"Around the World in 80 Days" by Jules Verne


Englishman Phileas Fogg is at the Reform Club, an English gentleman's club, when he becomes involved in a debate over a newspaper article claiming that in 1872 it has become possible to circumnavigate the world in 80 days.  On a whim, he accepts a wager with other members stating that if he can travel around the world in that amount of time, he will win £20,000 (todays equivalent roughly £1.3 million or $2 million Canadian.)  He hires a French valet named Jean Passepartout and they set off that very day.  

But hot on their trail is Mr Fix, a Scotland Yard detective who is convinced that Fogg is a bank robber and who needs to secure a warrant and capture him on British soil to bring him back to face punishment for the crime.  As Fogg and Passepartout travel the world they find themselves rescuing an Indian widow from a funeral pyre, being attacked by Sioux warriors, and travelling by steamer and train, even elephant and wind-powered sledge to make it back to London in time.

Around the World in Eighty Days is the classic adventure novel by Jules Verne, first published in 1873.  It is a fascinating story set in a time when technological innovation is opening up the world for the average person.  I can only how at the time this book stirred up the thirst for travel and adventure among readers.

This book to me is what the Classics are all about.  140 years later the adventure holds up, the writing remains accessible and the story has you cheering on the characters from beginning to end.  I also enjoyed reading it for the fact that we can learn about the attitudes people at the time had of other places and people in the world.  It wasn't always positive and by todays knowledge a bit offensive, but in terms of learning about historical attitudes, there is a lot to gain from this book.  And unlike many classic books it doesn't get bogged down in the history or politics of the time, the focus is purely on the adventure.  This book would be my first recommendation to someone new to or intimidated by the classics.  Loved it.

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 5, 2013 at 9:14 PM

    You know I somehow have escaped reading this book yet and I think I'd love it too. I recently picked it up on a $1 sale at a bookstore and I think I'll have to unearth it from my TBR pile after reading your review.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ShanMarch 6, 2013 at 7:52 AM

    That's awesome that you found it at a $1 sale! I tend to leave the classics in my TBR read pile, but this is a great one to pull out.

    ReplyDelete
  3. TammyMarch 6, 2013 at 10:01 AM

    That sounds really interesting!

    ReplyDelete
  4. IsiMarch 6, 2013 at 10:14 AM

    Great you loved it!
    I also like classics but some of them scare me, like this one, I don't know why. But then you read them and you enjoy a lot. I have to give it a try!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ShanMarch 7, 2013 at 11:10 AM

      I get scared by classics as well, but there is nothing to be scared with this one. It reads easy and is very enjoyable. The intimidation factor is not there at all!

      Delete
  5. AnonymousMarch 7, 2013 at 6:24 AM

    I have this one on my list of classics to read list! Thanks for sharing your opinion on this one!

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownMarch 16, 2013 at 1:08 AM

    This is one classic that I really wish I've read. I should just sit down and do it, shouldn't I? :)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The Guestbook" by Holly Martin

Image
Welcome to Willow Cottage - throw open the shutters, let in the sea breeze and make yourself completely at home.  Oh, and please do leave a comment in the Guestbook! Annie Butterworth is the landlady of Willow Cottage, a beautiful cottage in the English countryside with a colourful array of guests.  Every guest is encouraged to write their thoughts in the guestbook and do they ever!  Love, loss, happiness, sadness, guilt, affairs, births, and surprises, it’s all in there.  Even Annie’s life gets caught up in the book. As a young widow, Annie herself is going through some changes.  And the appearance of her brother-in-law, celebrity crime writer Oliver Black isn’t helping.  As the guests of Willow Cottage go about their seaside vacations, Annie and Oliver must figure out how to move on in their lives, and most importantly, if they will do so together. The Guestbook by Holly Martin is a lovely, sweet, and unique book.  Written in the form...
Read more

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop

Image
I am so excited to be participating in the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop, hosted by Judith at Leeswammes' Blog . There are over 50 participants hosting giveaways on their blog between October 15 and October 19. Be sure to hop around and check out all the awesome giveaways! My Giveaway Award season is underway in the Canadian literary world and to celebrate I would like to send someone some fabulous Canadian literature. One lucky winner will be able to choose which book they would like me to send them. Here are the choices (click on title to find out more about the book): A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (bought at library sale) Life of Pi by Yann Martel The Last River Child by Lori Ann Bloomfield The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden (bought at library sale) Two of the books were bought at a library sale as mentioned. They are still in good condition but are obviously well-loved and do still have the library stickers on them. The other t...
Read more

"Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home" by Esi Edugyan

Image
“But where are you from, really?” This is a question that Canadians of all walks of life are often asked.  Part of our identity as Canadians is that we all come from somewhere else, and no matter how long ago, it is a defining part of who we are.   But for many people, this question is about more than where their family came to Canada from.  For many, it brings about a question of home and belonging.  These are the ideas that Esi Edugyan explored in her 2013 Henry Kreisel Memorial Lecture, Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home .  Born in Canada to parents from Ghana, Esi Edugyan has travelled to and lived in various countries, all the while searching for her identity and coming to understand the meaning of home. As an author, Edugyan also reflects on Canadian literature and the notion of the “Canadian story.”  Her wildly successful novel, Half-Blood Blues , was set outside of Canada, and something she often heard was that it was not a t...
Read more