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. ( )

Adventure

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