BWF - Around the World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne - 4 Stars

[Olivermagnus]

Phileas Fogg, a very wealthy and stoic British gentleman, accepts a challenge from fellow club members to traverse the globe in eighty days, a real challenge in 1872. His entire fortune is at stake, but he seems resolute throughout the journey, even in the face of time-consuming setbacks. His travel companion, on the other hand, is the emotional one. Passepartout, Fogg’s French manservant, begins the unexpected trip the day he’s hired and provides lots of comic relief throughout the story.

Inspector Fix, a London detective, believes Fogg is a robber who stole £50,000 from a bank. Fix pursues Fogg all over the world while he waits for a warrant for his arrest. He was a caricature of the sort of bumbling dim-witted detective that features in lots of fiction and movies.

Fogg is not the primary POV character. Passepartout serves that function. Fogg is the one who acts on the world and bends it to his will, but his very oddness would have made it harder to relate to him so Passepartout stands in nd that makes for a much better tory.

The story is simple, fun, and shines with Verne's recognizable style; scientific, full of real-world knowledge, and with the highest care for the main characters. Filled with the thrill of adventure, Around the World in Eighty Days is a wonderful story, and a timeless classic.

[NancyJ]

Great review! I saw the movie when I was very young. This seems like the perfect time to read it. There are two other books about similar attempts that I’m considering too. A modern book by Palin (I think), and another (or others) by Nellie Bly (a reporter I idolized when I was young).

[Linda C]

I read the Palin book in 2015 and the trip took place pre-1990 (book publ in 1990) - ~35 years ago

My review in 2015, if interested - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Olivermagnus]

That sounds interesting. I added it just in case I can squeeze it in. I wonder if someone will try it again after so many years. It would be interesting.

[Book Concierge]

By the way ... there is NO hot-air balloon travel in the book.