Around The World In Eighty Days: (Illustrated)

I enjoyed this book more then I expected. It's a know story yet it suprised me. Specialy by its humour. It's a small book so you can read it in 2/3 days and good enough to make you want to do the voyage yourself.

Reading this aloud to our children has been a pleasure. We laugh together at these classic characters and their adventures. If you follow Phileas Fogg's travels on a map, the book also provides a great geography lesson.

This book is simply fun and is a great book for children to read and learn from. My children enjoy it greatly and we read from it every night. If you are looking for a book that is worth it, this is it.

I am giving this 2 star only because if you seen a movie (with (Jackie Chan) you will not like the book, it lacks humor that movie promised and you can't help by keep comparing the two. I know its a classic and I know it is a well writen book but for those who now want to read the book post movie be warned you will be disapointed...

Personally, I thought it was a very well thought out storyline. The only thing that I didn't like (even though some may like it) was the excess of history in the book. It can start to get a little boring, but overall it is a nice, quick read.

We ordered this audio book because we Love the Harry Potter Series and wanted to try another book narrated by Jim Dale. This book did not disappoint us and we were sorry when it was over. We are trying Peter Pan next.,

I purchased several classics for my daughter to read for home school. This was the only one she actually was willing to read. Took her 3 days (she is at a 7th grade reading level) to finish. She did enjoy the book.

I purchased several classics for my daughter to read for home school. This was the only one she actually was willing to read. Took her 3 days (she is at a 7th grade reading level) to finish. She did enjoy the book.

I read this book because I had seen two of the three movies based on this book. Verne is a good writer and normally, I enjoy his books. However, I found the first movie better than the book. This is a first for me as I always find the books better than the movie.

The novel is not what I would say was "exciting," but it is surely entertaining. Palin deals with a number of strange and unsettling people, cultures and situations during his 80-day tour; all with humor, if not exactly understanding. It was just plain enjoyable to follow him around.

I believe this is the best book written by Jules Verne. The characters are larger than life, funny, and lovable. The plot is seemingly simple but becomes complicated by life, love, and greed. The setting in the 1870s adds so much to the tale.

Jules Verne is well worth the read. This story contains adventure, romance, and all of the elements that make a good story. Please consider it if you have never read it. And it would be a good book for kids, too.

Good writing, eccentric characters, adventure and world travels.
Jules Verne weaves a great tale about a gentlemen`s wager to travel around the world in 80 days against all odds.
Exciting, and keeps you guessing.

Great book! The idea is to fill Facebook with art instead of so much politics. Whoever likes this post will be given an artist and has to make a post with a piece of art by that artist and this text. I was given  Oswald Achenbach.Thanks Karl Maier.

If you love classic literature then you'll love this book. Jules Verne truly was an amazing writer. This story has adventure, excitement, exotic locations, and so much more. You may even be surprised by the end.

It's short, so you won't waste a lot of time reading it, but its main interest for me was simply what it was like to live at the time when it was first possible to travel around the world for fun. It's the only Verne I've read, and I doubt I'll read more.

This review is for the Kannada edition of Around the world in 80 Days. I bought it for for my mom - a kannada reader. The feedback from her and another kannada readers is that this book is unreadable. The translation makes the sentences non-sensical in kannada. I presume this book might have been translated by a computer - or someone who has absolutely no grasp of the language. My mom and the other reader could not even read a single page of this book. It's a *complete waste* of money.

Not sure what happened. Maybe the editor forgot to include it but it was a HUGE part of the story. There was this gap from the time they left London to the time they arrived in Egypt. But I didn't say anything to my 7 year old son as I read it until after and we watched the movie. Get a different version even if you have to pay $0.99.

This book is for a wet, cold winter day when you can curl up with a warm blanket and a cup of tea. It takes you on a wonderful, exciting trip around the world. The descriptions and word pictures make this a great book for all ages.

The first sentence of this book is a complete disaster and it does not get better.

"Mr. Phileas Fogg lived, in 1872, at No. 7, Saville Row, Burlington Gardens, the house in which Sheridan died in 1814."

The writing style and grammar is horrendous. The font size is small and hard to read in bed. My 7 year old did not last more than 1 paragraph and asked me to read something else. By comparison we had just finished reading the time machine, a book he loved and in which we were reading 4 chapters per night!

Avoid this book !!!

My 9 yr old ordered this book to add to his "classic's" book collection. He waited anxiously for it to arrive, only to be very dissappointed. The book only measures 6" (he measured it!). When the book was delivered, he came running back from the mailbox, tore open the package, then almost started to cry when he saw how small the book was. We will be returning this book, since you would not even be able to see it on the shelf with his other normally sized classics. Do not order this book, unless you like VERY small books!

This is a very tiny book with small print. I will most likely return this book and buy a real "hardcover" version that is a customary size. I feel this should have been more disclosed since it is a hardcover and I am not happy the size was not more clear. This book fits in my front shirt pocket.

As far as the story; I have not read it yet and want to make sure I am clear that this comment is not negative regarding the story.

I regret ever getting books from the store now I have to review every one of them because looking at them as needing a review annoys me. I don't even think I ordered these books either way disregard this review I never read them I just want it to go away.

My 9 yr old ordered this book to add to his "classic's" book collection. He waited anxiously for it to arrive, only to be very dissappointed. The book only measures 6" (he measured it!). When the book was delivered, he came running back from the mailbox, tore open the package, then almost started to cry when he saw how small the book was. We will be returning this book, since you would not even be able to see it on the shelf with his other normally sized classics. Do not order this book, unless you like VERY small books!

This is a very tiny book with small print. I will most likely return this book and buy a real "hardcover" version that is a customary size. I feel this should have been more disclosed since it is a hardcover and I am not happy the size was not more clear. This book fits in my front shirt pocket.

As far as the story; I have not read it yet and want to make sure I am clear that this comment is not negative regarding the story.

Since I have been hearing the name Jules Verne and the titles of his books all my life and watching movies/tv based on those books, I am surprised at how childish and "pie in the sky" his writing actually is. I suppose it could have been the style of the day, but if so it was a horrible time for literature.

I thought I'd buy an adventure. Instead I bought another high school literature class. Its translated from French, and I'm sure if I were fluent in French, the original story might be more interesting. Instead, I'm reading awkward prose that doesn't interest me. I'm not looking for fantastic ways to write a sentence, I wanted to be brought into the world of 1890's and get a feel for how life was then, and their excitement of discovering what the next country over is like. History channel does better than this boring book. 20,0000 leagues I was able to handle. This, I'm bored as s**t.

Between the racism, the drug and alcohol references and the tedium of language this is a very uncomfortable book. If you just want to read a classic, sure, but if you are bothered by hate speech avoid it.

'm so glad I've got this classic off my TBR list at last. It's my choice in the 2017 Back to the Classics challenge for a book with a number in the title.

The year is 1872, and the mathematically minded Phileas Fogg is indignant when his friends laugh off his claim that a man can circumnavigate the globe in just 80 days. They offer him £20 000 to prove them wrong, and he accepts the wager, deciding to set off that very night. His new man-servant, Passepartout, is astounded when Fogg arrives home and tells him to pack their bags within ten minutes.

I would have sided with the majority, who believed there was no way Fogg could plan a trip which had to account for every minute, when so much could potentially go wrong. And for these travellers, that turns out to be more than just inclement weather and transport hold-ups (although they have their share of those). They are being trailed by stubborn Detective Fix, who is living under the delusion that Fogg robbed the Bank of England. They also pause to save the life of a young Indian woman, Auoda, who's about to become a human sacrifice. That's just the start of their escapades.

My main issue is that I just couldn't warm to the main man, although I admired aspects of his personality. There's too much Dr Sheldon Cooper in Fogg. Not only are such characters set in their ways, but so full of themselves they insist on forcing their crazy standards on others. At times I try to demand that my kids tidy their bedrooms, but at least that's achievable for mere mortals.

Fogg is overly-inscrutable too. I think Jules Verne intended to keep an aura of mystery about him, because he never shared a glimpse from Fogg's point of view, even though he's supposed to be the hero. We only see him through the impressions of others, such as Passepartout, Fix and Auoda. All we get is his cool, unflappable exterior. And we never have a clue where his vast wealth comes from. He flaps bank note bribes under the noses of people all through the story, but is it earned through work, a family inheritance, or something else?

It's hard to muster much sympathy for a main character we only know from the outside and not the inside. Maybe his surname, 'Fogg' is chosen on purpose, because the connotations are very apt. I watched two movies based on this book, and didn't mind Phileas Fogg as he was portrayed by David Niven in 1956 and Steve Koogan in 2004. But the book Fogg leaves me cold.

What annoys me most though, is that he's too disdainful to do a little sightseeing. He's so set on mechanically carrying out his challenge, he can't even be bothered looking out the window. What sort of boring waste of oxygen gets to see the wonders of the world firsthand, but chooses to draw the blinds and play whist? Verne makes it clear that Phileas Fogg is 'not travelling, but only describing a circumference.' He also points out that he's 'one of those Englishmen who are wont to see foreign countries through the eyes of their domestics.' Give me the train and boat tickets instead, please :)

Sir Francis Cromarty, a passing character, questioned himself as to 'whether a human heart really beat beneath Fogg's cold exterior, and whether he had any sense of the beauties of nature.' I'd answer no to both.

Passepartout is the more likeable character, even though we don't get much of his background either. But he's intrigued by the sights he sees, he's volatile and good natured, and can't help showing his enthusiasm. He's loyal and principled too, refusing to turn on his master, even when he wonders for a while if Fix is right. I wonder whether Passepartout was Verne's favourite character too, because he shared his nationality. It seems like such a British book, beginning as it does with Fogg and his Reform Club cronies in London, so comes as a bit of a shock whenever we remember that Jules Verne was actually a Frenchman.

The descriptions of the different places, which we see mainly from Passepartout's lively point of view, are great. Verne even pokes a bit of fun at the different nationalities through his pointed observations. I wonder how a modern author might handle a similar story, in our politically correct era. Jules Verne might have considered his story an up-to-date tourist guide, but for us, it's a charming old vintage relic from Victorian times. The Afterword in my volume points out that Fogg was a symbol of the scientific optimism that was rife through Europe and America in the second part of the nineteenth century, and I believe that's what provides the good steampunk feeling I enjoyed.

