
by Jules Verne
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.
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.