Title: Around the World in 80 Days
Author: Jules Verne
Type: Fiction
Page Count/Review Word Count: 256
Rating: 8/10
Jules Verne – Around the World in 80 Days
Around the World in 80 Days was an interesting book to read, because whilst I already knew the basic story line before I started, a lot of the adaptations have misrepresented Verne’s original manuscript, and so it was a lot of fun to go back to where it all began and to try to uncover the author’s original intentions.
I won’t dwell on the story line too much because it’s pretty much self-explanatory – a Victorian gentleman called Phileas Fogg takes on a bet that he can’t travel around the world in 80 days, then sets off on an epic journey to prove his doubters wrong. Along the way, he meets all sorts of colourful characters and, accompanied by his manservant, Passepartout, he gets into all kinds of adventures as he tries to make it back to London.
Of course, I’m not going to tell you whether he wins that bet, and I’m not going to detail any of the adventures that he gets into along the way, but I will tell you that this is an excellent snapshot of how the world used to be, and even though it’s fictional, it still has a lot of merit in historical context alone. But more than that, it’s just an amazing read, and it’s suitable for all ages – it’s one of those rare classics that parents can read to kids and both will love it.
Jules Verne
Click here to buy Around the World in 80 Days.