It's fun to read about the food. Phileas Fogg found that the 'native rabbit' he was served in Bombay was far from palatable, but when he tried to pin down the waiters to find out exactly what it was, they eluded direct questions. 'Rabbit from the jungle' was the best he could get out of them. Fogg's normal breakfast in England didn't sound half bad. 'Broiled fish with Reading sauce, a scarlet slice of roast beef garnished with mushroom, rhubarb and gooseberry tart and a morsel of Cheshire cheese.'

I was keeping an eye on all of Fogg's outlay, as he often had to spend big money to get places in the nick of time. It's pretty clear early on that by the time he arrives home, he'll have spent so much money that winning the wager would barely cover costs. However, there is also a good twist or two. It's worth a read, just because it's so famous, and for the sake of Passepartout. But as for Phileas Fogg, I think the man who wrote the Afterword in my book summed it up best. He wrote, 'If it is true that Jules Verne never saw most of the places he described but only imagined them, then it's entirely appropriate that Verne's hero does not see them either.'

Somebody wanting to take advantage of the fact that this book is public domain has copy/pasted the original public domain text, then uploaded it to the store. This means that any images will be of inconsistent quality or missing altogether, the print quality may be impacted negatively, and there are likely layout and editing errors due to the copy/paste process.

If you buy the kindle version, you are paying money for what you could get for free on Project Gutenberg, and more importantly, you are supporting what amounts to a thief who is charging money for someone Else's work.

If you buy the print version, make sure it's from a reputable publisher, and not "Createspace" or "the store Digital" because you'll just be getting the printed copy of the copy/paste kindle version, which will likely be terrible. Generally, you will want the mass market paperback, or possibly the hardback version.

In 1872, Englishman Phileas Fogg is a quiet and wealthy gentlemen with a very routine life. At a regular social club gathering, Fogg marvels at the state of modern technology that could allow a traveler to travel all around the world in only eighty days. His friends there are skeptical of the claim, but Fogg seeks out to prove them wrong and makes a wager of £20,000. So he and his valet, Frenchman Jean Passepartout, set off immediately. Meanwhile, a detective with Scotland Yard, Fix, who is trying to capture a bank robber, figures that Fogg might actually be his man and sets off to follow him.

This novel is a classic by famed French author Jules Verne and is still a fun adventure to read today. While it does not have the most developed characters, this is a light story to read if one is looking for an adventure. It is rather entertaining to read considering how different the world was at the time, especially considering how many locales that are visited which were still part of the British Empire. This does make the book dated in some aspects with a few passages that might be considered politically incorrect by today's standards.

Overall, this is a fun novel to read. I would recommend it to those that like adventure stories.

Similar to The Journey to the Centre of the Earth which I read yesterday - Verne creates amazingly awesome and complex characters. The main protagonist Mr. Fogg is an obsessive compulsive routine loving time keeper who bets his chums at the club that he can travel around the world in 80 days, which a newspaper said was possible - if no delays were incurred. He is so deep though, so much is beneath the surface of this quiet, content gent. Never fearing or worrying whatever dilemmas are thrown in his path and always willing to fail the mission to help his friends. He is also very good at handling a boat. I have to ask - does anyone know if he has been in any of Verne's previous stories at it seems like he has an amazing past. If he hasn't been present and that is just what is built up by the writing in this book I am speechless.

His trusty French manservant is amazing too - Not for a long time have two characters been so three dimensional and have I truly cared about them so much in 200 or so pages. This dude is clever, he worries like he is always ruining the plan but he is very loyal, apt gymnast and sometimes lifesaver.

Other characters Fix (a stalking policeman) and Aouda (a rescued Indian damsel) are amazingly created colourful characters too.

I don't want to say too much of the story but it takes places all over the world. London, China, India, Japan, HK, America, Liverpool amongst others. Full of amazing set pieces that whilst being gripping always bring a smile to your face. Travelling on an elephant to rescue a lady due to be burnt to the death, fighting bandits on railway lines in the US are just a couple of these many amazing incidents. I was expecting a scene with a hot air balloon which I see in all the film version advertisments which (spoiler) is not in the book.

I do think that later I am going to watch the Steve Coogan /Jackie Chan version of this to see how it compares.

Love as always. James x >>> youandibooks.wordpress.com

Movie review books were a part of the "Road Show" method of showing films, especially popular from the early 50's to the early 70's. The idea was to make certain big films a deluxe experience comparable to going to a live play. First of all you bought your tickets well in advance because after opening in New York, they slowly opened in other cities one by one - no opening weekend do or die like it is now. Seats were reserved, women dressed up and men wore suits and ties and uniformed ushers led you to your seats. Books like these were available for purchase as a souvenir. Different than now for sure.

These have become collectibles, and most are available at very affordable prices. My guess is that not enough people remember them to create a big demand. As these movie souvenir books go, this is a good one. It's hardbound, while most were softcover, especially later.It's full of the story of the making of the film, and an exhaustive plot synopsis, plus who's who in the cast, which featured many cameo appearances by famous stars; and all this delightfully illustrated with drawings, There is also a beautiful seven pages of color photos from the film. All in all a top notch job, with much more text than later movie books would generally have.

I had this book as a child after seeing it with my family and it disappeared as time went by, so it was a joy to have it back again.

Michael Pallin, the smart and neat Python, turned travel writer and documentarian in his late 40's. In one of his first epic trips he recreated Fogg's journey around the world from London to London without airplanes. The audio book is narrated by the author.

Pallin rides trains, cars (not sure how he squared that), dog sleds, hot air balloons, and big and small ships. He had more trouble with immigration officials than transportation. This is back in the 1980's so many countries were unsure why this British man wanted to visit. The Chinese and Saudis may still be scratching their heads. What is remarkable is how much travel had changed in the century since Jules Vernes days. Back then it was easy to get to India and hard to cross the US. Now it seems to be the opposite. Pallin had fun with his revolving crew of Passepartout although I would have preferred to see him alone or with a single companion to be true to the original.

We have a lot of fun. People everywhere know Python and react well to Pallin. He gets a bit melodramatic and philosophical at times but that long with the company of wife and children will impact anyone. Fortunately Pallin keeps up his spirits and cocktails. The ending is anti-climatic. Vernes does it better with the burning the boat for fuel, going to prison, and not knowing whether he won or lost.

This is only a product review, specifically for ISBN 9781503215153. Don't get this version!

I did quite some research before purchasing and thought this should be the right version for both translation and print. WRONG! This version of print is more like home-made...! Format is horrible with no space/break between chapters, and very narrow space between lines! See the pictures for comparison to another already tiny-print Harry Potter. Next to thus book, HP almost felt like large print version...Also, funny thing that it's printed even AFTER my order, so is this a print-to-order?!
Returning This!

While sitting around at their posh club one day, several English gentlemen engage in a discussion as to whether or not it would be possible to travel completely around the world in eighty days. The conversation was sparked by a newspaper article that told of the opening of a new railroad line across India, which greatly reduced travel time. The gentlemen all agree that it would be quite impossible to accomplish the feat. All of the gentlemen except one. Phileas Fogg contends that it would indeed be possible and even goes so far as to wager twenty thousand pounds that he could do it himself. Fogg's contemporaries eagerly accept the wager, as twenty thousand pounds was a great deal of money in those days. Not being a man to waste time over technicalities, Phileas leaves the club that very minute and begins his journey around the world taking with him his servant Passepartout.

At about that same time the London Bank is being robbed. A wire bearing the description of the bank robber is sent out immediately to all Scotland Yard detectives. One of those detectives is Mister Fix, who soon afterward spots Phileas, who has just begun his journey. Phileas matches the description of the bank robber perfectly and is also carrying a large bag full of money, which he has brought to cover his traveling expenses.

And so the journey begins. Phileas Fogg and Passepartout move from country to country and continent to continent, scrambling to make their meticulously timed connections, all the while tailed by Mister Fix. Mister Fix is in turn being followed by the arrest warrant he has ordered from London. Fix has only to delay Fogg in one port long enough for the warrant to catch up.

On his incredible journey, Fogg uses every mode of transportation available to him: steam ship, sailing ship, steam train, elephant, and even a sail-driven sled, which Fogg and company use to race down a frozen river in Nebraska. "Around the World in Eighty Days" provides a fascinating look at travel in the 19th century.

When I was in the third grade I purchased a copy of Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth." It was my first Verne book and my very first taste of science fiction. I fell in love with both and I have never looked back.

"Around the World in Eighty Days" is not a typical Jules Verne tale. Gone are the long technical descriptions of flora, fauna, and geology. What Verne provides instead are interesting portraits of the people and places Fogg encounters on his trip.

Of special interest to me was Phileas Fogg's stop at the military fort in Kearney, Nebraska after his train is attacked by Sioux Indians. Fort Kearny, which is now a state recreation area, is just a few miles due west of my house. Unfortunately, Jim Dale pronounced it with an "ear" sound instead of pronouncing it like "carney." I guess he's never been here before.

By now, everyone knows Jim Dale as the voice of Harry Potter and all his myriad cohorts. I just can't help myself; whenever I listen to a Jim Dale audiobook I listen for familiar voices from the Potter series. In "Around the World in Eighty Days" I recognized a Rufus Scrimjour, a male character who sounded very much like Bellatrix LeStrange, and no less than three characters who sounded like Hagrid.

I also heard one voice which instantly became my favorite Jim Dale voice of all time. There was one character riding the train with Fogg through Utah, who began recounting a history of the Mormon church. The man sounded like a television evangelist with a slightly southern accent. It just cracked me up hearing Englishman Jim Dale doing a southern American accent.

If you have ever tried a Jules Verne novel and were put off by all the technical scientific detail, you should give "Around the World in Eighty Days" a try. Besides, any audiobook read by Jim Dale is worth a listen.

SPECIAL FEATURES: At the end of this audiobook the publisher of Listening Library, and son of the founder of the company, talks for a few minutes. He mentions that "Around the World in Eighty Days" was his father's very first audiobook recording way back in 1955 and that this version was done to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the company. He then gives a brief history of Listening Library as well as some history of audiobook technology. There were some interesting tidbits of information here.

Also, "Around the World in Eighty Days" was enhanced with sound effects. Unlike some audiobooks I've heard, the sound fit the story very well. The sounds of steam whistles on trains and boats, and even elephant sounds really bring the story to life.

The topic: “Has the world grown smaller?”
The discussants: Members of London's reform Club

Andrew Stuart, speaking of a bank robber getting away: “I maintain that the chances are in favour of the robber, who must be a skillful fellow.”

