鈥檚 a good thing. Seems like movie is different than this book.
--- And that ending was kind of 鈥� I don鈥檛 know 鈥� hurried? Anyway, I didn鈥檛 mind it.
All in all, it鈥檚 a good classic. I would have enjoyed it a lot if I was a classic reader.
鈥淚 see that it is by no means useless to travel, if a man wants to see something new鈥�
August 29, 2016
Around the World in Eighty Days was first published by Jules Verne in 1873, and was introduced to an adoring public as monthly installments.
Each chapter is thus seen as connected but with its own hooks and cliffhangers. The character of Phileas Fogg has become a stoic archetype for too cool operators in books to come in several genres.
This is fast moving and fun, still a good read over a hundred years later. One very interesting aspect of the narrative was the portrait of the American west in the 1870s from a European perspective.
Each chapter is thus seen as connected but with its own hooks and cliffhangers. The character of Phileas Fogg has become a stoic archetype for too cool operators in books to come in several genres.
This is fast moving and fun, still a good read over a hundred years later. One very interesting aspect of the narrative was the portrait of the American west in the 1870s from a European perspective.
August 9, 2015
1 I-hated-it-32-years-ago-and-still-hate-it star.
A couple days ago my son and I were talking about boring classroom reading material. This reminded me that I never rated this glorious piece of classic literature. How anyone would insist that students had to mandatorily read it in the 80s is beyond me, let alone in the 21st century. A couple years ago, when my son came home with that little paperback edition and whined about how incredibly uninteresting this "gem" is, I calmed him down by saying that I felt for him because it bored me to tears back in the 80s. Yes, I have no scruples to say that I hated it. #sorrynotsorryatall
A couple days ago my son and I were talking about boring classroom reading material. This reminded me that I never rated this glorious piece of classic literature. How anyone would insist that students had to mandatorily read it in the 80s is beyond me, let alone in the 21st century. A couple years ago, when my son came home with that little paperback edition and whined about how incredibly uninteresting this "gem" is, I calmed him down by saying that I felt for him because it bored me to tears back in the 80s. Yes, I have no scruples to say that I hated it. #sorrynotsorryatall
December 9, 2021
Re-Read 12/9/21:
This read was again just as enjoyable as the first. :)
Update! 20,000 Pounds back then, adjusted by inflation and converted to today's American Dollar, would come out to be $16,593,290.
Isn't that FASCINATING? To think, to take trains, boats, or an elephant, would STILL cost 16 million dollars today.
Oh. Wait. It probably does.
Original Review:
The original steampunk adventure! Written while it was still called modern!
Fascinating! :)
Seriously, though... Jules Verne knows how to write a fast-paced adventure with French tomfoolery and English sprats. They're buckling down to show other multi-millionaires (price adjusted) what a *real* wager is, using nothing more than a very keen mind and a talent for reading multiple departures in the paper. (You had to be there. And you also have to enjoy a period piece, too!)
But that's not all, folks! The Indian Princess gets saved by the Bully Englishman! Aw... I've almost got a picture in my head of Tarzan swinging Jane through the jungle. :)
It really is a fun novel, all told. Light fun, adventure, theft, mistaken identity, and even a moral to tuck in the end of the story to send us off to dreamland. Awww.
This read was again just as enjoyable as the first. :)
Update! 20,000 Pounds back then, adjusted by inflation and converted to today's American Dollar, would come out to be $16,593,290.
Isn't that FASCINATING? To think, to take trains, boats, or an elephant, would STILL cost 16 million dollars today.
Oh. Wait. It probably does.
Original Review:
The original steampunk adventure! Written while it was still called modern!
Fascinating! :)
Seriously, though... Jules Verne knows how to write a fast-paced adventure with French tomfoolery and English sprats. They're buckling down to show other multi-millionaires (price adjusted) what a *real* wager is, using nothing more than a very keen mind and a talent for reading multiple departures in the paper. (You had to be there. And you also have to enjoy a period piece, too!)
But that's not all, folks! The Indian Princess gets saved by the Bully Englishman! Aw... I've almost got a picture in my head of Tarzan swinging Jane through the jungle. :)
It really is a fun novel, all told. Light fun, adventure, theft, mistaken identity, and even a moral to tuck in the end of the story to send us off to dreamland. Awww.
March 7, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I usually prefer long books with lots of details and drawn-out adventures, but once in a while it's nice to read a shorter story where lots of things happen.
This is the third book by Jules Verne I've read and I loved all three of them. The story just brought me a lot of joy and it was fun to read it. His way of storytelling is simply amazing and ahead of his time. There isn't a lot I can say, it's just a nice little fun book to read in-between. I definitely recommend it!
This is the third book by Jules Verne I've read and I loved all three of them. The story just brought me a lot of joy and it was fun to read it. His way of storytelling is simply amazing and ahead of his time. There isn't a lot I can say, it's just a nice little fun book to read in-between. I definitely recommend it!
May 7, 2025
鈥炐炑佇敌夹葱笛佇笛� 写薪懈 芯泻芯谢芯 褋胁械褌邪鈥� 械 屑薪芯谐芯 褋懈屑锌邪褌懈褔械薪 锌褉懈泻谢褞褔械薪褋泻懈 褉芯屑邪薪! 袠褋褌芯褉懈褟褌邪 薪邪 蟹邪谐邪写褗褔薪懈褟 邪薪谐谢懈褔邪薪懈薪 肖懈谢懈邪褋 肖芯谐, 泻芯泄褌芯 褋懈 械 锌芯褋褌邪胁懈谢 褋谢芯卸薪邪褌邪 蟹邪写邪褔邪褌邪 写邪 薪邪锌褉邪胁懈 斜褗褉蟹芯 芯泻芯谢芯褋胁械褌褋泻芯 锌褗褌械褕械褋褌胁懈械, 械 懈蟹锌褗谢薪械薪邪 褋 写懈薪邪屑懈褔薪懈 懈 芯锌邪褋薪懈 褋褗斜懈褌懈褟, 泻邪泻褌芯 懈 褋褗褋 褋褌褉邪褏芯褌薪芯 褔褍胁褋褌胁芯 蟹邪 褏褍屑芯褉...
