Around the World in Eighty Days

My first Verne novel! I can't believe it took me this long to read one of Verne's amazing adventure novels. I'm happy I started with this one, as I think it was a good introduction to this author.

The story was light-hearted and fun throughout, with a cast of characters all quirky and endearing in their own ways. Mr. Fogg, the hero of this tale, was an interesting character with peculiar ways, but his cold, calculated way of thinking was nicely contrasted by his servant, Passepartout. The Frenchman was warm and friendly to compensate for his master, which made them a great fit for one another. The two made a wonderful pair as they worked together to traverse the whole world on a wager.

The narrative itself was interesting too, and the adventures (and misadventures) Fogg and his friends encountered were exciting and at times nerve-wracking. Though you expect Fogg to win his wager, the numerous obstacles he had along the way served to create moments of doubt as to his success.

All in all, I'm very pleased with this story, and I look forward to reading more Verne in the future. The rich descriptions of the places Fogg visited were a pleasure to read, and really gave off the feeling of travelling alongside him to all these wonderful places. Furthermore, I was pleasantly surprised to see how Verne treated foreign lands and peoples with great respect and admiration. Each culture was shown to be fascinating and worthy of discovering (this is a feat rarely accomplished in novels of the 19th century).

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to travel and dreams of going on an adventure of their own.

I really enjoyed this book. It's blend of action, scientific discovery, and thrills was really entertaining. Though the greatest theme out of this intrepid work is love. I don't think Jules Vern particularly had a high opinion of America, I know this is not helpful in the least, just an observation.

As with all classics, the style of writing can sometimes take a bit to get used too. I found my first foray into Jules Verne a very factual adventure, which is something I'm not used to, since most of what I read is very fantastical in nature and there is quite a bit less of a lay down of the facts, or they are smoothly incorporated into the story. Jules Verne enjoys giving facts on just about everything. From how fast a ship or train travels to its weight and dimensions. Every place we visit on the journey is described in a very almost travel book style, with facts on history and culture. He's more of a tell not show writer. Today's writing is very discouraged from doing that unless you're writing a non-fiction book, therefore it took a while to actual get into the ‘story' and characters between all the ‘facts'. I can see this being off putting for some, as it can be a bit of a slog to get through at first, until you realize that it's kind of part of the charm of the story. Phileas Fogg is a very factual and punctual man and how he sees the world is through that lense. Passepartout, his servant, is actual the heart of the story and the one I was most keen to follow. He is the ‘feeler' and the most moved by the experiences he has on the journey. Once I got past the initial reaction to the writing style, I quite enjoyed the journey and especially the culmination of it all in the end. Certainly a classic well worth giving a go, especially if you like a good adventure, you really can't go wrong!