Gauthier Ralph: “Well, there is not a single country where he can take refuge.”

Andrew Stuart: “I don’t know about that, but after all the world is big enough.”

Phileas Fogg: “It was formerly.”

Andrew Stuart: “How, formally? Has the world grown smaller perchance?”

Gauthier Ralph: “Without doubt. I am of the opinion of Mr. Fogg. The world has grown smaller, since we can go around it now ten times quicker than one hundred year go.”

To the suggestion that it could be done in 3 months, Phileas Fogg added that actually it could be accomplished “In eighty days only:” From London to Suez via Mont Cenis and Brindisi, by rail and steamers (7 days); From Suez to Bombay, steamer (13 days); From Bombay to Calcutta, rail (3 days); From Calcutta to Hong Kong, steamer (13 days); From Hong Kong to Yokohama, steamer (6 days); from Yokohama to San Francisco, steamer (22 days); From San Francisco to New York, rail (7 days); From New York to London, steamer and rail (9 days).

Jules Verne was not suggesting though that this was doable for any old person or that such would even be wise to try. Rather, the point here (which becomes evident from reading this entertaining book) is that travelling is a wonderful method of coming across that which you may never otherwise have found for yourself. (14Mar) Cheers

For Christmas, I ordered an mp3 player that was pre-loaded with 100 works of classic literature in an audio format. Each work is in the public domain and is read by amateurs, so the quality of the presentation is hit or miss. This was the second novel I’ve completed (the first being A Tale of Two Cities) and like the first, the reader, though not excellent, did not detract from the experience.

Around the World in 80 Days follows the adventures of English gentleman Phileas Fogg and his man servant Passepartout as they attempt to circumnavigate the globe within 80 days, Fogg having wagered a large sum of money with his club friends that he could do so. The story is set in the late 19th century, involving transportation by steamer, sailing ship, railroad (and elephant), across the Indian and North American sub-continent as well as the Mediterranean Sea, Suez Canal, South China Sea and the Indian, Pacific, Atlantic Oceans. As you can imagine, Fogg’s itinerary is planned to the minute and permits no lost time of any sort if the bet is to be won. Clearly, world travel in the 19th century promises no such trouble free experience.

Written by Jules Verne, I enjoyed the book, but became a little bit fatigued with the succession of last minute escapes, the contrivances of Detective Fix and the unlikely events that always kept Fogg just barely “alive” to win his bet, though the ending was good and believable (though I had already figured it out). Not a bad audio book to listen to as you drive down the road.

Reviewed by Avery, age 9
This is a classic story written by Jules Verne, who has written over sixty books. He is one of the greatest science fiction writers ever. This book is a great adventure. Phileas Fogg, a really rich Englishman, decides to make a bet with some of the wealthy men from his club that he can travel in a hot air balloon around the world in 80 days. Fogg and his valet go on so many crazy adventures that are plain nonsense that you just can't stop reading. From storms, crazy people, and weird animals, they come across a lot of stuff.
"Am tailing bank robber, one Phileas Fogg. Send arrest warrant immediately to Bombay, British India."
There are a lot of different translated versions of this book and I have read a couple of them now, but this one so far is my favorite. There are cute sketches every couple of pages giving readers a further way to enjoy the book. If you haven't read a Jules Verne book, what are you waiting for? The world is at your fingertips and just a page turn away! Let the adventure begin!*This book was provided in exchange for an honest review*
*You can view the original review at Musing with Crayolakym and San Francisco & Sacramento City Book Review

Jean Passepartout, was the real human connect in the story, while Mr. Fogg, had a rather off-putting personality. The only humanizing characteristic of this incredibly methodical man was his tendency to be generous. Mr. Fix could never seem to get the right end of the stick and by the end I felt rather badly for him. And Auoda, a companion they pick up along the way, was a very special woman who cared more for character than money. Like with most adventure stories the goal wasn't to really show the inner life of the characters, so much as the action. So the characters were only fleshed out so far.

This is a historically significant book: a notable change in the way people viewed the world. Could you just imagine what it was like when it first came out? It must have just entranced the imagination of its readers, and fueled dreams for new possibilities. It would be like us being told we could travel to the moon easily for the first time. I recommend reading it not only because it is important classic (trust me some "classics" aren't all they are cracked up to be), but, also, because it is a fun, quick adventure story that is completely non-taxing.

This is by no means a politically correct book and I don't believe we should try to impose our modern opinions on it. If you can't handle this policy and understand the mindset and era of the author, then I really recommend not putting yourself through the ordeal of reading it.

For the full review and others visit whymsylikesbooks dot blogspot dot com

Jules Verne fans will enjoy this translation of his stage adaptation, and best of all, the publisher has included a tantalizing set of extras, including nineteenth century engravings of the show and highly detailed elaborations of the back stories associated with the play. For a frame of reference, editor Brian Taves provides an analyses of various film versions. If you’ve enjoyed the well-known novel or any of the film adaptations, you’ll doubly enjoy the way Verne weaves new characters and events into the famous story, and you can easily see how the play could entice theatergoers even today.

I borrowed this audio-book from the local library. Jim Dale narrates a literary classic from Jules Verne. The story kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Sometimes predictable because other authors have used similar ideas but for a book written in 1872. Wow. The audiobook really could have skipped the "Publisher's thoughts" on his perception of Jules Verne and Jules Verne's limited view on other cultures.

What could be more emblematic of Jules Verne's `Around the World in 80 Days' than Phileas Fogg's famous flight in a French balloon? Heck, it even graces the cover of my book. Turns out Fogg never flies in a balloon, in fact the various movies based on the Verne classic added a lot that isn't in the book. Phileas Fogg is one of Verne's more memorable characters being a stereotypical over starched Brit with top hat and cane. Fogg is neurotically obsessed with time and precision and when he makes a suggestion at the gentleman's `Reform Club' that one could circumnavigate the world within 80 days he's met with a substantial wager challenging him to prove it. With that Phileas Fogg and his newly hired French valet Jean Passepartout set off almost immediately with the intention of circling the Earth and arriving back at the Reform Club in precisely 80 days. His challenge is made more difficult when he's mistaken for a bank thief and finds himself unwittingly followed around the world by Detective Fix intent on bringing Fogg back to England to face justice.

There are some adventures along the way but by and large the raison d'etre for the book is to give Verne the opportunity to demonstrate his knowledge of foreign lands and cultures (his accuracy may be debatable). In `From the Earth to the Moon' Verne could show off his knowledge of ballistics, in `Journey to the Center of the Earth' he could talk about geology and here it's geography. One difference between this book and the former two is that this one is not science fiction. It's mostly about train schedules and catching boats before they set sail. The movies emphasized his various modes of transportation (including the nonexistent balloon flight) but Fogg only jumped from vehicle to vehicle out of necessity and I never got the impression that this was intended as the focus of the book besides an unplanned ride on an elephant in India. Verne's goal is generally to entertain and educate and not necessarily in that order. For instance an entire chapter is devoted to the history of Mormonism as Fogg and his Passepartout ride a train traveling across the United States.

This is my third Jules Verne novel having recently read `From the Earth to the Moon' and `Journey to the Center or the Earth' and it's probably my favorite. `Journey to the Center of the Earth' was too absurd to be taken seriously and `From the Earth to the Moon' was a bit shallow in plot and characterization. I was glad to see Verne actually include a significant female character even though Princess Aouda is fairly flat. This criticism could also be leveled against Phileas Fogg who is a wonderful caricature of the unflappable British gentleman but really has little depth. I'm sure most readers root for Fogg but without feeling emotionally invested in the character his success or failure is of little matter. Besides the rescuing of Princess Aouda and an attack by Native American's on a train ride there isn't a whole lot of action which is why the films needed to add so much material.

Generally the book is about Phileas Fogg trying to reach all his connecting ships and trains and often missing them forcing him to find alternate transports (i.e. a different boat). It's somewhat repetitive so it's probably a good thing that the book is fairly short. The plot is also rather dated now that man can circle the Earth in well under a week so you have to put yourself in the state of mind for the time it was written. It's a good book but I have yet to give any of Verne's books the full five stars.

Around the World in 80 Days is definitely among the list of amazing books. Around the World in 80 Days is about a man named Phileas Fogg, that makes a bet with his friends, that he can travel around the world in 80 days. This incredible classic commences with introducing the characters in a very descriptive way, especially the main character, from the way he looks, to the way he walks. Perhaps one of most helpful parts of the introduction is describing the character’s professions, and personalities.

I really appreciated Jule Verne’s approach to the dialogue. He definitely made sure to make the characters conversations obvious who was talking. It was surely not confusing, or random people talking in space. Each statement would have a great follow up with the speaker’s name. I especially enjoyed the humor that the author weaved into the small conversations between the main character and others.

I acknowledged the plot as extremely creative, because it wasn’t like most books, where a dog has to survive in the wilderness, or a monster shark engulfs a ship. It was obvious that the author spent time coming up with this idea, and I highly enjoyed the book because of it. Perhaps one of the most creative areas of the book is when Phileas misses a steamer, or almost gets arrested. Again, the plot was of the utmost quality, and I really enjoyed the conflict that Jules Verne built into this wonderful classic.

The description assembled into the book was especially admirable. The author described everything perfectly, but made sure not to be too descriptive, or add too many adjectives into a sentence to make it teeming with detail. I especially enjoyed that the author added just a bit of wit into the description.

Concluding a story in the right way is possibly the most important part of a good story, and Jules Verne undoubtedly did an excellent job with this. I specifically fancied the conclusion in this particular book because the author managed to incorporate a few heart-stopping moments into the outcome, which authors seldom can accomplish.

The vocabulary in Around the World in 80 Days is not too complicated, but just enough to recommend this book to ages 7+. Every few chapters, there can be a word that may not be comprehensible for young ages, but that shouldn’t be a problem, because the rest of the description is so clear, that it should be simple to understand the meaning of the word based on the rest of the actions. I definitely enjoyed this classic novel tremendously, and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys a good read, as I do. This book undeniably has a reserved spot in the top books.

Jules Verne's _Around the World in eighty Days_ (1873) is a brief, brisk, lively adventure that is much concerned with time. In Edgar Rice Burroughs's Pellucidar novels, Burroughs pretends (through a series of rhetorical tricks) that time is nonexistant in his fantasy world. But Verne appreciated something that Burroughs did not. Where there is time, there are deadlines. And where there are deadlines, there is suspense. Will the bomb explode an hour from now? Will the innocent prisoner be executed at midnight? Will the witch kill Dorothy when the sands in the hourglass run out? Will the good news get from Ghent to Aix on time?