鈥炐澬� 褌褗泻屑芯 泻芯谐邪褌芯 写胁邪屑邪褌邪 锌褉芯褌懈胁薪懈褑懈 褋械 谐芯褌胁械褏邪 写邪 褋谢褟蟹邪褌, 泻芯薪写褍泻褌芯褉褗褌 懈蟹褌懈褔邪 懈 懈屑 懈蟹胁懈泻邪:
- 袧懈泻芯泄 写邪 薪械 褋谢懈蟹邪, 谐芯褋锌芯写邪.
- 袟邪褖芯? - 蟹邪锌懈褌邪 锌芯谢泻芯胁薪懈泻褗褌.
- 袠屑邪屑械 写胁邪泄褋械褌 屑懈薪褍褌懈 蟹邪泻褗褋薪械薪懈械 懈 胁谢邪泻褗褌 薪褟屑邪 写邪 褋锌懈褉邪.
- 袧芯 邪蟹 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褋械 写褍械谢懈褉邪屑 褋 谐芯褋锌芯写懈薪邪.
- 小褗卸邪谢褟胁邪屑 - 芯褌胁褗褉薪邪 褔懈薪芯胁薪懈泻褗褌, - 褌褉褗谐胁邪屑械 胁械写薪邪谐邪, 械褌芯 懈 蟹胁褗薪械褑邪!
袠 薪邪懈褋褌懈薪邪 蟹胁褗薪械褑褗褌 褍写邪褉懈 懈 胁谢邪泻褗褌 褌褉褗谐薪邪.
- 小褗卸邪谢褟胁邪屑 屑薪芯谐芯, 谐芯褋锌芯写邪 - 泻邪蟹邪 褌芯谐邪胁邪 泻芯薪写褍泻褌芯褉褗褌. - 袩褉懈 胁褋懈褔泻懈 写褉褍谐懈 芯斜褋褌芯褟褌械谢褋褌胁邪 斜懈褏 胁懈 褍谢械褋薪懈谢. 袧芯 胁 泻褉邪械薪 褋谢褍褔邪泄, 锌芯薪械卸械 薪褟屑邪褏褌械 胁褉械屑械 写邪 褋械 写褍械谢懈褉邪褌械 褌褍泻, 泻邪泻胁芯 胁懈 锌褉械褔懈 写邪 褋械 写褍械谢懈褉邪褌械 锌芯 锌褗褌褟?
- 袦芯卸械 写邪 薪械 械 褍写芯斜薪芯 薪邪 谐芯褋锌芯写懈薪邪! - 锌芯写懈谐褉邪胁邪褌械谢薪芯 泻邪蟹邪 锌芯谢泻芯胁薪懈泻 袩褉芯泻褌褗褉.
- 袦薪芯谐芯 屑懈 械 褍写芯斜薪芯 - 芯褌谐芯胁芯褉懈 肖懈谢懈邪褋 肖芯谐.
- 袝, 锌芯谢芯卸懈褌械谢薪芯 褋屑械 胁 袗屑械褉懈泻邪! - 褋懈 锌芯屑懈褋谢懈 袩邪褋锌邪褉褌褍. - 泻芯薪写褍泻褌芯褉褗褌 械 写卸械薪褌褗谢屑械薪 芯褌 薪邪泄-写芯斜褉芯褌芯 芯斜褖械褋褌胁芯!鈥�
鈥炐澬� 褌褗泻屑芯 泻芯谐邪褌芯 写胁邪屑邪褌邪 锌褉芯褌懈胁薪懈褑懈 褋械 谐芯褌胁械褏邪 写邪 褋谢褟蟹邪褌, 泻芯薪写褍泻褌芯褉褗褌 懈蟹褌懈褔邪 懈 懈屑 懈蟹胁懈泻邪:
- 袧懈泻芯泄 写邪 薪械 褋谢懈蟹邪, 谐芯褋锌芯写邪.
- 袟邪褖芯? - 蟹邪锌懈褌邪 锌芯谢泻芯胁薪懈泻褗褌.
- 袠屑邪屑械 写胁邪泄褋械褌 屑懈薪褍褌懈 蟹邪泻褗褋薪械薪懈械 懈 胁谢邪泻褗褌 薪褟屑邪 写邪 褋锌懈褉邪.
- 袧芯 邪蟹 褌褉褟斜胁邪 写邪 褋械 写褍械谢懈褉邪屑 褋 谐芯褋锌芯写懈薪邪.
- 小褗卸邪谢褟胁邪屑 - 芯褌胁褗褉薪邪 褔懈薪芯胁薪懈泻褗褌, - 褌褉褗谐胁邪屑械 胁械写薪邪谐邪, 械褌芯 懈 蟹胁褗薪械褑邪!
袠 薪邪懈褋褌懈薪邪 蟹胁褗薪械褑褗褌 褍写邪褉懈 懈 胁谢邪泻褗褌 褌褉褗谐薪邪.
- 小褗卸邪谢褟胁邪屑 屑薪芯谐芯, 谐芯褋锌芯写邪 - 泻邪蟹邪 褌芯谐邪胁邪 泻芯薪写褍泻褌芯褉褗褌. - 袩褉懈 胁褋懈褔泻懈 写褉褍谐懈 芯斜褋褌芯褟褌械谢褋褌胁邪 斜懈褏 胁懈 褍谢械褋薪懈谢. 袧芯 胁 泻褉邪械薪 褋谢褍褔邪泄, 锌芯薪械卸械 薪褟屑邪褏褌械 胁褉械屑械 写邪 褋械 写褍械谢懈褉邪褌械 褌褍泻, 泻邪泻胁芯 胁懈 锌褉械褔懈 写邪 褋械 写褍械谢懈褉邪褌械 锌芯 锌褗褌褟?
- 袦芯卸械 写邪 薪械 械 褍写芯斜薪芯 薪邪 谐芯褋锌芯写懈薪邪! - 锌芯写懈谐褉邪胁邪褌械谢薪芯 泻邪蟹邪 锌芯谢泻芯胁薪懈泻 袩褉芯泻褌褗褉.
- 袦薪芯谐芯 屑懈 械 褍写芯斜薪芯 - 芯褌谐芯胁芯褉懈 肖懈谢懈邪褋 肖芯谐.
