Book 269 - Jules Verne - Around the World in 80 Days

Another trip to my youth and again another that was recently dramatised for the BBC. I can’t help but say that although I thoroughly enjoyed their journey, it doesn’t half take liberties with text. Two whole opening episodes that take up a few short sentences in the book as Phileas Fogg traverses from the Reform Club through France and Italy to Africa.

Fogg is a much more outgoing but extremely fastidious character and the book makes it clear that he is more than able to carry through on the task of circumnavigating the globe to be back before Christmas…although in the book’s case the 80 days are up on 21st Dec and not Christmas Eve as portrayed in the TV series.

Fogg is a bit of a Victorian daredevil and his valet, Passepartout, helps bring this out even more…as they escape a case of mistaken identity in Africa to the rescue of a potential human sacrifice in India on to a wonderful race through America to reach the east coast and catch a ship to Europe.

Through all of this he is pursued by Police Detective Fix who reckons he is an international thief who has stolen £55 000…it is ridiculous…it is due to paper thin evidence…but it works…

What follows is the best of Victorian farce as Fogg races to get back to the Reform Club before the 80 days are up.

It is charming and challenging…of its time and all about timing.

Brilliant…another wonderful read ( )

Phileas Fogg bet his entire fortune that he could cross the Nineteenth Century Earth - with no plans, no special arrangements, and no air travel - in exactly eighty days. Any delay, any breakdown, any missed connection, and Fogg would lose - everything.

Surely, a must be read book. But I thought I would never finish reading it... ( )

Jules Verne's Around The World In Eighty Days is a travelogue in the form of an adventure story. Fascinating to see a 19th century French writer's perspective on England and the English, India, Japan, China, America. Our heros, Phileas Fogg and his servant Passepartout, engage in all sorts of adventures, and not just missed timetables: there's a ritual sacrifice to be thwarted, Comanche-abducted people to be rescued, and so on. This edition is translated and has wonderful explanatory footnotes by Michael Glencross, and there's an excellent introduction by Brian Aldiss. Around The World is a fun adveture, enthusiastically and buoyantly written. A fantastic reading experience. ( )

Book 12
Round the world in 80 days.
Jules Verne.
This book was chosen as Peter bought me a new dress for our anniversary (still to be worn) and the pattern on it is round the world in 80 days. That brought up the subject of the book and although I knew of Phileas Fogg I wouldn't have known why. I really enjoyed this adventure and am going to watch the film... My hairdresser told me to watch the Jackie Chan version which Peter says got bad reviews so might start with the David Niven one. Does anyone know of any others?
786 days left.
8/10 ( )

A translation of the classic novel. I read it as a child but cannot remember now whether it was the original or a version adapted for children. I've seen the 1960s film version, a cartoon version, and bits of the TV version but I still saw David Niven as Phileas Fogg in my mind's eye while reading. ( )

“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?”

Around the World in Eighty Days is one of Verne's best-known and most successful novels. Like Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, it features a journey around the world, although in this case it's not by submarine, but a more conventional trip, mainly by train and steam ship.


What is it about?: 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—whether train or elephant—overcoming set-backs and always racing against the clock.


This story has been adapted many times, so it's likely that a lot of modern readers know how it ends. At least that was the case for me and anyone else in my generation in Spain, having grown-up with a very popular animated TV show that adapted the story.

One would think that the scope of this story, covering a trip around the world, would call for a longer novel, but it's only one volume (unlike Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, which was two volumes). That makes for a fast-paced story, and it works quite well here.

The one thing that strikes me about this story is how readable and entertaining it is. It doesn't have the scientific or speculative heft of other Verne novels. It's a very simple plot, mostly involving travel by public transportation, with some entertaining exceptions. But the pressure of the time limit easily maintains a high level of tension, and every element works smoothly to create an appealing story. Events move fast, and there is none of the info-dump or didactic exposition that we can find in some works by the same author. This reads like a thriller.

Speaking of this, I had also noticed that in the previous one (The Fur Country) there are very few didactic passages. There are still interesting facts to learn in these novels, but they are integrated in the story in a natural manner. I have to wonder if this was due to the influence of Pierre-Jules Hetzel (Verne's editor), who wanted the writer to concentrate on the adventure elements at the expense of speculative content. Did that include getting rid of Verne's didactic asides? It will be interesting to see if this becomes a trend in the following novels.

In any case, this is a very timely story, written at a time when the development of public transportation, the building of transcontinental railroads in the United States and India, and the opening of the Suez channel had just made such a trip possible for tourists in a reasonable time. So, in spite of being a "simple adventure", it is also original. And of course, there's the dramatic turn of events at the end, which I'm not going to spoil if you don't know it already, but which is a very Vernian scientific twist that you wouldn't find in a conventional adventure novel. Once again, Verne writes a really good ending.