The suspense in Verne's novel comes from the question: Will even the ever-punctual hero, Mr. Phileas Fogg, be able to go round the world in eighty days and return to England by quarter to nine on December 21, 1872? While accompanied by a manservant, Jean Passepartout? Especially when there is a detective pursuing him? And _especially_ when Mr. Fogg must constantly choose between doing what is morally right and what is punctual? We watch as the days and then the hours are eaten away.

Some readers have complained that the characters in _Around the World..._ are cardboard. Well, perhaps. But they are well enough drawn for the purposes of the story. There is Fogg-- English, precise, punctual, closemouthed, cool (some would say cold), and lucky. And here is Passepartout-- French, easygoing, slightly tardy, garrolous, amiable, and unlucky. They are perfect foils to one another. Later, there is the Princess Aouda, who is lovely and plucky-- a good traveling companion, and the perfect wife for Phileas Fogg. And finally, there is the aptly named detective Fix, who wants to arrest Mr. Fogg and stop his journey.

Much is made in the novel about how Mr. Fogg is so intent on his schedule that he pays no attention to the wonders around him. But watch closely. Even if Mr. Fogg isn't paying attention, that does not mean that Verne is doing so as well. He makes sure that we see many of the sights along the way, frequently through the eyes of Passepartout.

Perhaps I should close with a few notes on the edition of the novel that I am reviewing. It is the Bantam Classic, which uses the 1873 translation by George Makepeace Towle. As a rule, the reader of Verne should be cautious about old translations. There were a staggering number of them that cut and mangled Verne. But Towle was considered one of the better Verne translators of his day. So I believe that we can say that this translation is, if not exceptional, acceptable. And besides, there is that one translator's note that reveals a dry wit. At one point, late in the novel, Verne writes that when Mr. Fogg stepped off the train "all the clocks in London were striking ten minutes before nine" (153). Towle's comment: "A somewhat remarkable eccentricity of London clocks".

Like many classics, this book is paced completely different than a modern novel. It takes forever to get going and even then, not all that much does happen. That to me was the biggest disappointment: Not all that much happens at all. Sure, they get in some trouble and have to fight their way through, but overall, it seems a two-week trip of my own is often more exciting than these 80 days around a world (to excaturate slightly). And to make matters worse, even when something does happen and people venture out to solve a problem, too much time is spent describing the people left behind waiting, and sometimes there is no description of the actual solution of the problem. But such is the style of the time, I guess.

I guess part of the problem is that the story deals with getting around the world as fast as possible, which leaves little time for anything but getting from a ship to the next train and so forth. Very little time is spent at all the different places, which would have offered so much potential story-wise, yet there is no time.

I still enjoyed reading it, in part because the way books were written at this time just amuses me (old English and all). And towards the end, the excitement does pick up a little bit. Not to modern-day-novel levels, but still, I enjoyed it.

You will like this book if you start reading with the right expectations.

Jules Verne is considered one of the early authors of the sci-fi genre. While Around the World in Eighty Days may not immediately fit our mold of "science fiction", when you figure that this was originally written in 1873, the science involved is pretty significant even if it is all based on accurate science rather than fanciful imaginations. Prior to reading, I knew the basic story and characters but not much more than that. Eccentric and meticulously orderly Phileas Fogg places a bet with members of his social club that he can travel around the world in 80 days. The date is chosen based on a loose claim listed in the newspaper based on the outlined timetables for trains and ships.

The first thing I found interesting was the character of Phileas Fogg. Based solely on my knowledge of the plot, I had expected him to be some wild and crazy madcap character with all sorts of outrageous behavior. Instead, Verne spends the first many pages showing us that Fogg is very much a creature of habit with ordinary behaviors. If anything, Fogg is a bit boring as a character. He has a precise daily and weekly schedule dictating when he wakes, when he sleeps, when he eats and everything he does in between. He doesn't have any extravagant hobbies or pastimes and doesn't do much of anything to engage in social events of the day. His flippant and sudden placing of the bet seems out of character and is quickly followed by quick adaptation to a new schedule as he immediately rushes home from his club, packs a quick bag, grabs his servant and proceeds to his first destination. Even in his quick trip, we seldom see him Fogg rushing or impetuous in any way. He is the picture of calm even as his trip faces adversity.

As a contrast to Fogg, his servant Passepartout is a very emotional character full of as much passion and frustration as Fogg is full of calm. Passepartout is stymied by his master's wager but rushes along with him on the adventure, excited to see the world. He is dismayed as he realizes that the whirlwind tour will result primarily in him seeing the cabins of ships or trains and very little of the world they're passing through. With each obstacle that comes their way, Passepartout practically shrieks in frustration and really adds to the sense of suspense and tension in the adventure. He is a great counter to Fogg's character and really helped make the book more entertaining.

Beyond the effects of nature or problems with transportation, the main obstacle facing Fogg is Inspector Fix from Scotland Yard. The Bank of England has recently been robbed by a man matching Fogg's description. When set alongside Fogg's erratic change in behavior and his willingness to throw insane sums of money at ship's captains and train engineer's, there is a very strong argument that Fogg could be the thief. Verne very carefully keeps details of the robbery hidden and makes sure that we are closely aligned with Fix's prejudices and beliefs. I had a hard time deciding whether or not Fogg was truly the bank thief or if it was merely an unfortunate coincidence. The interactions with Fix are humorous but distanced. Fix is waiting for his arrest warrant to arrive and until then he tries to stay just out of sight of Fogg while also delaying his progress so that the warrant will catch up with them and allow an arrest to be made. The entire situation leads to some rather funny encounters.

I really enjoyed the meticulous way in which Verne outlines the voyage. We sit with Fogg as he consults timetables and records his progress. There is a very careful accounting of days, weeks and hours. Alongside this, and usually alongside Passepartout rather than Fogg, Verne presents some fun narrative and adventures that give insight into a variety of different locations and cultures. For the late 19th century this was surely a lot of the novelty and appeal of the story. Even in the 21st century I applaud his presentation of these distant cultures. The technology and ideas are a bit dated, but there is still a sense of wonder, education and enjoyment that goes beyond the years.

My biggest complaint comes in the final section of the novel.

<u>SPOILER ALERT</u> - this next paragraph contains a spoiler about Fogg's eventual completion of his trip

When Fogg finally returns to London after overcoming numerous obstacles in amazing ways, he is distraught. Upon consulting his trusty notebook, he finds that he is at exactly 80 days. However, the wager included a TIME of day to ensure the voyage was completed in precisely 80 days of 24 hours. Unfortunately it looks as though Fogg has arrived a few minutes late. Rather than return to the club and consult his friends and concede defeat, Fogg returns home with his companions and goes to sleep. The next day he mopes about most of the day and then later sends Passepartout on an errand. Passepartout returns frantically informing his master that an error has been made and TODAY is the end of the wager and that if Fogg hurries, he can make it to the club in time. Fogg races through the streets to arrive at the club and win the bet. The reason for the miscalculation is presented by Verne essentially as the fact that Fogg traveled Eastward around the globe and crossed the "date line" effectively losing a calendar day and traveling a full 24-hours for free. This is all well and good and scientifically sound...where the problem breaks down for me is the fact that the original bet included a DATE on which Fogg should return. And every leg of the journey, Fogg is consulting time tables many times involving identifying the day and date that a transport will depart. Even as Fogg leaves the East coast of the U.S., day numbers are presented. As such, the exact DATE is perfectly known to Fogg and his companions. Thus, even if he did tally off 81 "days" of 24 hours in his notebook, it would have been VERY clear that they were right on time simply by consulting the timetables, the newspaper or any other item that they frequently looked at. The twist/surprise ending was entertaining but the logic of it fell apart for me.

<u>END OF SPOILER</u>

Overall I really enjoyed the story. It was a fun adventure with some great details and wonderful characters. The writing was engaging and the plot was a lot of fun. As I mentioned before, even though aspects of the science and technology are certainly dated (after all, you can now travel around the world in a single day), they are a joy to read and make me want to seek out more books from this father of science fiction.

*****
4.5 out of 5 stars

Note: Some immature Mormon has been slamming my reviews because I wrote some negative reviews of books attempting to defend the Book of Mormon.

So your "helpful" votes are greatly appreciated. Thanks

In my opinion, a short review is best if you haven't read the book. I always read the longer reviews afterwards.

I read this book forty years ago in college and loved it. I also saw the movie, but as one reviewer pointed out, Phileas Fogg traveled by boat, train, car, sled, and even elephant, but never by balloon. The balloon scene was added to the movie.

Nevertheless, I loved all of Jules Verne's stories, and I highly recommend this one, whose title says it all--"Around the World in Eighty Days" on a bet that it couldn't be done.

I enjoy collecting paperback books with neat covers, and I have a couple of "Around the World in Eighty Days."

Oh, and I hope this is helpful. Read "The Other Log of Phileas Fogg," by Philip Jose Farmer. This retelling of Verne's story has Fogg going after Captain Nemo. It's great Fun. Farmer also wrote novels about Tarzan and the "Barnstormer in Oz"--very sexy.