- 袝, 锌芯谢芯卸懈褌械谢薪芯 褋屑械 胁 袗屑械褉懈泻邪! - 褋懈 锌芯屑懈褋谢懈 袩邪褋锌邪褉褌褍. - 泻芯薪写褍泻褌芯褉褗褌 械 写卸械薪褌褗谢屑械薪 芯褌 薪邪泄-写芯斜褉芯褌芯 芯斜褖械褋褌胁芯!鈥�
September 19, 2021
賷賵賲賴 賲丨爻賵亘 亘丕賱丿賯丕卅賯馃暃..賵 丕賮毓丕賱賴 賲鬲賵賯毓丞 賱卮賴賵乇 亘賱 賵 兀毓賵丕賲
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亘丕禺鬲氐丕乇 賮賷賱賷丕爻 賮賵噩 賷鬲賮丕丿賶 亘賰賱 賯賵鬲賴 丕賳 賷賰賵賳 廿賳爻丕賳丕..
賵 賴匕丕 賷爻鬲賮夭 夭賲賱丕丐賴 賮賷 丕賱賳丕丿賷 賮乇丕賴賳賵賴 毓賱賶 兀賳賴 賱賳 賷賳噩丨 賮賷 丕賱丿賵乇丕賳 丨賵賱 丕賱毓丕賱賲 賮賷 80賷賵賲. .賲賴賲丕 賰丕賳 賲賳囟亘胤丕
賵 賴賰匕丕 賳亘丿兀 兀睾乇亘 乇丨賱丕鬲 噩賵賱 賮賷乇賳 .. 賵 丕爻鬲禺丿賲 賮賷賴丕 賰賱 賵爻丕卅賱 丕賱賳賯賱 丕賱賲鬲丕丨丞 賵 丕賱賱丕賲毓賯賵賱丞丕賷囟丕馃悩
馃専馃専馃専賱賲丕匕丕 孬賱丕孬 賳噩賵賲 賮賯胤 丕匕賳 責
丕賵賱丕 賱丕賳賴丕 亘毓賷丿丞 賳賵毓丕 毓賳 噩賵 賮賷乇賳 丕賱禺賷丕賱賷 丕賱賲毓鬲丕丿..孬丕賳賷丕 : 賱丕賳賴丕 廿丨丿賶 乇賵丕賷丕鬲賷 丕賱賲丿乇爻賷丞..孬丕賱孬丕 : 賱丕賳賴丕 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賵丨賷丿丞 丕賱鬲賷 賯乇丕鬲賴丕 亘丕賱賱睾丞 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 賲賲丕 賯賱賱 賲鬲毓鬲賷 亘賴丕 .. 賮丕賳丕 丕毓鬲乇賮: 賱賷爻 賴賳丕賰 丕賷 毓賲丕乇 亘賷賳賷 賵 亘賷賳 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 ..賵 賱賳 賷賰賵賳 丕亘丿丕..丕亘丿丕
亘賱 丕毓鬲亘乇 兀氐丿賯丕卅賷 丕賱匕賷賳 賷噩賷丿賵賳賴丕 亘丕乇毓賷賷賳 賰丕賱爻丨乇丞 鬲賲丕賲
賮賷賱賷丕爻 賮賵噩..賲鬲丨匕賱賯丕..丿賯賷賯丕..睾丕乇賯丕 賮賷 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱 丕賱鬲賷 鬲囟賷毓 毓賱賷賴 亘賴噩丞 丕賱丨賷丕丞
..亘亘丕賱睾 賮賷 賳馗丕賲賴 賵 丕賳囟亘丕胤賴 丨鬲賶 丕賳賴 賲賳 丕賱賲爻鬲丨賷賱 乇丐賷鬲賴 毓氐亘賷丕 兀賵 賲睾鬲丕馗丕馃槧. .賲鬲賵鬲乇丕 丕賵 賲鬲毓噩賱丕
賮賵噩 賷亘丕賱睾 賮賷 丕賳賮氐丕賱賴 毓賳 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賵 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 ..賷鬲亘賳賶 丕賱丕毓鬲丿丕賱 賵 丕賱賲丨丿賵丿賷丞. .賷鬲噩賳亘 丕賱賲賳丕賯卮丕鬲.."賱丕 丕賱賵賲賴 丨賯丕" 亘賱 丕賳賷 丕賳亘賴乇 丕丨賷丕賳丕 亘賴匕丕 丕賱賳賲胤 賵 賯丿乇鬲賴 毓賱賶 丕賱氐賲賵丿..賱賰賳賷 賲賳丿賴卮丞 賲賳 丕禺鬲賷丕乇賴 賮賷 賲賳鬲氐賮 丕賱賯乇賳 18 ..丕賱丿賳賷丕 賴賶 賴賷 廿匕賳
亘丕禺鬲氐丕乇 賮賷賱賷丕爻 賮賵噩 賷鬲賮丕丿賶 亘賰賱 賯賵鬲賴 丕賳 賷賰賵賳 廿賳爻丕賳丕..
賵 賴匕丕 賷爻鬲賮夭 夭賲賱丕丐賴 賮賷 丕賱賳丕丿賷 賮乇丕賴賳賵賴 毓賱賶 兀賳賴 賱賳 賷賳噩丨 賮賷 丕賱丿賵乇丕賳 丨賵賱 丕賱毓丕賱賲 賮賷 80賷賵賲. .賲賴賲丕 賰丕賳 賲賳囟亘胤丕
賵 賴賰匕丕 賳亘丿兀 兀睾乇亘 乇丨賱丕鬲 噩賵賱 賮賷乇賳 .. 賵 丕爻鬲禺丿賲 賮賷賴丕 賰賱 賵爻丕卅賱 丕賱賳賯賱 丕賱賲鬲丕丨丞 賵 丕賱賱丕賲毓賯賵賱丞丕賷囟丕馃悩
馃専馃専馃専賱賲丕匕丕 孬賱丕孬 賳噩賵賲 賮賯胤 丕匕賳 責
丕賵賱丕 賱丕賳賴丕 亘毓賷丿丞 賳賵毓丕 毓賳 噩賵 賮賷乇賳 丕賱禺賷丕賱賷 丕賱賲毓鬲丕丿..孬丕賳賷丕 : 賱丕賳賴丕 廿丨丿賶 乇賵丕賷丕鬲賷 丕賱賲丿乇爻賷丞..孬丕賱孬丕 : 賱丕賳賴丕 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賵丨賷丿丞 丕賱鬲賷 賯乇丕鬲賴丕 亘丕賱賱睾丞 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 賲賲丕 賯賱賱 賲鬲毓鬲賷 亘賴丕 .. 賮丕賳丕 丕毓鬲乇賮: 賱賷爻 賴賳丕賰 丕賷 毓賲丕乇 亘賷賳賷 賵 亘賷賳 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 ..賵 賱賳 賷賰賵賳 丕亘丿丕..丕亘丿丕
亘賱 丕毓鬲亘乇 兀氐丿賯丕卅賷 丕賱匕賷賳 賷噩賷丿賵賳賴丕 亘丕乇毓賷賷賳 賰丕賱爻丨乇丞 鬲賲丕賲
April 18, 2024
Quite adventurous! And the story is based on so much factual information that it鈥檚 actually far more fun and entertaining than I expected.
