Jules Verne Great excitement and awe greeted its publication in 1873, and today Around the World in Eighty Days remains Jules Verne’s most successful novel. A daring wager by the eccentric and mysterious Englishman Phileas Fogg that he can circle the globe in just eighty days initiates this marvelous travelogue and exciting suspense story. Together with his manservant, Passepartout, Fogg makes a breathless world tour, overcoming wild misadventures and finding time to rescue a beautiful Indian maharani from a burning funeral pyre—all the while restlessly pursued by a bumbling detective called Mr. Fix. Realistically utilizing nearly every means of transportation known in the 1870s, Around the World in Eighty Days generated enchantment with scientific progress—and its delightful mixture of fantasy, comedy, and dazzling suspense has kept it a perennially superb entertainment.
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“The reason Verne is still read by millions today is simply that he was one of the best storytellers who ever lived.”—Arthur C. Clarke
From the Trade Paperback edition.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
About the Author
Jules Verne was born into a family with a seafaring tradition in Nantes, France in 1828. Verne was sent to Paris to study law, but once there, he quickly fell in love with the theater. He was soon writing plays and opera librettos, and his first play was produced in 1850. When he refused his father's entreaties to return to Nantes and practice law, his allowance was cut off, and he was forced to make his living by selling stories and articles. Soon he was turning out imaginative stories such as Five Weeks in a Balloon (1863), Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), and From the Earth to the Moon (1865), which were immensely popular all over the world. His ability to envision the next stage in man's technological progress produced 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870) and Michael Strogoff (1876). His biggest success came with Around the World in Eighty Days (1872). Verne's books made him famous and rich. In 1876, he bought a large steam yacht in which he could write more comfortably than on shore. His books were widely translated, dramatized, and later filmed. He died in Amiens in 1905.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable but not enthralling,
By Daniel Jolley "darkgenius" (Shelby, North Carolina USA) - See all my reviews (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER) (TOP 100 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Around the World in Eighty Days (Bantam Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)
For some reason, I always envisioned a hot air balloon when I thought of Around the World in Eighty Days; in point of fact, a hot air balloon is about the only means of transportation not employed by Phileas Fogg in his circumnavigational sojourn (though it is given a fleeting thought by the hero at one point). Fogg is an interesting character, a man who takes punctuality to an unheard of degree. Basically, his whist partners at the Reform Club tell him there is no way to go around the globe in just 80 days, notwithstanding the fact that a detailed itinerary involving specific boats and trains promises to make it possible. Fogg immediately bets half his fortune that he can do it, setting out on his journey that very night. Passepartout, his newly hired manservant, finds himself dragged along on this historic journey. It so happens that someone matching a description of Fogg has just robbed the Bank of England of 55,000 pounds, and a detective named Fix "discovers" his robber when Fogg arrives in Suez. He wires England with the news and asks for an arrest warrant to be issued; before it arrives, Fogg is off again. Fix finds himself joining in on Fogg's epic journey, waiting for the warrant to reach him on his way, then waiting to arrest Fogg when he steps back on English soil. The travelers face many perils and stumbling blocks along their way, many brought about by Passeportout's naivete and later on by his selfless act of heroism. At every turn, Fogg finds himself in need of alternate transportation methods; he employs, among other vehicles, an elephant, a bridge-jumping train, and a wind-propelled sled. A series of uncommon adventures unfold, involving damsels in distress, Indian attacks, matters of honor, etc. All these events come to a climax the day on which he is due back at the Reform Club. There is not really much science in this fiction; instead, there is a good bit of geography; the stretches of text explaining the route from one place to another is rather boring to me personally. Luckily, most of the book is full of action. Throughout, the interesting Mr. Fogg remains as calm and placid as a cucumber while Passepartout provides some comic relief by continually finding himself in some sort of trouble. Most of the actors come across as rather wooden and artificial, but the story is good and the ending is quite satisfactory. The reading of this book led me to conjecture that this was one of Verne's earlier works because the characters here are rather drab compared to those in From the Earth to the Moon and because the pages are not weighed down by scientific terminology as in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; actually, it is one of his later novels. Around the World in Eighty Days would well serve the purpose of introducing a Verne newbie to his writing. If you want to see glimpses of Verne's prophetic scientific ideas, though, this is probably not the book for you; it is best suited for recreational reading.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A jolly good romp around the world,
By
This review is from: Around the World in Eighty Days (Bantam Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)
What more is there to say about a classic?? They are classics for a reason. This book doesn't deal with big issues of humanity. It's just great fun!! It's an old-fashioned adventure tale that pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages. It has all the making of a traditional action story - a race against time, all sorts of dangerous situations, and, of course, a love interest. Who would believe that this was written over 100 years ago? Just more proof that it is a great story that generation after generation will enjoy. Pick it up, read it, then read it with your kids, and their kids, etc. Then read it again!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Always Have A Copy When You Travel,
By
This review is from: Around the World in Eighty Days (Bantam Classics) (Mass Market Paperback)
I was heading off to San Antonio for the weekend and needed a book to read on the plane. I arbitrarily grabbed Around the World in 80 Days and it was a good thing. While everyone around me on the plane and at the airport huffed and puffed about delays, I just sat back, like Phileas Fogg, knowing that things would turn out ok. Around the World in 80 Days is not a novel of depth, but thanks to Jules Verne's immense talent for suspense and detail, he created a tale so soothing and entertaining that all you worry about the next time you travel will seem inconsequential. Always carry a copy with you whenever you go somewhere!
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