The Other Log of Phileas Fogg
Barnstormer In Oz/a

It is exceedingly unlikely that the critics will ever consider Jules Verne to be one of the world's great authors. And yet who ever came to a love of books and reading because of the works of Joyce and Faulkner ands their ilk? Not a damn soul. In fact, The Sound and the Fury and Ulysses can make you rue the day you learned to read. Meanwhile, there are literally millions of us who became avid readers and fell in love with books thanks to the magnificent adventure novels of Jules Verne.
The halls of academia may not overflow with earnest Literature majors studying his work and his prose stylings may not have transformed generations of authors, but, as one of the creators of Science Fiction, he is certainly one of the most influential authors of all time. And in terms of the pure innovation of his plot lines and the imagination and excitement of the stories he told, he is without peer.
But returning to this classic travel tale as an adult, the most pleasant surprise was just how funny a book this is. The phlegmatic Phileas Fogg and Passepartout, his own intrepid Sancho Panza, play off of each other to great effect. And the excitable and dedicated, though badly misguided, Detective Fix makes for an amusing foil for the heroes as he pursues them around the globe and very nearly loses Fogg his wager.
This is simply a grand adventure for readers of all ages.
GRADE: A+

For some reason, I always envisioned a hot air balloon when I thought of Around the World in Eighty Days; in point of fact, a hot air balloon is about the only means of transportation not employed by Phileas Fogg in his circumnavigational sojourn (though it is given a fleeting thought by the hero at one point). Fogg is an interesting character, a man who takes punctuality to an unheard of degree. Basically, his whist partners at the Reform Club tell him there is no way to go around the globe in just 80 days, notwithstanding the fact that a detailed itinerary involving specific boats and trains promises to make it possible. Fogg immediately bets half his fortune that he can do it, setting out on his journey that very night. Passepartout, his newly hired manservant, finds himself dragged along on this historic journey. It so happens that someone matching a description of Fogg has just robbed the Bank of England of 55,000 pounds, and a detective named Fix "discovers" his robber when Fogg arrives in Suez. He wires England with the news and asks for an arrest warrant to be issued; before it arrives, Fogg is off again. Fix finds himself joining in on Fogg's epic journey, waiting for the warrant to reach him on his way, then waiting to arrest Fogg when he steps back on English soil. The travelers face many perils and stumbling blocks along their way, many brought about by Passeportout's naivete and later on by his selfless act of heroism. At every turn, Fogg finds himself in need of alternate transportation methods; he employs, among other vehicles, an elephant, a bridge-jumping train, and a wind-propelled sled. A series of uncommon adventures unfold, involving damsels in distress, Indian attacks, matters of honor, etc. All these events come to a climax the day on which he is due back at the Reform Club.
There is not really much science in this fiction; instead, there is a good bit of geography; the stretches of text explaining the route from one place to another is rather boring to me personally. Luckily, most of the book is full of action. Throughout, the interesting Mr. Fogg remains as calm and placid as a cucumber while Passepartout provides some comic relief by continually finding himself in some sort of trouble. Most of the actors come across as rather wooden and artificial, but the story is good and the ending is quite satisfactory. The reading of this book led me to conjecture that this was one of Verne's earlier works because the characters here are rather drab compared to those in From the Earth to the Moon and because the pages are not weighed down by scientific terminology as in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; actually, it is one of his later novels.
Around the World in Eighty Days would well serve the purpose of introducing a Verne newbie to his writing. If you want to see glimpses of Verne's prophetic scientific ideas, though, this is probably not the book for you; it is best suited for recreational reading.

I read Around the World in 80 Days at the same time. I saw this title in my library catalog and was curious, but I was disappointed that neither Goodreads or the store could give me an idea of what it was about. That's why I'm writing this review. Here's what the dust jacket says: "'It records simply how the world looked to me in 80 days,' says John Burningham of this, his most adventurous and delightful book yet. On October 3, 1970, he set out from London's Reform Club in the footsteps of Jules Verne's Victorian hero Phileas Fogg. When he returned on a sunny December afternoon, just 80 days later, he had traveled 44,000 miles and visited 24 countries."

John Burningham does travel on the same dates as Phileas Fogg. (If it was a couple years later, it could have been exactly 100 years after Mr. Fogg.) He does, however deviate his route a little from that of Mr. Fogg's. Extra places he goes that Mr. Fogg does not are Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Canada. The main difference between Burningham and Fogg is that Burningham actually wanted to see the places he was traveling through! :)

I enjoyed his drawings. My favorite was the series of pictures about young bull elephants pushing over trees -- when they get hot, there's a crowd of elephants under the trees remaining. It made me laugh.

This is Verne's classic story of the trip of Phileas Fogg (who is obsessed with time), Passeportout, Aouda, and Detective Fix around the world on a wager. The book is filled with beautiful time and space imagery throughout (I would bet that one could write an entire thesis on all the time and space references in the novel). Thirty-three years after its publication, the world first learns of the space/time continuum (although I'm certain Verne was not anticipating Einstein). Fogg bets his fellow club members that he can circumnavigate the globe in a mere eighty days. He leaves immediately with his valet Passeportout and is pursued by Detective Fix, who thinks he is a bank robber. Through many adventures, including the rescue of Aouda from immolation, they all return to London. Interestingly, a few years later, after a number of improvements had been made in railways and roads, a U.S. journalist named Nellie Bly (the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cochrane) decided to attempt to break Fogg's "record." Leaving New York on November 14, 1889, she was able to circumnavigate the globe in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes, and 14 seconds. But, she didn't rescue a Hindu princess! It should be noted, however, that one has to be very careful concerning the translations of this novel. There are some terrible ones being sold. This translation by William Butcher appeared in 1995.

I picked up this book at 8:00 PM and it was finished the next night. The book is short, but the story is fascinating and easy to follow. Here are some things I liked about the book....

1.) The characters are well-developed (except for Auoda, the female of the story) and lovable. Even Detective Fix, the antagonist of the hero, is found to be respected in his obligation to duty. Phileas Fogg is a worthy hero to cheer for, and his French sidekick is humorously appreciated.

2.) The different places of the world were written about in a way that must have been experienced by the author. I don?t know if Verne ever traveled the world, but his book paints a vivid picture of the different culture.

3.) As an American, it was amusing to read how the author portrayed our country and its people. The rashness of the train engineer, the passion of the political mob, and the arrogance of the colonel reflect an interesting (though probably true) caricature of an American.

4.) The ending was super, (don?t read on if you haven?t read the book!) he lost the bet and then he won the bet! How could the author make that happen? He did, and it was a great conclusion to a great book.

This is Verne's classic story of the trip of Phileas Fogg (who is obsessed with time), Passeportout, Aouda, and Detective Fix around the world on a wager. The book is filled with beautiful time and space imagery throughout (I would bet that one could write an entire thesis on all the time and space references in the novel). Thirty-three years after its publication, the world first learns of the space/time continuum (although I'm certain Verne was not anticipating Einstein). Fogg bets his fellow club members that he can circumnavigate the globe in a mere eighty days. He leaves immediately with his valet Passeportout and is pursued by Detective Fix, who thinks he is a bank robber. Through many adventures, including the rescue of Aouda from immolation, they all return to London. Interestingly, a few years later, after a number of improvements had been made in railways and roads, a U.S. journalist named Nellie Bly (the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cochrane) decided to attempt to break Fogg's "record." Leaving New York on November 14, 1889, she was able to circumnavigate the globe in 72 days, 6 hours, 11 minutes, and 14 seconds. But, she didn't rescue a Hindu princess! It should be noted, however, that one has to be very careful concerning the translations of this novel. There are some terrible ones being sold. This translation by William Butcher appeared in 1995.

I think those of us who were introduced to this classic via the recent Jackie Chan movie were done a great disservice. This book accomplishes what few books can: even though the characters are one dimensional, the reader cares about them and genuinely wants to know what will happen next.

The basic setup is that Phileas Fogg makes a bet with members of his club that he can travel the world in 80 days, and then lugs Passaporteau around with him while he sets about accomplishing this task.

Verne does a great job of indicting the tourist mindset that we have today, and apparently had back in Verne's time. Throughout the whole book, Fogg is traveling through France, India, Singapore, Japan and the US, yet never takes the time to appreciate any of it. It's a lot like the people who take vacations and then bring back 20 rolls of film depicting every single landmark mentioned in Frommer's. They've seen it all, but it's all done with a sense of urgency and no real joy. Again, Verne has proven adept at predicting and accurately characterizing human foibles.

Actually, this book is more of a 3.5 stars for me. I was a little handicapped reading it because I was actually reading the book on my palm (Zire 71), therefore I'm limited with just words. My imagination wasn't aided by visuals from paperback materials. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the journey with Mr. Fogg and Passepartout.
Although there were a lot of boring scenes, the part where Mr. Fogg rescued Aouda and when Passepartout got lost because of Mr. Fix, these episodes were enough to keep the story moving.
I like that Jules Verne didn't make the book very linear. His way of storytelling does not leave its reader in the dark. Everything has an explanation for what is happening. For me, I believe the ending was the best part in this book. I was almost disappointed because I thought their journey failed but the author just tricked us a little. And although Mr. Fogg did not gain financially with the wager, it was more than material possession that he has gained. And that is a lovely lady whom he shared an exciting adventure.
This book is well-recommended.

It is no wonder this book written in 1873 is continuously reprinted. The story of Mr. Phileas Fogg and his journey to transverse the earth in 80 days just sparkles with wit and exciting plot convolutions.

We are so complacent with the ease of traveling great distances quickly and in comfort; it is very instructive to read what it was like before automobiles and jet planes. I particularly enjoyed the description of the train trip across the American West. Just what happens when a freak storm or pesky indians stops a train in the middle of nowhere - no cell phone or state police helicopters available here.

Most of the times I avoid books labeled "classics". Somehow the term connotes for me someone saying, "read this, it's good for you". Therefore I will avoid the "classic' label and just conclude that this is an extremely entertain novel for all ages and long may it remain in print.

This book was originally published as episodes in Le Temps in 1873, and they became an immediate sensation. And in a case of life imitating art, the episodes' actual readers wagered on the outcome. The story has protagonist, Phileas Fogg, an English gentleman of comfortably sedentary habits, making a spontaneous wager with other members of his club as to his ability to circumnavigate the globe in eighty days or less. Mind you, the first steam-powered vessel had been launched only thirty years earlier, and steam was still considered auxiliary to sail power. Dependence on the wind for powering ships made the timing of arrival dates quite iffy, and multiple rail and ship connections were a certain source of delay and frustration. For a gentleman to wager what amounted to half of his life savings on the complete avoidance of such delays would have, in those days, amounted to lunacy. It was only with some difficulty that Fogg prevailed on his wagering counterparties to take the bet, since they too were gentlemen.

With twenty-twenty hindsight, many of these late nineteenth century science fiction stories look remarkably droll, and for a modern reader to share the excitement of the original audience, something akin to science fiction is absolutely essential - transporting ourselves back 136 years. Imagine being a resident of a small town anywhere in Europe, and being suddenly hoisted by the power of compellingly written fiction to the back of an elephant in the Indian jungle. Imagine strolling around the streets of Yokohama and joining a band of wandering performers. Imagine fighting off Sioux warriors from the windows of a speeding train. Perhaps imagining being accosted by a Mormon missionary wouldn't be quite so difficult for the modern reader, since that, at least, hasn't changed since the author's day.