I read this book last week trying to catch up with my classics unread pile. And I am genuinely surprised with how much this book entertained me. I just cannot get enough of this book!
I am in love with this Puffin UK edition living true to my Puffin classic edition obsession 鉁�
It鈥檚 the story of Phileas Fogg who wages his fortune for a challenge to travel the world in just eighty days! The story was set during the 1870s or before that when this book was written. We can imagine how the man could possibly carry out this challenge considering the limited means of transportation during that time.
With his new valet, also a loyal to the core companion, Passepartout, he sets out to accomplish the set mission.
The writing is engagingly good and filled with playful words that display wisdom, information based on actual facts, wit and sarcasm. The perfect combination that kept me wanting for more!
Reading this book made me feel like I was in a video game world in which I had to do my best to accomplish the mission to save my life!
The characters are well etched, my favourite being Passepartout. His monologues are the best!
The highlights for this book would be the different places in different countries including India (the first place they visited) and I was quite surprised with how much knowledge that little part provided based on real events. One example would be the discussion on Sati (women had to jumped into the burning pyre of their dead husbands sacrificing their lives). More such information based at different places are mentioned as well.
An amazing read. You will go on reading until you find out if they really accomplished their mission or not!
Pick up this book if you don鈥檛 know what to pick up next or if you have been a victim of average reads recently.
I read this book last week trying to catch up with my classics unread pile. And I am genuinely surprised with how much this book entertained me. I just cannot get enough of this book!
I am in love with this Puffin UK edition living true to my Puffin classic edition obsession 鉁�
It鈥檚 the story of Phileas Fogg who wages his fortune for a challenge to travel the world in just eighty days! The story was set during the 1870s or before that when this book was written. We can imagine how the man could possibly carry out this challenge considering the limited means of transportation during that time.
With his new valet, also a loyal to the core companion, Passepartout, he sets out to accomplish the set mission.
The writing is engagingly good and filled with playful words that display wisdom, information based on actual facts, wit and sarcasm. The perfect combination that kept me wanting for more!
Reading this book made me feel like I was in a video game world in which I had to do my best to accomplish the mission to save my life!
The characters are well etched, my favourite being Passepartout. His monologues are the best!
The highlights for this book would be the different places in different countries including India (the first place they visited) and I was quite surprised with how much knowledge that little part provided based on real events. One example would be the discussion on Sati (women had to jumped into the burning pyre of their dead husbands sacrificing their lives). More such information based at different places are mentioned as well.
An amazing read. You will go on reading until you find out if they really accomplished their mission or not!
Pick up this book if you don鈥檛 know what to pick up next or if you have been a victim of average reads recently.
November 10, 2008
I finished Around the World in 80 Days today and it was even better than I remembered from my childhood. Admittedly, the version I had read as a child was the edition that was, unfortunately, abridged. I felt that a reading of the unabridged classic was long overdue. Shockingly enough, I still remembered the ending 20 years later.
Just the task Phileas Fogg faces in traveling the world in 80 days (in the 19th century) and the obstacles that pop up to delay his travels would make for a fabulous story, but the element of a cat-and-mouse chase really puts this book over the top! I highly recommend it for anyone who loves grand adventure stories.
I can see why Jules Verne is touted as one of the finest French authors. He is deserving of all accolades!
Just the task Phileas Fogg faces in traveling the world in 80 days (in the 19th century) and the obstacles that pop up to delay his travels would make for a fabulous story, but the element of a cat-and-mouse chase really puts this book over the top! I highly recommend it for anyone who loves grand adventure stories.
I can see why Jules Verne is touted as one of the finest French authors. He is deserving of all accolades!
September 9, 2020
"La Tierra es m谩s peque帽a, puesto que puede ser recorrida diez veces m谩s r谩pido que hace cien a帽os."
Fue el primer libro de Verne que le铆, sin ser una gran obra maestra, es un libro muy entretenido a leer con muchas aventuras y una diversidad de tem谩ticas, personajes y sociedades, pues todo parte de un tour digamos mundial que sera producto de una apuesta de se帽orones burgueses. Un relato de descubrir nuevos mundos y tambien del valor de las amistades.
La manera como empieza y termina el libro a mi parecer es lo m谩s pintoresco.
Fue el primer libro de Verne que le铆, sin ser una gran obra maestra, es un libro muy entretenido a leer con muchas aventuras y una diversidad de tem谩ticas, personajes y sociedades, pues todo parte de un tour digamos mundial que sera producto de una apuesta de se帽orones burgueses. Un relato de descubrir nuevos mundos y tambien del valor de las amistades.
La manera como empieza y termina el libro a mi parecer es lo m谩s pintoresco.
