AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS BOOK REVIEW

What happens when a rich man who believes in the extraordinary, a valet who is

looking for a peaceful life and a bunch of gamblers get together in one place? Guess…a

bet of course! What could be more interesting than a bet in which travelling, money,

chases and the most exciting thing, an adventure, are involved? During the following

few minutes, I will tell you about the book Around the World in 80 Days where Phileas

Fogg and his valet Passepartout go around the world in 80 days. At first sight everything

looks normal, but when you read on the cover that Jules Verne is the author, you forget

about a peaceful journey. When Jules Verne is involved, you have to prepare yourself

for a big dose of adventure, excitement and a lot of funny moments.

The story begins in England. We are introduced to Fogg, a very precise man who

regularly goes to the Reform Club every evening. At one such visit to the club to play

cards, he gets into a conversation with his fellow card players as to whether it is

possible to go around the world in eighty days. He believes that it is and is challenged to

complete the adventure. This is the beginning of the entire plot and from then on, we

see how Fogg goes around the world and we witness the amazing adventures that he

has with his companions. The main plot is based on Fogg’s travels, while other such

plots merely support the central theme Fix, the detective follows Fogg all over. He

believes that Fogg is the bank robber who has robbed a great sum from the bank of

England. He puts obstacles in Fogg’s path just so that he can arrest him whenever he

gets the warrant from England. The suspicion that Fogg might be a clever gentleman
robber is the sub-theme of the book and the author makes the reader also suspicious.

Passepartout too wonders whether his master might be a robber though in his heart he

has ample trust in Fogg’s integrity.

The plot moves ahead with Fogg striving through various obstacles to reach

London in time. He goes through Brindisi, Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Hong Kong,

Yokohama, San Francisco, New York and finally Liverpool. Fix arrests Fogg at Liverpool

and this delays our hero. He thinks that he has missed the deadline and hasn’t reached

London in time when in reality he reached a full day earlier. Thus, Fogg wins the wager

and in the course of his travels, finds himself a worthy charming, beautiful wife too. This

book takes place in the year 1872. So, their motive of transportation is very interesting.

I really enjoyed this book as this book went the extra mile to make it realistic.

This book lays out the facts of the travel time repeatedly and for one, who reads the

book carefully, can foresee the ending.

The characters in the book were very well written. Even though many of side

characters were introduced later in the story, they were meticulous developed. The

characters were not unrealistically making a one-eighty turn of character, but changing

opinions or, changing mindset. As for the major characters, their development was

brilliantly laid out throughout the book. A majority part of the book’s first half was the

reveal of their personality, background, and attitude. Thus we could see how their latter

actions mend with their previous state.

Another aspect of the book that I very much appreciated was the description of

the setting. It was not too long and descriptive or too short and brief. It was just as much
to get us to the point that the characters are in another country. The setting helped as a

way to differentiate the different regions that the story takes place.

Unlike many of his more science-based fiction stories, Jules Verne's Around the

World in Eighty Days is interested in the capabilities of technology in his own time. The

things that human beings can achieve armed only with a sense of adventure and an

exploratory spirit. It is also a brilliant dissection of what it is to be English in the time of

empire.

Fogg is a brilliantly drawn character, a man who is stiff-upper-lipped and precise

in all his habits. However, as the novel goes on the icy man begins to thaw. He begins

to place the importance of friendship and love above his usual concerns of reserve and

punctuality. In the end, he is willing to lose his bet to help a friend. He doesn’t care

about defeat because he has won the hand of the woman he loves.

Although some would argue it doesn't have the great literary merit of some

novels written around the same time, Around the World in Eighty Days certainly makes

up for it with its vivid descriptions. The undoubtedly a classic story is peopled with

characters who will be long remembered. It is a breath-taking roller-coaster ride around

the world and a touching view of an older time. Filled with the thrill of adventure, Around

the World in Eighty Days is a wonderful story, written with skill and no short order of

style.
 In my opinion, this may not be a life-changing book, but it sure will be an eye-

opening one. Many people look at the journey as a tiresome activity; something to sleep

through; just an extra part of the real activity. But, this book gives us the aesthetics of

the journey. In real life, we are like Phileas Fogg, counting numbers till we reach the

destination. But, this book shows us through the eyes of Passepartout, the servant, how

to utilize the small amount of time.

I would very much recommend this book. This book has great characters to fall in

love with, and an adventure filled with tremendous suspense that will keep you on the

edge.