But it is not only science, and not only geographic and cultural literacy which has advanced over the intervening century. The craft of fiction has advanced to the point that Jules Verne's narrative in a streaming passive voice makes the book seem antiquarian to a degree that its archaic world view doesn't. The reader willingly suspends disbelief regarding character and plot, but more than an occasional abuse of the passive voice is difficult for the modern reader to accept. It dates the book in a way that the headlining of steam power doesn't.

The reason, though, that the story survives in our imaginations is Jules Verne's exceptional ability to create and maintain tension from page to page. Phileas Fogg gets two days ahead of his schedule, and we eagerly anticipate the setbacks which we know must thwart his program. He gets two days "behindhand," becomes separated from his travelling companions, and we churn with anxiety lest he miss his next critical connection.

The careful reader will find facts and figures which date the book, and only add to its charm, e.g., "Everybody knows...that India has a population of one hundred and eighty million souls." This must have seemed incredible to an England with a population of twenty-two million, but it pales beside the current population, 1.1 billion, a number which science fiction could never have attempted without ridicule. A very brief reference to Chicago, as "already risen from its ruins" places the book one year after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. And while the breadth of Verne's cultural literacy is remarkable for the time, he does manage to get some facts wrong, e.g., the "mangos" he describes are certainly "mangosteens," based on his detailed description.

For a reader of the classics, "Around the World in Eighty Days" is mandatory. For a modern jet-setter, it is a delight. For a student of the history of English literature, the language itself is a destination.

If you're a fan of Michael Palin from Python fame and you enjoy interesting travelogues, you may enjoy this companion book to the BBC televised version of his travels. I really enjoyed the video, one of Palin's first with the BBC, and the book obviously cannot effectively capture the physical humor that Palin presents but it still worth while as the pictures and writing are quite interesting as Palin travels the circumference of the globe in 80 days. Great fun as Palin dines on snake in an Asian country (presented live and then sliced and diced for you to see) and his long ride on an ocean cargo ship where he plays charades with a crew with the help of a little alcohol at their small party. Enjoyable book with well written humorous anecdotes but see the film to have a greater appreciation for Palin's encounters with people and places. His innocent humor disarms everyone he meets and provides them and you with a laugh while exploring the world.

Finally after nearly fifty years I have read this book of which I have seen several movie versions.

It is just great fun from start to finish. The characters are one dimensional but that does not detract from the adventures Fogg and his companions have on their trip around the world.

As I am probably one of the last people on the planet to read this it won't be a plot spoiler to say that the bet was won and the enterprise was successful.

Of all the movie versions made, the one with David Niven is the most enjoyable but even then the script writers had to meddle with the story. The story its self requires no meddling and should have been able to be transposed from the book to the screen, but no they had to try and tweek it a bit , never mind, if you haven't read this do, its great.

Both this edition (ISBN 978-1450515627) and Oxford University Press's edition (ISBN 978-0192837783) translated by William Butcher are available as "LOOK INSIDE!" at the store.

A very short comparison from Chapter I:

The 1st edition:

... People said that he resembled Byron--at least that his head was Byronic; but he was a bearded, tranquil Byron, who might live on a thousand years without growing old.
Certainly an Englishman, it was more doubtful whether Phileas Fogg was a Londoner. ...

The OUP 1995 translation:

He was said to look like Byron: his head at least, for his feet were beyond reproach--but a mustachioed and bewhiskered Byron, an impassive Byron, one who might have lived for a thousand years without ever growing old.
Although clearly British, Mr Fogg might not have been a Londoner. ...

Jules Verne's "Around the world in 80 days" is a well-written novel detailing the adventures one man faces as he races the clock to journey around the world. The main character, Mr. Fogg, is a wealthy Brit who lives a fairly anonymous existence. People are intrigued by this air of mystery.

As a result of a bet, Mr. Fogg finds himself faced with the incredibly difficult task of this journey and a large sum of money (and his pride) on the line. Set in the 1800's, this journey shows the reader how different life was then.

Now, being so used to instantaneous everything, you might expect the story to feel dated. Not so. Verne uses common language so there is not the expected difficulty of translating old english into something you actually understand.

The story is exciting, unpredictable, filled with interesting situations and characters.

This is an easy, enjoyable way to spend a few hours of your time.

Around the world in Eighty Days is a really great book. With a wonderful and thrilling adventure and some suspense. Around the world in eighty days is about a man named Phileas Fogg makes a bet with some of his fellow club members. With 20,000 pounds on the line Phileas Fogg starts his adventure right away with his servant Passepartout. But unsuspectingly are being followed by a detective named Mr. Fix who is accusing Phileas Fogg of a robbery. After many twist and turns Phileas Fogg arrives to India where he meets a young lady who's name is Aouda. Then after that he arrives to America and travels across the plains with his fellow travelers and Mr. Fix but is attacked by some enraged Indians. After making it to New York he travels across the sea to Ireland but with only less then a day left it will be pretty hard to make it in time. Read this book to see if he makes it or if he fails. I suggest this book to any reader who likes adventure and suspense.

This is a review I previously wrote for four books in the Whole Story Series (Call of the Wild, The Jungle Book, Treasure Island, and Around the World in Eighty Days). I hope someone finds this helpful in their decision to purchase these books. :)

This is a wonderful series for children (and adults) who value learning through literature--especially classic literature. What makes it even more appealing to parents and educators is the way the publishers have integrated historically relevant facts with the complete, unabridged text. Each classic branches over several areas of learning--history, culture, geography, customs, animal life, architecture, literature, and science.

The Call of the Wild includes sidebars, maps, photographs, line drawings, diagrams, and paintings describing the Gold Rush, Klondike region, transcontinental railroad, sledding, traveling routes, harsh conditions, animal life, tools and procedures used for mining gold, and more.

The Jungle Book provides details about India, animal life, religious landmarks and architecture, culture and customs. It also includes two-page features on wolf children, the seal massacre, and a photo spread of India.

Around the World in Eighty Days takes the reader across a geographical journey using various forms of transportation. Maps, illustrations, and photographs provide rich detail into the culture and landmarks of many different locales and the means of transportation used in each leg of the journey.

Treasure Island provides abundant information on ocean-related topics--sailors, pirates, treasure chests, ocean voyages, living conditions, crimes and punishment, weaponry, traditions, slavery, animal and plant life, medicine and disease, and more. It includes two- or three-page spreads featuring ocean charts, navigational instruments, compasses, types of ships, a cut-out diagram of a ship's compartments, sails, rigging, ropework, points of sail, and famous pirates.

These books inspire an integrated approach to learning and would make a wonderful addition to your home library.

I just read Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. Besides a great book and a fun read, I found there to be a number of principles in there that are useful for managing and executing any project or undertaking. Without giving away too much of the book if you haven't yet read it, here it goes:

1) Singleness of purpose: Phileas Fogg had one goal in mind. It was not to tour the world and learn about new cultures. It was to win the bet with the Reform Club that he could circumnavigate the globe in 80 days or less. Granted he may have missed out on some chances to learn a new language or receive insight into the way others live, but that was not his goal and he knew it.

2) Availability of resources: It's true that money can't buy you love but it can buy a heckuva lot of other things! Having the cash that he did bailed him and Passapourt out of many a jam throughout their adventure. You should always count the cost before taking on any venture in terms of financial and human resources.

3) Keep a cool head: If Phileas Fogg was nothing else it was unflappable, composed, self-possessed, and cool-as-a-cucumber. No matter what the obstacle, he never lost his composure. Bringing a project in on time and within budget means dealing with all of the issues that come up with coolness, logic, and good decision-making.

4) Openess to risk: Phileas Fogg was willing to risk his entire venture to save the woman Auoda from death. He was not reckless, however! He was able to work himself into a position to take this risk by getting ahead of schedule where he could afford to try and save the woman. Success in this venture leads to one of the greatest benefits of the entire voyage although he does not know it at the time.

5) Expect the unexpected: Early in the tale when confronted with all the uncertainties involved in his proposed endeavor, Phileas states simply that "The unforeseen does not exist." What he means is that every roadblock can be anticipated with enough foresight. Likewise, we can use careful planning to mitigate many of the possible pitfalls for any given project we undertake.

A great exercise would be to have your young reader (11 or older) read the book and see if they can pull any of these principles out and use it as a discussion starter. Enjoy Jules' fun classic of adventure!!

My family listened to this book on a trip from Phoenix to Las Vegas and it made the trip go by quickly. Jim Dale does an excellent job with characterizations. I first listened to him in the Harry Potter series and he was the main reason I picked up this book and I was not disappointed.

This is the first time I have "read" this book, having only seen the movies with Jackie Chan and David Niven. The older movie follows the story better than the newer one. The book is, as usual, much better. I'm still not sure why there is always a balloon in the movies and even on the cover of this book, since there is not one in the book.

Phileas Fogg is a ridiculously unflappable character, and his manservant, Passepartout, is almost the opposite. The main story involves Fogg making a bet with his friends at the reform club that he can go around the world in 80 days. Several complications ensue, yet Fogg shows no emotion through almost the entire book. There is romance (kind of), mistaken identity, and many other fun things in the plot. It's not deep by any sense of the word, but just plain fun. It was amusing to see how Verne viewed the world. The characterization of Mormon's was funny (I'm a Mormon), and the wild west was very wild.

I highly recommend this book for a road trip with the family. The book is just under 8 hours in length.

Among the most realistic of Verne's "imaginary voyages", this novel describes how Phileas Fogg, a reclusive, eccentric, British bachelor, wagers some members of his club that he can travel completely around the globe in just eighty days, based on rail and steamer schedules available to this very punctual man. So off he goes, on what should have been a fun-filled, adventure-packed journey. Unfortunately, this precursor to the science fiction novel has not held up well over the years, and it's really a testimony to the ever-changing world that we live in that this was ever considered an adventure novel. Too often the action takes place "out of scene" and is only described after the fact, losing the story's intensity and immediacy. The characters are quite one-dimensional; Passepartout, the faithful French manservant, provides only the barest minimum of comic relief, and Aouda, the love interest, isn't much more successful. The real stars should have been the different cultures and modes of transport experienced by the travelers, but even these are often treated in a cursory fashion. Instead, the focus is on timetables and detours and the hapless Detective Fix, who believes that Fogg is wanted for robbery.
It seems as though Verne had a clever idea for a short story (that is, he had the conclusion, or "hook", for a puzzle-type story), but needing a round-the-world tour to make it work, found himself writing a novel that he really had relatively little interest in. As a result, the story doesn't really heat up until the very end, and even there the final twist will not manage to surprise many contemporary readers. A very light entertainment, but no longer very impressive or imaginative in a world where astronauts orbit the globe in hours. This story might have seemed remarkable to those born before the days when commercial aviation made the world such a small place, but younger readers will probably find this book far too tame to suit their tastes.