July 1, 2022
賷賵賲賴 賲丨爻賵亘 亘丕賱丿賯丕卅賯馃暃..賵 丕賮毓丕賱賴 賲鬲賵賯毓丞 賱卮賴賵乇 亘賱 賵 兀毓賵丕賲
賮賷賱賷丕爻 賮賵噩..賲鬲丨匕賱賯丕..丿賯賷賯丕..睾丕乇賯丕 賮賷 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱 丕賱鬲賷 鬲囟賷毓 毓賱賷賴 亘賴噩丞 丕賱丨賷丕丞
..亘亘丕賱睾 賮賷 賳馗丕賲賴 賵 丕賳囟亘丕胤賴 丨鬲賶 丕賳賴 賲賳 丕賱賲爻鬲丨賷賱 乇丐賷鬲賴 毓氐亘賷丕 兀賵 賲睾鬲丕馗丕馃槧. .賲鬲賵鬲乇丕 丕賵 賲鬲毓噩賱丕
賮賵噩 賷亘丕賱睾 賮賷 丕賳賮氐丕賱賴 毓賳 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賵 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 ..賷鬲亘賳賶 丕賱丕毓鬲丿丕賱 賵 丕賱賲丨丿賵丿賷丞. .賷鬲噩賳亘 丕賱賲賳丕賯卮丕鬲.."賱丕 丕賱賵賲賴 丨賯丕" 亘賱 丕賳賷 丕賳亘賴乇 丕丨賷丕賳丕 亘賴匕丕 丕賱賳賲胤 賵 賯丿乇鬲賴 毓賱賶 丕賱氐賲賵丿..賱賰賳賷 賲賳丿賴卮丞 賲賳 丕禺鬲賷丕乇賴 賮賷 賲賳鬲氐賮 丕賱賯乇賳 18 ..丕賱丿賳賷丕 賴賶 賴賷 廿匕賳
亘丕禺鬲氐丕乇 賮賷賱賷丕爻 賮賵噩 賷鬲賮丕丿賶 亘賰賱 賯賵鬲賴 丕賳 賷賰賵賳 廿賳爻丕賳丕..
賵 賴匕丕 賷爻鬲賮夭 夭賲賱丕丐賴 賮賷 丕賱賳丕丿賷 賮乇丕賴賳賵賴 毓賱賶 兀賳賴 賱賳 賷賳噩丨 賮賷 丕賱丿賵乇丕賳 丨賵賱 丕賱毓丕賱賲 賮賷 80賷賵賲. .賲賴賲丕 賰丕賳 賲賳囟亘胤丕
賵 賴賰匕丕 賳亘丿兀 兀睾乇亘 乇丨賱丕鬲 噩賵賱 賮賷乇賳 .. 賵 丕爻鬲禺丿賲 賮賷賴丕 賰賱 賵爻丕卅賱 丕賱賳賯賱 丕賱賲鬲丕丨丞 賵 丕賱賱丕賲毓賯賵賱丞丕賷囟丕馃悩
馃専馃専馃専賱賲丕匕丕 孬賱丕孬 賳噩賵賲 賮賯胤 丕匕賳 責
丕賵賱丕 賱丕賳賴丕 亘毓賷丿丞 賳賵毓丕 毓賳 噩賵 賮賷乇賳 丕賱禺賷丕賱賷 丕賱賲毓鬲丕丿..孬丕賳賷丕 : 賱丕賳賴丕 廿丨丿賶 乇賵丕賷丕鬲賷 丕賱賲丿乇爻賷丞..孬丕賱孬丕 : 賱丕賳賴丕 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賵丨賷丿丞 丕賱鬲賷 賯乇丕鬲賴丕 亘丕賱賱睾丞 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 賲賲丕 賯賱賱 賲鬲毓鬲賷 亘賴丕.. 賮丕賳丕 丕毓鬲乇賮: 賱賷爻 賴賳丕賰 丕賷 毓賲丕乇 亘賷賳賷 賵 亘賷賳 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 ..賵 賱賳 賷賰賵賳 丕亘丿丕..丕亘丿丕
亘賱 丕毓鬲亘乇 兀氐丿賯丕卅賷 丕賱匕賷賳 賷噩賷丿賵賳賴丕 亘丕乇毓賷賷賳 賰丕賱爻丨乇丞 鬲賲丕賲
賮賷賱賷丕爻 賮賵噩..賲鬲丨匕賱賯丕..丿賯賷賯丕..睾丕乇賯丕 賮賷 丕賱鬲賮丕氐賷賱 丕賱鬲賷 鬲囟賷毓 毓賱賷賴 亘賴噩丞 丕賱丨賷丕丞
..亘亘丕賱睾 賮賷 賳馗丕賲賴 賵 丕賳囟亘丕胤賴 丨鬲賶 丕賳賴 賲賳 丕賱賲爻鬲丨賷賱 乇丐賷鬲賴 毓氐亘賷丕 兀賵 賲睾鬲丕馗丕馃槧. .賲鬲賵鬲乇丕 丕賵 賲鬲毓噩賱丕
賮賵噩 賷亘丕賱睾 賮賷 丕賳賮氐丕賱賴 毓賳 丕賱丨賷丕丞 賵 丕賱賲噩鬲賲毓 ..賷鬲亘賳賶 丕賱丕毓鬲丿丕賱 賵 丕賱賲丨丿賵丿賷丞. .賷鬲噩賳亘 丕賱賲賳丕賯卮丕鬲.."賱丕 丕賱賵賲賴 丨賯丕" 亘賱 丕賳賷 丕賳亘賴乇 丕丨賷丕賳丕 亘賴匕丕 丕賱賳賲胤 賵 賯丿乇鬲賴 毓賱賶 丕賱氐賲賵丿..賱賰賳賷 賲賳丿賴卮丞 賲賳 丕禺鬲賷丕乇賴 賮賷 賲賳鬲氐賮 丕賱賯乇賳 18 ..丕賱丿賳賷丕 賴賶 賴賷 廿匕賳
亘丕禺鬲氐丕乇 賮賷賱賷丕爻 賮賵噩 賷鬲賮丕丿賶 亘賰賱 賯賵鬲賴 丕賳 賷賰賵賳 廿賳爻丕賳丕..
