Around the World in Eighty Days
(eBook)

I see that it is by no means useless to travel, if a man wants to see something new. Jules Verne's classic novel "Around the World in Eighty Days" follows the adventures of Phileas Fogg and his faithful valet Passepartout as they attempt to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days or less. A wealthy English gentleman, Fogg spends most of his time at his club. One day he got involved in an argument over a newspaper article stating that with the opening of a new railway section in India, it was now possible to travel around the world in 80 days. Fogg accepts a challenge from his whist partners and after betting half his fortune, he abandons his quiet domestic routine to undertake the daring feat of circling the globe in only 80 days, an achievement unheard of in Victorian times. Fogg and Passepartout avail themselves of virtually every known means of transportation in their wild race against time, while a devious detective follows their every move and introduces fresh obstacles to delay their journey. The quick-witted Fogg faces each new hurdle with unshakable composure. They travel through a constantly shifting setting of exotic locales, including the jungles of India, a Chinese opium den, a Japanese circus, a full speed train ride under attack by Sioux and a bloodless mutiny aboard a tramp steamer. The most popular of Jules Verne's fantastic adventure stories, "Around the World in Eighty Days" has delighted the world since it was first published in 1872 and its enduring blend of comic misadventures along with thrilling suspense continues to entertain and enchant new generations of readers.