
by Jules Verne
Certainly an Englishman, it was more doubtful whether Phileas Fogg was a Londoner. Hewas never seen on 'Change, nor at the Bank, nor in the counting-rooms of the "City"; no shipsever came into London docks of which he was the owner; he had no public employment; he hadnever been entered at any of the Inns of Court, either at the Temple, or Lincoln's Inn, or Gray'sInn; nor had his voice ever resounded in the Court of Chancery, or in the Exchequer, or theQueen's Bench, or the Ecclesiastical Courts. He certainly was not a ...
bookishwench
Apr 3, 2007
Around the World in Eighty Days is my favorite novel. Ever. Jules Verne has written some ripping good yarns, but this one is the top.
A rather foolish wager sets up the action, putting Victorian gentleman Phileas Fogg in motion to prove that man can circle the globe in a mere eighty days. And he's off, by train, balloon or whatever conveyance comes to hand, with only his valet Passepartout for company.
The contrast between the reserved Englishman and the emotional Frenchman gives the reader a stereo view of every locale from Europe to India across the seas and back to London. Add an exotic Eastern princess and the whole thing would make a dandy animated feature film. Are you listening, Disney?
The book does flag a bit during the trek across America, but it finishes with a smart twist. All in all, Around the World is well worth the trip.