The main character are Phileas Fogg, the excentric British gentleman; Jean Passepartout, his new valet de chambre (again a French character); Detective Fix, the policeman who follows Fogg around the world believing him to be a bank thief; and Mrs. Aouda, a young Indian widow who was to be burned alive as is the custom of sati.

Fogg is a very phlematic person, almost never showing emotion, to the point that a goodreads reviewer calls him "an accurate portrayal of extreme autism". I had thought of him as reserved and undemonstrative rather than autistic, but I have to admit it would fit. The story is also, technically, a romance between him and Mrs. Aouda, but let's say that Verne focuses always on the adventure and not on character development, so don't expect it to read like a romance. However, Fogg is also portrayed as very gentlemanly and generous. Previous Verne novels like Five Weeks in a Balloon or Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Seas had featured extremely loyal servants. Here, the one who makes a great sacrifice out of loyalty to his servant is Fogg.

Passepartout, like is often the case for Verne's French characters, is the soul and comic relief of the group, even if he is not the main hero. He is given more depth thanks to his self-doubt and worries but, in general, his more cheerful and spontaneous personality makes a good contrast with Fogg. He also has his big heroic moment.

Detective Fix is a foil (and even sometimes reluctant ally) rather than a villain. This works just fine for this novel. Here this is all that is required as opponent, since the main opponent is the unyielding time limit.

Mrs. Aouda is a traditional damsel in distress, instead of an adventurer like Paulina Barnett from The Fur Country.

There's no hunting in this one, although as always you shouldn't expect modern sensitivities when portraying native cultures.

There are very good set pieces in this novel, taking place at different locations in the world. This is characteristic of Verne's novels, maybe in part as a result of their being serialized before publication as a book.


Enjoyment factor: Very high. So far it's the Verne novel with best pace. On the other hand, it's a bit slight when compared to other Verne novels, in terms of how much the author teaches the reader. It's very much an adventure thriller.


Next up: The Mysterious Island


See all my Verne reviews here: https://www.sffworld.com/forum/threads/reading-vernes-voyages-extraordinaires.58... ( )

Jules Verne and his Journey Around the World with Passepartout, The Elephant, Kiouni,and Aouda remains a welcome old world Classic to revisit!

Jules Verne, the author, makes a fun appearance in [EIGHTY DAYS], the tale of Nelly Bly and Elizabeth Brisbane and their quest
to recapture the moments in LESS than Eighty Days. ( )

It's such a grand read. It is obvious how it became a classic: fun, quick pace, and a great story. ( )

Shocking his stodgy colleagues at the exclusive Reform Club, enigmatic Englishman Phileas Fogg wagers his fortune, undertaking an extraordinary and daring enterprise: to circumnavigate the globe in eighty days. With his French valet Passepartout in tow, Verne's hero traverses the far reaches of the earth, all the while tracked by the intrepid Detective Fix, a bounty hunter certain he is on the trail of a notorious bank robber.

It was really fun to revisit this one almost nine years later. Now that I've seen a little of the world myself, it was even more enjoyable. I loved all the lessons in culture and geography and, of course recognized some places once they hit the US. It was a treat to read about them at the Green River station as my family and I went through there in April on our way to Oregon. I remember standing at a gas station and looking toward the railyard/station and thinking what a very large and complicated interchange that was for what seemed like a remote place. The "Victorian-ness" of it intrigued me, so it was especially fun to see it mentioned in the story.

The portion of the story taking place in America was pretty wild and unbelievable but I suppose that’s always how the British have seen us—-a little unstable and uncivilized. haha! What an adventure---I'm proud to see the most perilous part took place right here in America.

It was also interesting to see how so many things are different now. I love it when old stories reveal facts. For instance, the population of India then: 180 million; and now: 1.4 billion. It was mentioned that 50,000 people were already settled in Denver… now there are 2.9 million in the metro area. Bananas and mangoes were uncommon fruits and the description of mangoes was completely different than what I purchase in local stores. It was also sad to think of them having to stop for 12,000 buffalo that took hours to cross the path. The only buffalo here now are those on preserves.

This is truly one of my very favorite stories. I wonder when I'll pick it up again? ( )

A great read. I can see how it became a classic. Fun, pacy and a great story. ( )

Phileas Fogg is an English gentleman with a propensity for whist and punctuality. When the Bank of England is robbed of twenty thousand pounds, his friends discuss whether or not a robber could escape. Upon hearing that the world is small, Fogg concurs, explaining that one can travel around the world in eighty days. His companions agree in theory but argue that eighty days does not take into account bad weather, mechanical faults, timetable errors, etc and that it simply cannot be done. Fogg declares any and all delays are included in his reasoning and upon being told his friend would "like to see you do it." He responds, "It depends on you. Shall we go?". A wager is made, Fogg finishes his game of whist and proceeds to leave that night on an eighty day trip around the world.

