AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS

Around the World in Eighty Days (French: Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) is a classic adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, first published in 1873. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate the world in 80 days on a £20,000 wager (equal to £1,324,289 today) set by his friends at the Reform Club. It is one of Verne's most acclaimed works.

If the story had been any longer, it would have dragged, but as it was I found this a light, enjoyable read. Verne has a quirky way with words (assuming the English translation is more or less faithful to the original French) and though the characters are relatively one-dimensional, the dialogue often stilted and the narrator prone to stating the obvious, in a way the novel’s very dryness is what makes it entertaining. While slightly overfond of lists, Verne spares the reader descriptions of Tolkienesque length and detail and keeps the action moving. And you can’t help but smile at the quaintness of Verne’s commentary on race, culture and “modern” travel. This book’s ironic flavour only improves with age. Although not entirely unexpected, the ending wasn’t completely predictable either and left me with a wry chuckle and a sense of satisfaction.

Not a life-changer perhaps, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.

Download and Enjoy the Novel