Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne is an adventure book. This a book I read in school more than 15 years ago. So, I barely remembered anything about the book. This is the book that is re-read for me. The story follows Phileas Fogg, an English gentleman, who takes on a challenge to travel around the in eighty days with his valet as his companion.
This classic adventure story is set in 1872. Phileas Fogg is an English gentleman. He likes to do everything according to his routine and has a fixed schedule. It is very surprising when he accepts a challenge from a fellow club member to travel the world in eighty days which is a big challenge in those times. His travel companion is his valet, Passepartout, who is a bit reluctant to join this journey. The story follows Phileas on his journey and his numerous adventures in different countries like India, Japan, Egypt, Hong Kong, and America.
The character of Phileas Fogg does not change much throughout the story. His punctuality, meticulousness, and even courage when his fortune is at stake with this challenge remains unwavering. His core personality aspects do not change throughout the story, which is an interesting part of the story. He is also very selfless as he is willing to help people who need it. Passepartout, on the other hand, gets into all sorts of trouble unknowingly, that is funny to read how it unfolds. But he remains completely loyal.
The pace of the story is engaging from start to finish. As it happens with all classics, it took me a while to get used to the language. Once that happened, my speed of reading took off. I liked how the cultures of different countries and the people there were an important part of the story. The noticeable cultural difference in every place is an interesting aspect to explore. The writing, the characters, and the adventures are what kept me hooked on this book from the beginning. I don’t tend to read adventure books regularly, but I liked how this story progressed.
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne is an extremely interesting adventure book, which I enjoyed reading it. The characters were well-rounded. I think the various places described were done justice to, for the most part. It is amusing to read about the challenges and long travel time they faced during those days, especially when you compare it to the present scenario. The book is aimed more at a younger demographic, but I think it is interesting for any age group. I had fun reading it.
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