It is one of Verne's more light hearted reads and perhaps a good introduction to his writing. I think most younger readers are unaware of some of his works and how prolific and forward thinking they were for the era they were written in. There is a Disney film with his books and ideas as a focus, Mysterious Island II. That gives a short, but coulourful view of Verne's fantastic imagination.
This book is free of his usual complex scientific dialogue and seems to be a story, which was written in what I would deem an attempt to reach the mass market.
Jules Verne is a writer I would and have introduced to my sprogs to try and show them what magical stories they are missing out on.
AVP-UK

This is certainly not the best of Jules Verne. It is slow, boring, and predictable. (Isn't it obvious that Phileas Fogg is going to get the Aouda in the end?) In fact this book proves that romance is not Jules Verne's strong suit. There are very few exciting moments (though the Indian attack was rather entertaining). And moments that could have been exciting are squandered with a predictable solution and outcome. Then there is the detective, chasing Fogg across the world assuming he is a bounty hunter. To me the detective wasn't ruthless enough, and mostly played by the rules (except for knocking Fogg's assistant out on the boat, which was tense and had a hilarious outcome) of capturing a theif. (waiting for the warrant to reach every British territory and then America for example) As for Phileas Fogg. For a man who has these many adventures Fogg is a very bland persona who isn't very exciting to read about. You'd expect more from someone with a name like Phileas Fogg. In conclusion this is an average book from a very above average writer. Though it has its moments its an unexciting read. Get 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

This is a book review on Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne. Phileas Fogg, the man in the book, is mistaken for a criminal, gets chased by a detective, and is attacked by Indians. It's an action-packed adventure! I like this book. There was a part I didn't like, it was when he got attacked by Indians. There are no hot-air balloons mentioned in the story, but I liked the whole book. I recommend this book for ages 5+.

Around the world in 80 days was probably one of the first popular works of travel writing. Part comedy, part drama, and mostly adventure, this book follows Phineas Fogg on his trip around the world in the company of his French servant, Passapertout. The trip was taken as part of a dare, but the trip itself is full of mishaps and near misses. Much of the trip is taken by sea, so our protagonists do not see as much of the world as they could have. Likewise, many of their stops in different cities are solely to rendevous with their next connection; hence not much deliberate sightseeing. Friends are made along the way, along with some enemies too. The book is written for young adults, and there is only an occasional insight into foreign cultures, and how this compares - contrasts with the Victorian England that is the home of Mr. Fogg. Hence in terms of wisdom learned, this book is below Twain's Roughing It or Gulliver's Travels. But it is more exciting and more readable than Swiss Family Robinson and other adventure classics from the 1800s. Overall, a worthy read.

The story is about an eccentric Englishman named Phileas Fogg who makes a twenty thousand pound bet with five of his rich country club friends to travel around the world in eighty days with his trusty servant Passepartout a Frenchman. Along the way they have to overcome many obstacles. Fogg spends most of his fortune overcoming these obstacles and if they don't win the bet he will be ruined. There are some things however that even money can't overcome and several times Fogg is faced with a moral decision that if he pursues the right thing to do will significantly set him back on time.
Their travels take them through England, Paris, the Suez Canal, Egypt, India, Hong Kong, Japan, America, and Ireland. In India they rescue a princess who stays on with them throughout the rest of their journey and a love interest grows between her and Fogg. There is also another subplot involving a bank robbery in England where 55 thousand pounds have been stolen, and Fogg is considered to be the main suspect. A detective Fix is assigned to follow Fogg and to arrest him once he sets foot on English territory.
This book seems to be split into two parts. During the first part of the book when things are going smoothly the servant Passepartout seems to be the main character. At each port Fogg stays in his cabin and just focuses on the next leg of the trip while Passepartout ventures out and gives you a description of the land. It would seem a shame to travel all around the world and not pause to take in any of the sights as Fogg does. I found most of these early chapters pretty mundane and uneventful.
The subplot with Fix at times becomes annoying, and it isn't until they are all working towards the same goal, that this line of the story improves. I also found the exchange rate between dollars and pounds confusing at times. The pound must have been about four or five times greater than the dollar at the time this story was written. Fogg leaves England with around twenty thousand pounds and spends it seems over a hundred thousand dollars on the trip.
Later on as the story progresses and things start to go wrong the focus changes over to Fogg. Passepartout still does some heroic things, but Fogg takes charge and shows some redeeming qualities. The pace of the story quickens and becomes more enjoyable with a few skirmishes taking place in India and America. Fogg seems a different person upon returning to England, and his life is changed forever.
My wife has a framed poster that hangs on one of our walls with a collage of all of the movies that have won the best picture of the year award. "Around The World In Eighty Days" won the award in 1956, and the picture is represented in the collage with the main character Phileas Fogg and his trusty servant Passepartout taking a balloon flight. Based on this picture for years I always assumed the book was about a trip in a balloon around the world. I was surprised then to find out once I finally got a chance to read the actual book that they travel by boat, train, car, sled, and even elephant, but that they never travel by balloon. It turns out that the most memorable scene from the movie was made up by the director and added on to the story. The director seemed to have come to same conclusion that I did, that the written story itself was very good, but I was expecting something a little more.
The book was written in 1873. Jules Verne the author is a Frenchman. In this day and age it was pleasing to see both England and America looked upon in such a favorable light. Englishmen were portrayed as noble and Americans were portrayed as wild and adventurous.

Pictures of Hardcover illustrations and index to book ..Around the World in Eighty Days (Classic Publishing Corp.) (Educator Classic Library, Complete and Unabridged)

One of the classic works and an interesting short read. I bought the version published by Dover which was translated back in 1873 (just a year after Verne wrote the original in 1872), so the English is a bit old-fashioned and the usage & meaning of some words is a bit strange to a modern English user.

Nevertheless, this does not ruin the joy of reading this short story - what made the reading experience less than perfect was that I knew the ending already (and who doesn't?). It would be ideal if I had only known the ending after I've started reading the book! But given that the story has been adapted into movie, cartoon & musical already, all we can do is to appreciate the genius of Monsieur Verne again by reading the book.

I really admire Mr Fogg's determination, creativity & clever mind in overcoming unforeseen obstacles. No matter what happened, he could keep his cool and then thought about a solution - I think this is what an independent traveler needs (esp us, the backpackers).

Even though it's not one of his science fiction novels (which are wonderful), this is my favorite Jules Verne story. Phileas Fogg is absurdly calm in any situation, and Passepartout is the everyman who reacts to all the insane situations his boss gets into. Considering the narrow-minded time in which the book was written, I love the fact that Fogg winds up with a beautiful and intelligent Indian girlfriend. There are lots of short, episodic adventures each in a new exotic location, all told with a good sense of humor. The subplot about Fix the detective chasing Fogg helps hold the narrative together. And it's hillarious that Verne portrays the Americans as a bunch of daredevil screwballs. Loads of fun from cover to cover. Younger readers shouldn't have any trouble following it. This is one of my favorite adventure stories.

I try to read a wide variety of different books, both old and new, fiction and non-fiction. I bought this as an impulse buy, and couldn't be happier. Trust me, as an avid movie watcher as well, the films depicting this story don't come close to the actual book (when do they ever?). Its a fun read, with a surprising amount of humor most of which is just as applicable today as it was over 140 years ago. I wish I would have discovered this book a long time ago. It would be a great introduction to classic literature for a young reader.

Mr. Verne was a highly imaginative writer in his time and aptly regarded the founder of modern science fiction. Although the ending is sentimental to my taste, the whole story grabs my attention. It is told in a condensed and simple nature thus great for a bedside read to children of all ages. Phileas Fogg is a unique character who is eccentric but exceedingly predictable in kindness. Passepartout is as clear as day, a typical madcap. His thoughts are hilarious as his overall personality. Wherever it is clarified during their expedition, the details are colorful with facts, suspense, and riddles that make up a wonderful voyage. A lot is a passing comment but that is alright because the narrative is stimulating. The fiction lacks dialogues especially for the ever charming, Mrs. Aouda. The police officer is formed into a truly disciplined servant of the force. It is a fast read that concludes with uncomplicated turn of events.

This is a delightful story based on a wonderful concept. My only complaint was that, at times, the novel seemed to have some "padding" --- place descriptions perhaps based on some travel book, subplots which didn't ring quite true, and so forth. The Indian raid on the train struck me as the least plausible.

But why quibble? The world loved this book, and still does. And if you love the book, you might want to seek out the magnificent movie made from this story: Around the World in 80 Days (Two-Disc Special Edition). Excellent acting, good fun all around, and Cantinflas steals the show as Passepartout.

This book is the quintessential action story - quick pacing, light characterization, implausible scenarios, comic relief, and lots of fun. Verne was ahead of his time; he could have been a action flick screenwriter.
It was a quick, enjoyable read. The `romance' left me a little flat - particularly in that it manifested itself in a way that didn't fit the character of Fogg up to that point. The ending was great, though I was a little confused about the clocks in London - why do they chime at ten till the hour? I liked the suggestion of another the store reviewer to utilize this book as a bedtime story. The chapters are short, self-contained units that should capture the attention of most children.

Jules Verne, of course, wrote in French and the compilers of this volume have gone to amazingly great lengths to obtain and present original 19th century English translated material. They also supplied a duo of enlightening essays outlining the metamorphosis of the yarn be it on printed page, on stage or on screen. An abundance of rare engravings, postcards, caricatures, photos, advertisements, programs, posters and even stereograms round out the supplemental material.

In Americanized theatrical form, Around the World in 80 Days is a fine read as both an introduction to the famed exploits of Phileas Fogg and as a fresh look at an old favorite. It would even make a good first taste of Verne period.

A genuine treat.

Sorry for the tilte of my review but I could not help it. This is a great work. Of course it does not hold the same facination today as it would in 1872. Nonetheless it is a great work and a lot of fun to read.

One thing that I found very interesting is that many of the things that we take for granted today required explaining in 1872. For example, the author felt it was important to describe to his readers what a banna was like. What author would need to do that today ? Of course mu8ch of the style etc etc is very differnet than today's. But the writing is similar enough that the book is an easy read.