賵 賴匕丕 賷爻鬲賮夭 夭賲賱丕丐賴 賮賷 丕賱賳丕丿賷 賮乇丕賴賳賵賴 毓賱賶 兀賳賴 賱賳 賷賳噩丨 賮賷 丕賱丿賵乇丕賳 丨賵賱 丕賱毓丕賱賲 賮賷 80賷賵賲. .賲賴賲丕 賰丕賳 賲賳囟亘胤丕
賵 賴賰匕丕 賳亘丿兀 兀睾乇亘 乇丨賱丕鬲 噩賵賱 賮賷乇賳 .. 賵 丕爻鬲禺丿賲 賮賷賴丕 賰賱 賵爻丕卅賱 丕賱賳賯賱 丕賱賲鬲丕丨丞 賵 丕賱賱丕賲毓賯賵賱丞丕賷囟丕馃悩
馃専馃専馃専賱賲丕匕丕 孬賱丕孬 賳噩賵賲 賮賯胤 丕匕賳 責
丕賵賱丕 賱丕賳賴丕 亘毓賷丿丞 賳賵毓丕 毓賳 噩賵 賮賷乇賳 丕賱禺賷丕賱賷 丕賱賲毓鬲丕丿..孬丕賳賷丕 : 賱丕賳賴丕 廿丨丿賶 乇賵丕賷丕鬲賷 丕賱賲丿乇爻賷丞..孬丕賱孬丕 : 賱丕賳賴丕 丕賱乇賵丕賷丞 丕賱賵丨賷丿丞 丕賱鬲賷 賯乇丕鬲賴丕 亘丕賱賱睾丞 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 賲賲丕 賯賱賱 賲鬲毓鬲賷 亘賴丕.. 賮丕賳丕 丕毓鬲乇賮: 賱賷爻 賴賳丕賰 丕賷 毓賲丕乇 亘賷賳賷 賵 亘賷賳 丕賱賮乇賳爻賷丞 ..賵 賱賳 賷賰賵賳 丕亘丿丕..丕亘丿丕
亘賱 丕毓鬲亘乇 兀氐丿賯丕卅賷 丕賱匕賷賳 賷噩賷丿賵賳賴丕 亘丕乇毓賷賷賳 賰丕賱爻丨乇丞 鬲賲丕賲
September 5, 2020
Have been reading this in French, and I have to say, Verne's book gained in translation, instead of having lost, if you get my drift.
This was a reread. It held up well, and in the lack of otherwise, I must credit the pleasurable, and ingenious denouement to Jules Verne.
The book must have looked drop dead fresh, pardon the oxymoron, in its debut year. As you see, the English language has borrowed a lot from the French. It has gained in richness for that.
This was a reread. It held up well, and in the lack of otherwise, I must credit the pleasurable, and ingenious denouement to Jules Verne.
The book must have looked drop dead fresh, pardon the oxymoron, in its debut year. As you see, the English language has borrowed a lot from the French. It has gained in richness for that.
September 13, 2018
I really enjoyed this - a fun and interesting read, and more heartfelt than I expected. It's quite interesting to see a French take on 19th century Englishness, and a 19th century perspective on the world.
February 8, 2022
Jules Verne is a favorite author from my childhood. I have been rereading some of his works and to be honest I've been left a little underwhelmed. Not so with around the world in 80 days! It's a 5-star read and most likely my favorite extraordinary voyages.
80 days was truly action packed. None of this bad science or terribly boring diatribes that were abundant in journey to the center of the earth and ten thousand leagues under the sea. I've heard somewhere that travel logs were the most popular form of writing to Victorians. If they all were as exciting as 80 days, I can see why. I thought it was funny. The main character Phileas fogg is about as dry as a desert and a good match for the fiery Frenchman Passepartout. Fogg a gentleman made the bet and the pair struck out immediately. Along the way they save a damsel, join a circus troop, sail through Storms, experience a violent pollical meeting, learn and reject Mormonism, all by being chased by a detective. Short and fast paced i can't think of a reason not to read this!
What an amazing journey. i could not remember if Fogg won the bet or not. i remember him getting the girl and that being ascribed as more important than the bet. i was really on the edge of my seat until the end!
80 days was truly action packed. None of this bad science or terribly boring diatribes that were abundant in journey to the center of the earth and ten thousand leagues under the sea. I've heard somewhere that travel logs were the most popular form of writing to Victorians. If they all were as exciting as 80 days, I can see why. I thought it was funny. The main character Phileas fogg is about as dry as a desert and a good match for the fiery Frenchman Passepartout. Fogg a gentleman made the bet and the pair struck out immediately. Along the way they save a damsel, join a circus troop, sail through Storms, experience a violent pollical meeting, learn and reject Mormonism, all by being chased by a detective. Short and fast paced i can't think of a reason not to read this!
What an amazing journey. i could not remember if Fogg won the bet or not. i remember him getting the girl and that being ascribed as more important than the bet. i was really on the edge of my seat until the end!
September 15, 2019
Este no es el tipo de lecturas que m谩s disfruto, y a煤n as铆 me ha resultado bastante entretenido.
Lo mejor para mi han sido las curiosidades que nos iba relatando Verne de las diferentes partes del mundo que pisaba Fogg (poco m谩s hac铆a que pisarlas, desgraciadamente, tremenda momia xD), de hecho me hubiera gustado leer m谩s sobre estos pa铆ses y menos sobre la locura de c谩lculos matem谩ticos para llegar a tiempo a todo.
De todas maneras me entretuvo y me hicieron gracia sus personajes y especialmente las constantes comparaciones entre el car谩cter ingl茅s y el franc茅s.
Recomendado para quien busque una lectura ligera de aventurillas muy bien narrada.
Lo mejor para mi han sido las curiosidades que nos iba relatando Verne de las diferentes partes del mundo que pisaba Fogg (poco m谩s hac铆a que pisarlas, desgraciadamente, tremenda momia xD), de hecho me hubiera gustado leer m谩s sobre estos pa铆ses y menos sobre la locura de c谩lculos matem谩ticos para llegar a tiempo a todo.
De todas maneras me entretuvo y me hicieron gracia sus personajes y especialmente las constantes comparaciones entre el car谩cter ingl茅s y el franc茅s.
Recomendado para quien busque una lectura ligera de aventurillas muy bien narrada.
May 13, 2025
Only Jules Verne could make this plot so boring.
November 20, 2017
This book brings so much childhood memories back. My dad just to read aloud and retell over and over again 's stories and I'm so grateful for that. It ignited my passion for reading a long time ago, as I learned for the first time that I can travel around the world through books and stories, laying in the warm room.
I can still remember the vivid images of my imagination that I had as a child listening to this story and feelings will never fade, I still felt quite emotional rereading this story and joining Mr. Fogg on his journey.
