Title : Around The World In Eighty Days
Author : Jules Verne
“Around The World in Eighty Days” is a part of classic literature written by Jules Verne and was published in 1873. The title sings that the story is about the journey of world in 80 days.
In the beginning of the story the protagonist named Phileas Fogg hires a servant named Passepartout. Fogg is the member of the Reform club and often visits the club. He has many friends over there including engineers and bankers. One day while having a conversation with his friends he founds that the bank has been robbed.
Fogg is talking about travelling around the world with his friends and he bets to travel around the world in 80 days. The sum money for the bet is 20,000 pounds. He says that he has gone through the estimate that was published in the Daily Telegraph. This is as follows –
London to Suez (rail and steamboats) : 7 Days
Suez to Bombay (steamer) : 13 Days
Bombay to Calcutta (rail) : 3 Days
Calcutta to Hong Kong (steamer) : 13 Days
Hong Kong to Yakohama (steamer) : 6 Days
Yakohama to San Francisco (steamer) : 22 Days
San Francisco to New York (rail) : 7 Days
New York to London (steamer and rail) : 9 Days
This news is spread everywhere through the club, then through the papers (The Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily News, Standard, Morning Post).
The story becomes more interesting when Fogg starts his journey from London on a steamer Mongolia to Suez. He travels to Hong Kong on Ragoon steamer. For going to Yakohama he needs to catch Carnatic steamer but he misses that. He then goes to Shanghai on Tankadere steamer and catches another steamer to reach Yakohama. Then he travels from Yakohama to San Francisco in General Grant steamer. In the end he continues his journey to Liverpool in Henrietto steamer.
Amidst all this he faces several peaks and valleys in his journey. He saves a woman from being suttee causing him a delay in his journey and for this he is also been arrested. He has lost his servant while travelling to Yakohama because of the trick played by sleuth named Fix who is following them all the way as he thinks Mr. Fogg to be the robber. Fix also arrests Fogg. But when Fix discovers that he is innocent he is going under self- condemnation and leaves Mr. Fogg bidding him sorry.
Mr. Fogg reaches London but he is doleful to know that he has lost as he was one day late. But later wards he comes to know from Passepartout that they were travelling towards the sun and hence they diminished one day and they were not late. So Fogg has won the bet. At last he marries the woman named Aouda whom he saved.
The whole plot of the story is dependent on the different parts of the world. The story is awesome and I was deeply engaged in the story till the end. The author has very neatly narrated the story providing a smooth flow to the story. The writing style is simple and is easy to grab by a neophyte.
For me the story is like a roller coaster ride among travelling the journey and little events that play throughout the journey. All the chapters unfold the story very gracefully. A story feeding the experience of travelling late in 1863. A journey by various conveyance i.e. the railways, the carriages, the yachts, the trading vessels, the sledges and the elephant.
I didn’t found any downfalls in the whole story. According to me it was up to the snuff. Penning down such kind of stories requires so much skill in those past years. Author had put on his efforts to glean all the information flawless so as to pen down a story on the beam.
An interesting and adventurous read.
Rating : 5/5
Reviewer : Megha Biloniya