I am not sure if I would grant this status as a classic but I would definitly recommend the book. I would especially recommend the book to younger readers.

I listened to and read this with my kids for school. I was constantly on the edge of my seat even though I had read an abridged version as a child. This story and Verne's writing really pass the test of time.

I was heading off to San Antonio for the weekend and needed a book to read on the plane. I arbitrarily grabbed Around the World in 80 Days and it was a good thing. While everyone around me on the plane and at the airport huffed and puffed about delays, I just sat back, like Phileas Fogg, knowing that things would turn out ok. Around the World in 80 Days is not a novel of depth, but thanks to Jules Verne's immense talent for suspense and detail, he created a tale so soothing and entertaining that all you worry about the next time you travel will seem inconsequential. Always carry a copy with you whenever you go somewhere!

I finally had the chance to read Jules Verne's classic tale of the eccentric Englishman and his famous bet. Just to round out the experience I also watched the Mike Todd film, also a classic with an endless collection of superstars including David Niven and cameo appearances by Charles Boyer, Frank Sinatra, Noel Coward and Edward R. Murrow.

The story was written in serial for the magazines and this adds to the richness as each chapter tells a story. My favorite part is Paspartou and Fogg being re-united in the circus after a separation of more than one week and several ports of call.

Pictures of Hardcover illustrations and index to book ..Around the World in Eighty Days (Classic Publishing Corp.) (Educator Classic Library, Complete and Unabridged)

One of the classic works and an interesting short read. I bought the version published by Dover which was translated back in 1873 (just a year after Verne wrote the original in 1872), so the English is a bit old-fashioned and the usage & meaning of some words is a bit strange to a modern English user.

Nevertheless, this does not ruin the joy of reading this short story - what made the reading experience less than perfect was that I knew the ending already (and who doesn't?). It would be ideal if I had only known the ending after I've started reading the book! But given that the story has been adapted into movie, cartoon & musical already, all we can do is to appreciate the genius of Monsieur Verne again by reading the book.

I really admire Mr Fogg's determination, creativity & clever mind in overcoming unforeseen obstacles. No matter what happened, he could keep his cool and then thought about a solution - I think this is what an independent traveler needs (esp us, the backpackers).

Even though it's not one of his science fiction novels (which are wonderful), this is my favorite Jules Verne story. Phileas Fogg is absurdly calm in any situation, and Passepartout is the everyman who reacts to all the insane situations his boss gets into. Considering the narrow-minded time in which the book was written, I love the fact that Fogg winds up with a beautiful and intelligent Indian girlfriend. There are lots of short, episodic adventures each in a new exotic location, all told with a good sense of humor. The subplot about Fix the detective chasing Fogg helps hold the narrative together. And it's hillarious that Verne portrays the Americans as a bunch of daredevil screwballs. Loads of fun from cover to cover. Younger readers shouldn't have any trouble following it. This is one of my favorite adventure stories.

I try to read a wide variety of different books, both old and new, fiction and non-fiction. I bought this as an impulse buy, and couldn't be happier. Trust me, as an avid movie watcher as well, the films depicting this story don't come close to the actual book (when do they ever?). Its a fun read, with a surprising amount of humor most of which is just as applicable today as it was over 140 years ago. I wish I would have discovered this book a long time ago. It would be a great introduction to classic literature for a young reader.

Mr. Verne was a highly imaginative writer in his time and aptly regarded the founder of modern science fiction. Although the ending is sentimental to my taste, the whole story grabs my attention. It is told in a condensed and simple nature thus great for a bedside read to children of all ages. Phileas Fogg is a unique character who is eccentric but exceedingly predictable in kindness. Passepartout is as clear as day, a typical madcap. His thoughts are hilarious as his overall personality. Wherever it is clarified during their expedition, the details are colorful with facts, suspense, and riddles that make up a wonderful voyage. A lot is a passing comment but that is alright because the narrative is stimulating. The fiction lacks dialogues especially for the ever charming, Mrs. Aouda. The police officer is formed into a truly disciplined servant of the force. It is a fast read that concludes with uncomplicated turn of events.

This is a delightful story based on a wonderful concept. My only complaint was that, at times, the novel seemed to have some "padding" --- place descriptions perhaps based on some travel book, subplots which didn't ring quite true, and so forth. The Indian raid on the train struck me as the least plausible.

But why quibble? The world loved this book, and still does. And if you love the book, you might want to seek out the magnificent movie made from this story: Around the World in 80 Days (Two-Disc Special Edition). Excellent acting, good fun all around, and Cantinflas steals the show as Passepartout.

This book is the quintessential action story - quick pacing, light characterization, implausible scenarios, comic relief, and lots of fun. Verne was ahead of his time; he could have been a action flick screenwriter.
It was a quick, enjoyable read. The `romance' left me a little flat - particularly in that it manifested itself in a way that didn't fit the character of Fogg up to that point. The ending was great, though I was a little confused about the clocks in London - why do they chime at ten till the hour? I liked the suggestion of another the store reviewer to utilize this book as a bedtime story. The chapters are short, self-contained units that should capture the attention of most children.

Jules Verne, of course, wrote in French and the compilers of this volume have gone to amazingly great lengths to obtain and present original 19th century English translated material. They also supplied a duo of enlightening essays outlining the metamorphosis of the yarn be it on printed page, on stage or on screen. An abundance of rare engravings, postcards, caricatures, photos, advertisements, programs, posters and even stereograms round out the supplemental material.

In Americanized theatrical form, Around the World in 80 Days is a fine read as both an introduction to the famed exploits of Phileas Fogg and as a fresh look at an old favorite. It would even make a good first taste of Verne period.

A genuine treat.

Sorry for the tilte of my review but I could not help it. This is a great work. Of course it does not hold the same facination today as it would in 1872. Nonetheless it is a great work and a lot of fun to read.

One thing that I found very interesting is that many of the things that we take for granted today required explaining in 1872. For example, the author felt it was important to describe to his readers what a banna was like. What author would need to do that today ? Of course mu8ch of the style etc etc is very differnet than today's. But the writing is similar enough that the book is an easy read.

I am not sure if I would grant this status as a classic but I would definitly recommend the book. I would especially recommend the book to younger readers.

I listened to and read this with my kids for school. I was constantly on the edge of my seat even though I had read an abridged version as a child. This story and Verne's writing really pass the test of time.

I was heading off to San Antonio for the weekend and needed a book to read on the plane. I arbitrarily grabbed Around the World in 80 Days and it was a good thing. While everyone around me on the plane and at the airport huffed and puffed about delays, I just sat back, like Phileas Fogg, knowing that things would turn out ok. Around the World in 80 Days is not a novel of depth, but thanks to Jules Verne's immense talent for suspense and detail, he created a tale so soothing and entertaining that all you worry about the next time you travel will seem inconsequential. Always carry a copy with you whenever you go somewhere!

I finally had the chance to read Jules Verne's classic tale of the eccentric Englishman and his famous bet. Just to round out the experience I also watched the Mike Todd film, also a classic with an endless collection of superstars including David Niven and cameo appearances by Charles Boyer, Frank Sinatra, Noel Coward and Edward R. Murrow.

The story was written in serial for the magazines and this adds to the richness as each chapter tells a story. My favorite part is Paspartou and Fogg being re-united in the circus after a separation of more than one week and several ports of call.

A simple story with a decent narrative. What interested me most was the occassional glimpse you get of the world from the vantage point of the mid 1800s - the mormon sermon in the train, suttee (sati) and so forth. Phillis' doubt about the rabbit meat in Bombay (Oh, our reputation did precede us even then!) and his depiction of the haggling elephant mahout does make for a good laugh. The plot is simple and interesting. A series of almost-missed-but-somehow-made-it events with a sprinkling of bollywood-ish scenes here and there (Passerpout rising from the fire with the princess with the villagers prostrating at the event) enable Phillis Fogg to finally traverse the world in 80 days and everything ends happily everafter (except for the guys in the club)

Around the World in 80 Days is an adventurous book. Mr. Fogg is a man that will do just about anything to win his 20,000 dollar bet, like spending as much money as he wants to get where he needs to. Throughout his journey his mood will change. O gave this book three and a half stars out of five because it had a lot of interesting parts with just the right amount of reality. I like this book and can see it being well known for many years to come. Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne is a fun, adventure book that is good for people of any age. i feel that this book is the best of the series.

What more is there to say about a classic?? They are classics for a reason. This book doesn't deal with big issues of humanity. It's just great fun!! It's an old-fashioned adventure tale that pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages. It has all the making of a traditional action story - a race against time, all sorts of dangerous situations, and, of course, a love interest. Who would believe that this was written over 100 years ago? Just more proof that it is a great story that generation after generation will enjoy. Pick it up, read it, then read it with your kids, and their kids, etc. Then read it again!

Even though Phileas Fogg is the main character, the real star of the show and book is his French servant, Jean Passepartout! I started liking Passepartout when Eric Idle played him in a mini-series. Even though Passepartout can come off a bit of a show-off, arrogant, and a jerk from time to time(He's French and can't help it and doesn't mean to come off that way on purpose!!)
He is very resourceful, lovable, the comic relief, makes up for his bumbling and sometimes nosey ways with a heart and soul of gold and becomes an asset to Fogg in his help to go around the world and rescues the Princess Auoda and makes Fogg from being a cold as a fish, very private, quiet and withdrawn, and very un-human to becoming more human, sensitive, and not too concern with appearance, structure, or time. Fogg may be the star and the central character but Passepartout is my all-time favorite character and is really the star and is the heart and soul of "Around the World in 80 Days"!

I read a Nook version and the quality was fine...the story was amazingly horrible. I read this because it is a classic and never read any of Verne's works before, and was curious. I can see liking this book as a child and then enjoying it again for nostalgic reasons, but reading it as an adult - it was horrible! The dialog was juvenile at best. There was nothing "exciting" about his adventures...they were just lame. I had to FORCE myself to finish it and could only do that by skimming through the last 3 or 4 chapters. I'm an avid reader and don't typically do that. OK - it is a translation, so maybe that was part of it, but I've read other French translations before (A. Dumas and V. Hugo) which were wonderful, classic stories. I enjoyed the movie when I was a child, but the book...not so much. Sorry Verne's fans...

I finally made time to read a Jules Verne novel! I was not disappointed! It was nothing like most of the movies I seen with the same title! Therefore it was very interesting and not boring in the least. I will be reading more Jules Verne novels!