With him, he takes only a few changes of clothes and money and his newly hired (as in literally that day because the other servant didn't heat his water properly) domicile, Jean Passepartout. At the same time, Detective Fix is sent abroad to look for the bank robber. When Passepartout and Fix cross paths, Fix is suspicious. Afterall how likely is it that an English gentleman leaves London in a bid to win a wager that he can travel around the world in eighty days? Much more likely he's the robber! And so, Fix follows along, hoping at each stop to obtain his arrest warrant and arrest the suspect. Only it doesn't go so well...

Passepartout and Fix are hilarious. Between one trying to stop Fogg, the other accidentally managing to stop him to them both trying to help, they provide much needed comic relief. Fogg for his part is unflappable. But although he is unmoved by panic or prone to the fits that plague Fix or Passepartout, he is not unfeeling. He may not care about delays but he is generous with his time and money. In one such venture he meets the lovely Aouda, an Indian woman he rescues from being burned alive. Aouda is grateful and ends up continuing to journey with Fogg for the rest of his journey. The romance between them is hinted at throughout, although remains unconfirmed until the end. The ending is amusing and had me laughing. Almost being late when they arrive a day early. All the more amusing because of the constant references to time. Overall I enjoyed this. It's not a perfect book but it's entertaining. 3 stars. ( )

Yet another classic that I hadn't got around to reading. I had seen the movie many years ago so had a vague recollection of the story. I actually expected a bit more from the book. There were definitely times when I felt I just had to read more but then there were patches where I found myself skimming through a long-winded section just to get rid of it. Having said that, I'm glad I've read it, and enjoyed the characters of Fogg and Passepartout. ( )

Somewhat of a cross between an adventure story & a travel book. Pretty fast paced but lacking the humor of the movie version... ( )

Review for this Librivox recording.

Mark Smith does a decent job with the narration and is very good for a free recording, but it isn't of the top-notch standard of a Mil Nicholson recording of Dickens. The narration is fairly uninflected, so it doesn't add to (or detract from) the book. There is a faint hiss or hum in the background that gave me a slight headache if I listened for over an hour at a time -- I don't know if that is intrinsic to the recording or an artifact of how I downloaded it onto my iPod... ( )

A beautiful story covering so much in such an elegant way, it's a must read! ( )

This is just the sort of book a 1950s nerd like me would read. ( )

So this book is old.

Mostly you can tell from the writing style, but of course also from how outrageously racists some sentences are. It's all the British are so good, all the others are savages, blah blah. Luckily there isn't too much of that, but eh, still.

But it does include a lot of tropes that I like: betrayal and found family and rich people throwing their money at stuff that are technically impossible and suceeding despite all odds and stuff. So that's good, even though I never really feel I get close to any characters when reading classic-classics.

The last line was cheesy, but I liked it because apparently I am cheesy. :P ( )

Having watched the miniseries with David Tennant for the third time, I thought I ought really to read the original in order to better understand how many liberties the adaptation took.

The answer is "All of them - and good on it for that."

I had known about the whole sati episode, so I was prepared for some racism. I wasn't however prepared for so much racism. Aouda is an acceptable heroine only because as a Parsee she is of the "highest of the native races of India", and "received a thoroughly English education [...], and, from her manners and intelligence, would be thought an European", and "spoke English with great purity", and her relative had made enough money to be made a baronet somehow. Meanwhile "the savage Papuans [...] are in the lowest scale of humanity, but are not, as has been asserted, cannibals," um. Um. I guess you're trying to be even-handed, Jules, but no, please just stop talking about people. Sadly there's more of this, so much more, and it's deeply embedded in the plot - so the miniseries had the best idea to just burn it down and start from scratch as a "vaguely inspired by distant recollections of".

Aouda does get to make a pretty fantastic marriage proposal. It's a pity: she could do a lot better than some rich dude who proves that it's possible to travel around the world in 80 days if you have (in 2022 money) millions of pounds to throw at every obstacle in your path and don't mind occasionally skipping bail and fomenting mutiny. ( )

Phileas Fogg, um gentleman inglês misterioso e muito rico, aposta com seus parceiros que conseguirá dar a volta completa ao mundo em 80 dias. Todos acham isso absurdo, irrealizável, mas um inglês nunca brinca quando se trata de algo tão importante como uma aposta, e ela é fechada.

Good adventure story, but I was a bit surprised by the Mormon preacher in Utah--he was a crazy fanatic! This is a classic for anyone. ( )

in 2018 really enjoyed it especially last 24 hours. that's a awesome idea to sun round .
5/5 ( )

چند روزی هست که خوندمش و حین خوندنش هم کلی حرف تو ذهنم اومد که دوست داشتم بگم، اما الآن و با این حال روحی‌ام صحبت از اون خیلی بی‌ارزش به چشمم میاد. ( )

I haven't read this in years, but still know the story fairly well (I certainly know how it ends) and yet my heart was still racing at the very end. ( )