Around the World in 80 Days - Week 2 (Chap 11 - 21)

[Gem , Moderator]

Things take an interesting twist this week.

He bought an elephant! I actually laughed out loud. But it certainly solved his problem at the time. Can you imagine any circumstance where you'd purchase an elephant?

While we still see Fogg trying to keep to his daily schedule, his unflappable nature, as well as other facets showing who he is as a person... his character has come even further to the surface in these chapters.

Unlike other events that were happening around him, he was actually compelled do something regarding Aouda and the disturbing practice of suttee. For me that was a rather unexpected action on his part. Then throughout these chapters he is extremely mindful of her comfort. Why is it, do you think, that this other side of Fogg's character came to the surface?

Another thing I noticed in these chapters, was that a lot of people are making a lot of assumptions. Passepartout is making assumptions about Fix, Fix is making assumptions about Fogg, Fogg remains his usual unflappable self. Did this stand out for you?

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I enjoyed the fact that he bought an elephant. It was a practical decision on his part.
One of the reasons he cares for the welfare of Aouda is the fact that she is woman and he is gentleman. Maybe a vestige of the knight's code to help damsels in distress has come to the foreground.

[Ryan]

I'm loving this book so far, though I found the chapters in India a bit unsettling and I'm wondering if this is just me, and I wonder what the motive Verne may have in doing this. The depiction of Indian culture and the landscape seems terribly savage - which certainly shouldn't come as a surprise from the English point of view - but why does it come from a French author?

[Robin P, Moderator]

Ryan wrote: "I'm loving this book so far, though I found the chapters in India a bit unsettling and I'm wondering if this is just me, and I wonder what the motive Verne may have in doing this. The depiction of ..."

The French (and German and Belgians) also had plenty of stereotypical ideas about exotic India, darkest Africa and so on, and how those places would be much better off if they were "civilized".

[Deborah, Moderator]

I've not quite finished these chapters. I loved the mental picture of passepartout bouncing around on the elephant. Since he was a gymnast previously, it certainly made me smile.

Fogg doing the right thing by rescuing the girl really dovetails with his sense of orderliness. At first I thought that opens the door to his emotional side, but then realized he's just keeping to the order of things.

While Fogg seems to be the main character, it's Passepartout who is really taking the reader on the journey.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

Deborah, I noticed that do. Passepartout really does go everywhere and is the active member of the tour, where Fogg is the planner.

[Deborah, Moderator]

I'm feeling more and more like I don't really know Fogg. He seems so distant. Really we know he's mathematically regimented. I'd almost say compulsive. He plays whist. And made a bet. That's it. And we are half way through the book.

One thing that really stands out to me is the breadth of English imperialism that is shown in the travels.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I think Fogg has taken the English reserve to a whole new level.

[Deborah, Moderator]

Rosemarie wrote: "I think Fogg has taken the English reserve to a whole new level."

I'm trying to figure out if it's that or something else. He's been drawn so one dimensionally

[Frances, Moderator]

The diagnostician in me is placing Fogg on the high functioning end of the Autism spectrum-the fixation on timeliness and orderliness, the fixation on his travel plans and timetables, the lack of typical personal interactions with others (firing a servant for being two degrees off, hiring another on the spot, his relationship with Auoda) the complete lack of interest in any of his surroundings while travelling the world. Happily, these traits seem to fit perfectly with the expectations of a Victorian gentleman , which may be a reason Verne has made his protagonist English. Contrast this with Passepartout-so much more emotion, social engagement and interest in the world around him-a typical French character of the time?

[Rafael]

It's a interesting analysis.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

Passe-partout is also member of a different class than Fogg. His life had been varied and interesting until his employment with Fogg, and his outgoing personality helps him to make the most of his travels.

[Deborah, Moderator]

Frances wrote: "The diagnostician in me is placing Fogg on the high functioning end of the Autism spectrum-the fixation on timeliness and orderliness, the fixation on his travel plans and timetables, the lack of t..."

I was wondering about autism too. Thanks Frances

[Gem , Moderator]

Frances wrote: "The diagnostician in me is placing Fogg on the high functioning end of the Autism spectrum-the fixation on timeliness and orderliness, the fixation on his travel plans and timetables, the lack of t..."

That never would have crosses my mind.

[Deborah, Moderator]

❀✿ Gem ✿❀ wrote: "Frances wrote: "The diagnostician in me is placing Fogg on the high functioning end of the Autism spectrum-the fixation on timeliness and orderliness, the fixation on his travel plans and timetable..."

I have a neighbor, Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's John Elder Robson, who is autistic and writes about it. That's why it crossed my mind

[Inger]

I too have been thinking of autism or Asperger syndrome as the highfunctioning persons of the spectrum used to be called. What doesn't correspond to the diagnosis or my experience completely is the way he does everything to save another person. Maybe also the fact that he seems to be a good judge of character at least on occasions as for example when he chooses Passpartout. But there are certainly "autistic like traits" in his personality. Sometimes i feel/fear also that it is easy to mix up very talented intelligent people or people who at least have some special interests with people with diagnoses. In my experience most people eith autism would not be able to forsee or absolutely not handle all these unexpected circumstances that appear. This ability to always find new possibilities struck me in these chapters where so much happens. Passpartout also shows that plus daring. Interesting point about the way the local culture is looked down on. Don't know if I am surprised. I was surprised though that the heroin is starting to fall in love with Fogg. Will be interesting to see what happens. Highly entertaining reading. Did not expect to like it so much.