Thank you, dad, and that you Mr. Verne for introducing me to the magical world of literature.
I can still remember the vivid images of my imagination that I had as a child listening to this story and feelings will never fade, I still felt quite emotional rereading this story and joining Mr. Fogg on his journey.
Thank you, dad, and that you Mr. Verne for introducing me to the magical world of literature.
October 12, 2023
The harrowing survival story of a checked-in luggage on a domestic flight...
March 17, 2017
賲賲讴賳 丕爻鬲 賮乇氐鬲蹖 讴賴 亘賴 丿賳亘丕賱卮 賴爻鬲蹖賲 丿乇 丌禺乇蹖賳 賱丨馗賴 賮乇丕 亘乇爻丿.
...
丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 丿賯蹖賯丕 賲氐丿丕賯 賴賲蹖賳 噩賲賱賴 爻鬲 讴賴 丕夭 禺賵丿 讴鬲丕亘 賳賵卮鬲賲. 丨讴丕蹖鬲 亘蹖賲 賵 丕賲蹖丿 亘丕 趩丕卮賳蹖 鬲賱丕卮 丿乇 賲丕噩乇丕噩賵蹖蹖鈥屬囏й屰� 禺賵賳爻乇丿丕賳賴.
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 卮禺氐蹖 讴賴 丿乇 倬蹖 蹖賴 卮乇胤鈥屫ㄙ嗀� 鬲氐賲蹖賲 賲蹖鈥屭屫辟� 丿賵乇 丿賳蹖丕 乇賵 丿乇 賴卮鬲丕丿 乇賵夭 胤蹖 讴賳賴 賵 丿乇 丕蹖賳 乇丕賴 亘丕 賲毓賲丕賴丕貙 丕鬲賮丕賯丕鬲 噩丕賱亘 賵 丕卮丕乇丕鬲 賮乇賴賳诏蹖 賲賵丕噩賴 賲蹖鈥屫篡屬�.
卮禺氐蹖鬲 賮蹖賱蹖爻 賮丕诏 賵丕賯毓丕 亘乇丕蹖 賲賳 丕賱賴丕賲鈥屫ㄘ� 亘賵丿 讴賴 趩胤賵乇蹖 丿乇 胤賵賱 爻賮乇 賵 丕鬲賮丕賯丕鬲 睾蹖乇賲鬲乇賯亘賴 禺賵賳爻乇丿蹖卮 乇賵 丨賮馗 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 賵 噩丕蹖 讴丕爻賴鈥屰� 趩賴 讴賳賲 趩賴 讴賳賲 亘賴 丿爻鬲 诏乇賮鬲賳貙 亘賴 賮讴乇 賵 丿賳亘丕賱 乇丕賴鈥屫勠� 亘賵丿.
诏乇趩賴 倬丕蹖丕賳鈥屫ㄙ嗀� 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 鬲丕 丕賳鬲賴丕 噩賳亘賴鈥屰� 睾丕賮賱鈥屭屫必з嗁団€屫� 乇賵 丨賮馗 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁囏� 亘丕 丕蹖賳 丨丕賱 卮乇賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賵 丿乇 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賵毓 禺丕乇噩 卮丿賳 賮蹖讴爻 丕夭 賲丕噩乇丕 蹖賴 讴賲 丿賲鈥屫池� 亘賴 賳馗乇賲 丕賵賲丿. 亘丕 丕蹖賳 丨丕賱 丕蹖賳 丿賵 賲賵乇丿 丕夭 丕乇夭卮 讴鬲丕亘 讴賲 賳賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁� 賵 禺賵卮丨丕賱賲 禺賵賳丿賲卮.
倬蹖鈥屬嗁堌簇�: 賵丕賯毓丕 倬賵賱 賯丿乇鬲 賲蹖丕乇賴 :丿蹖
...
丕蹖賳 讴鬲丕亘 丿賯蹖賯丕 賲氐丿丕賯 賴賲蹖賳 噩賲賱賴 爻鬲 讴賴 丕夭 禺賵丿 讴鬲丕亘 賳賵卮鬲賲. 丨讴丕蹖鬲 亘蹖賲 賵 丕賲蹖丿 亘丕 趩丕卮賳蹖 鬲賱丕卮 丿乇 賲丕噩乇丕噩賵蹖蹖鈥屬囏й屰� 禺賵賳爻乇丿丕賳賴.
丿丕爻鬲丕賳 卮禺氐蹖 讴賴 丿乇 倬蹖 蹖賴 卮乇胤鈥屫ㄙ嗀� 鬲氐賲蹖賲 賲蹖鈥屭屫辟� 丿賵乇 丿賳蹖丕 乇賵 丿乇 賴卮鬲丕丿 乇賵夭 胤蹖 讴賳賴 賵 丿乇 丕蹖賳 乇丕賴 亘丕 賲毓賲丕賴丕貙 丕鬲賮丕賯丕鬲 噩丕賱亘 賵 丕卮丕乇丕鬲 賮乇賴賳诏蹖 賲賵丕噩賴 賲蹖鈥屫篡屬�.
卮禺氐蹖鬲 賮蹖賱蹖爻 賮丕诏 賵丕賯毓丕 亘乇丕蹖 賲賳 丕賱賴丕賲鈥屫ㄘ� 亘賵丿 讴賴 趩胤賵乇蹖 丿乇 胤賵賱 爻賮乇 賵 丕鬲賮丕賯丕鬲 睾蹖乇賲鬲乇賯亘賴 禺賵賳爻乇丿蹖卮 乇賵 丨賮馗 賲蹖鈥屭┴必� 賵 噩丕蹖 讴丕爻賴鈥屰� 趩賴 讴賳賲 趩賴 讴賳賲 亘賴 丿爻鬲 诏乇賮鬲賳貙 亘賴 賮讴乇 賵 丿賳亘丕賱 乇丕賴鈥屫勠� 亘賵丿.