[Frances, Moderator]

I don't think it was an intentional portrait of someone with ASD (which was not a known diagnosis of the time), but Fogg certainly has many of the traits which, in both literary and film/TV roles have made for fascinating characters-Holmes, Poirot, Sheldon Cooper, Mr Spock, C3PO or almost any humanoid/android character.

[Anne]

I think I may have been spending too much time with engineers lately. Fogg's behavior hadn't seemed that odd to me until I started reading these comments. He's clearly not very sociable and obsessed with time, but it seems more like normal human variation rather than a disorder to me. If I was his servant, I'd be fired the first day because I struggle to keep a fixed schedule at the best of times.

I am enjoying this book very much. I would love to do a trip like this, although I'd want to go at a much slower pace so I could actually see the sights. I can't imagine taking a world tour and then playing cards or staying in a cabin rather than looking at the scenery or historical places.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I was on a river cruise once and a group of people spent the afternoon playing bridge. Meanwhile the lovely scenery was there to be seen.

[Deborah, Moderator]

Rosemarie wrote: "I was on a river cruise once and a group of people spent the afternoon playing bridge. Meanwhile the lovely scenery was there to be seen."

That's just sad.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

I thought so too.

[Robin P, Moderator]

Anne wrote: "I think I may have been spending too much time with engineers lately. Fogg's behavior hadn't seemed that odd to me until I started reading these comments. He's clearly not very sociable and obsesse..."

Good point, many computer/engingeering types might strike us as being on this continuum. But then a lot of us are on some continuum, having tendencies to anxiety/obsession/hyperactivity/introversion/extroversion, etc. And these tendencies existed in the world long before they were labeled by psychologists. Fogg is an exaggeration but that's what makes the story so entertaining. He reacts to unexpected situations in ways different from what most of us would do. Another character like that is Mary Poppins. The thing I loved about her as a kid was that she always insisted nothing strange was happening and she retained a gruff exterior. Disney sweetened her up too much, in my opinion.

[Frances, Moderator]

You're right that many of these "diagnoses" fit on a continuum and only become a problem when they cause undue distress to either the individual or to those who live with them, neither of which is the case for Fogg ( but perhaps for Aouida, who may be interested in him romantically, or for his employees :) ). In fact many computer/engineering types are on the autism spectrum and only find out later in life when they start having interpersonal difficulties (either at work or with partners) or even when their children are diagnosed with a more extreme form.

In this novel, this set of traits is in fact helpful for Fogg in accomplishing his journey-he does not panic, he is not distracted by his surroundings, he is good at calculating and recalculating his route and times and sees the value in spending what appear to be exorbitant sums to achieve his goal.

I'm also finding the imperialist parts and the views of the "natives" a little hard to read. This unfortunately is often a cloud on our enjoyment of literature of this time period-the assumptions around race and class and gender, and this becomes more pronounced in this sort of travel-infused novel. Nonetheless, I'm enjoying the novel-the plot is much different from what I was expecting.

[Rosemarie, Moderator]

To talk briefly about a different novel regarding the imperialist attitude, the novel A Passage to India deals with it as a main theme.
To get back to Verne. The second book I read by Verne was 20 000 Leagues under the Sea, with pages and pages and pages of scientific information about the flora, the fauna and the geology of each area.
When I finished reading Around the World, I was pleasantly surprised at the action , the plot and the fun characters. A much more enjoyable book for me.

[Gem , Moderator]

Rosemarie wrote: "The second book I read by Verne was 20 000 Leagues under the Sea, with pages and pages and pages of scientific information about the flora, the fauna and the geology of each area.
When I finished reading Around the World, I was pleasantly surprised at the action , the plot and the fun characters. A much more enjoyable book for me. ."

Same here. I didn't enjoy 20,000 Leagues, well maybe the last 1/4 of it. I had read Around the World before, enjoyed it then as much as I am enjoying it now. However my 20,000 Leagues experience makes me leery to pick up anymore Verne books.

[Ryan]

Deborah wrote: "I'm feeling more and more like I don't really know Fogg. He seems so distant. Really we know he's mathematically regimented. I'd almost say compulsive. He plays whist. And made a bet. That's it. An..."

Agreed. Again, it's odd how much the narrative structure of this novel is like the Holmes stories. Watson is really our link to Holmes, much like Passeportout is to Fogg, which begs the question, who is this novel really about?

[Ryan]

Frances wrote: "The diagnostician in me is placing Fogg on the high functioning end of the Autism spectrum-the fixation on timeliness and orderliness, the fixation on his travel plans and timetables, the lack of t..."

I did not even think of that. Nice.

[Inger]

Agree with you Ann that Fogg seems more like a human variation than a disorder - exactly what I wanted to say though you put it much better. And yes, he gets more complex as the novel advances.