诏乇趩賴 倬丕蹖丕賳鈥屫ㄙ嗀� 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 鬲丕 丕賳鬲賴丕 噩賳亘賴鈥屰� 睾丕賮賱鈥屭屫必з嗁団€屫� 乇賵 丨賮馗 賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁囏� 亘丕 丕蹖賳 丨丕賱 卮乇賵毓 丿丕爻鬲丕賳 賵 丿乇 倬丕蹖丕賳 賳賵毓 禺丕乇噩 卮丿賳 賮蹖讴爻 丕夭 賲丕噩乇丕 蹖賴 讴賲 丿賲鈥屫池� 亘賴 賳馗乇賲 丕賵賲丿. 亘丕 丕蹖賳 丨丕賱 丕蹖賳 丿賵 賲賵乇丿 丕夭 丕乇夭卮 讴鬲丕亘 讴賲 賳賲蹖鈥屭┵嗁� 賵 禺賵卮丨丕賱賲 禺賵賳丿賲卮.
倬蹖鈥屬嗁堌簇�: 賵丕賯毓丕 倬賵賱 賯丿乇鬲 賲蹖丕乇賴 :丿蹖
August 26, 2015
More like five days for me really, though even that is too long for a 250 pages book. Well, it鈥檚 an audiobook and I only listened to it while commuting to work.
Yes, that is a silly intro but what I meant is that while listening to the book I often felt transported along with Phileas Fogg and crew. This is my first Jules Verne book, normally I prefer to read books in the original language they are written in because with translated books there is always an added layer between the translator and the original text. Still, if I avoid reading translated novels altogether I would have missed out on some great literature. This edition from Librivox* was translated by George Makepeace Towle, obviously I don鈥檛 know how accurate the translation is but the prose is very readable and the narrative entertaining.
I was immediately taken by the chummy tone of the narrative. Even though noting much happen in the first chapter I enjoyed Verne鈥檚 description of Phileas Fogg, a rather eccentric and enigmatic English gentleman; 鈥渆xactitude personified鈥� as Verne (or Towle?) puts it. The amusingly unflappable Fogg has a great foil in Passepartout (sounds like 鈥減assport two鈥� in the audio). Passepartout is Fogg鈥檚 butler and sidekick, not so much Robin (as in Batman), or Jeeves, as Sancho Panza from , he is bumbling, loyal and extremely likable; his IQ seems to go up and down as the plot dictates though.
The basic plot of Around the World in Eighty Days is very simple, the novel tells the story of Phileas Fogg鈥檚 attempt to travel the world in no more than 80 days for a bet. He is accompanied by Passepartout, along the way they pick up a couple of characters to form an entourage and they go through several hair-raising adventures. The book is pretty much a romp from beginning to end, necessarily moving at breakneck speed as time is obviously limited and the page count is quite modest.
One thing that surprises me is that Verne, a French author chooses an Englishman for his hero and Passepartout, a Frenchman, as his bumbling sidekick. Was Jules Verne an Anglophile? Let me know in the comments please. Of the other main characters, the Indian girl Aouda, who Fogg and Passepartout rescue from some zealot villains, seems to have very little in the way of agency. Then we have a Scotland Yard detective named Fix who is incredibly single-minded in his pursuit of Phileas Fogg (I keep imagining a musical adaptation of this book where he sings 鈥淚 will try to Fix you鈥�), I like him. Coming back to Fogg himself, he starts off being interestingly enigmatic and unflappable but by the end of the book seems like a one note character.
鈥淎s for Phileas Fogg, it seemed just as if the typhoon were a part of his programme鈥�
That quote sums him up nicely. So Passepartout remains the novel鈥檚 best character for me.
Not much left for me to say really Around the World in Eighty Days is a hoot and I recommend it. I will certainly read , and beyond. is my kind of guy!
________
* , entertainingly read by Ralph Snelson, thank you!
My thanks to Lyn, an excellent GR friend and reviewer, whose review prompted me to read this book.
Yes, that is a silly intro but what I meant is that while listening to the book I often felt transported along with Phileas Fogg and crew. This is my first Jules Verne book, normally I prefer to read books in the original language they are written in because with translated books there is always an added layer between the translator and the original text. Still, if I avoid reading translated novels altogether I would have missed out on some great literature. This edition from Librivox* was translated by George Makepeace Towle, obviously I don鈥檛 know how accurate the translation is but the prose is very readable and the narrative entertaining.
I was immediately taken by the chummy tone of the narrative. Even though noting much happen in the first chapter I enjoyed Verne鈥檚 description of Phileas Fogg, a rather eccentric and enigmatic English gentleman; 鈥渆xactitude personified鈥� as Verne (or Towle?) puts it. The amusingly unflappable Fogg has a great foil in Passepartout (sounds like 鈥減assport two鈥� in the audio). Passepartout is Fogg鈥檚 butler and sidekick, not so much Robin (as in Batman), or Jeeves, as Sancho Panza from , he is bumbling, loyal and extremely likable; his IQ seems to go up and down as the plot dictates though.
The basic plot of Around the World in Eighty Days is very simple, the novel tells the story of Phileas Fogg鈥檚 attempt to travel the world in no more than 80 days for a bet. He is accompanied by Passepartout, along the way they pick up a couple of characters to form an entourage and they go through several hair-raising adventures. The book is pretty much a romp from beginning to end, necessarily moving at breakneck speed as time is obviously limited and the page count is quite modest.
One thing that surprises me is that Verne, a French author chooses an Englishman for his hero and Passepartout, a Frenchman, as his bumbling sidekick. Was Jules Verne an Anglophile? Let me know in the comments please. Of the other main characters, the Indian girl Aouda, who Fogg and Passepartout rescue from some zealot villains, seems to have very little in the way of agency. Then we have a Scotland Yard detective named Fix who is incredibly single-minded in his pursuit of Phileas Fogg (I keep imagining a musical adaptation of this book where he sings 鈥淚 will try to Fix you鈥�), I like him. Coming back to Fogg himself, he starts off being interestingly enigmatic and unflappable but by the end of the book seems like a one note character.
鈥淎s for Phileas Fogg, it seemed just as if the typhoon were a part of his programme鈥�
That quote sums him up nicely. So Passepartout remains the novel鈥檚 best character for me.
Not much left for me to say really Around the World in Eighty Days is a hoot and I recommend it. I will certainly read , and beyond. is my kind of guy!
________
* , entertainingly read by Ralph Snelson, thank you!
My thanks to Lyn, an excellent GR friend and reviewer, whose review prompted me to read this book.
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