Around the World in Eighty Days

(1873)

As the 2004 film adaptation of Around the World in Eighty Days opens, two significant events happen. First, we see a Chinese man named Passepartout (played by Jackie Chan) fleeing from the Bank of England, which has just been robbed. Secondly, we meet Phileas Fogg (played by Steve Coogan), an inventor who seems obsessed with creating new and faster modes of transportation. As Fogg's current "Valet" (Test Subject) quits, Passepartout lands in Fogg's garden and volunteers for the job, as it's a convenient way to get away from the police who are pursuing him. When Fogg ventures to the Royal Academy of Science to report his latest findings, he's belittled by the cocky Lord Kelvin (played by Jim Broadbent). After a heated debate, Kelvin jokingly states that Fogg should attempt to traverse the globe in 80 days--and Fogg accepts this challenge. Soon, he and Passepartout set off for Paris, where they will begin their journey. There, they meet Monique La Roche (played by Cécile De France), a struggling artist who decides to tag along on their trip. As Fogg attempts to meet his deadline, the secret of Passepartout's involvement in the robbery is revealed, as are romantic feelings between Fogg and Monique. However, Kelvin has dispatched agents to stop Fogg, making their travels even more challenging.--Submitted by Anonymous.

This great book of adventure is about a man named Phileas Fogg, who takes a wager to go around the world in no more then 80 days. He risks his entire fortune on this bet So he and his French valet Jean Passepartout make a tremendous journey Around The World In Eighty Days.--Submitted by Phileas Fogg.

Around the World in 80 days was written during a time of war between France and Prussia. The story centers around an eccentric English gentleman and his French servant, Passepartout. The English gentleman, Mr. Phileas Fogg, enters into a wager whereby he will circumnavigate the globe and return to his starting point exactly 80 days from the starting date. The wager was between Mr. Fogg and friends in the “Reform Club”, an organization of wealthy men. This voyage would not have been possible earlier than the 1870s as the innovations such as railroad travel and steam engines would have made this time frame impossible. Mr. Phileas Fogg was nothing if not methodical. He diligently planned the entire journey including rail time tables and financial budgeting. The travelers had many adventures along the way. The team had to deal with bank robberies and travel on the backs of elephants. In India, they combated savages that were about to sacrifice a woman. The travelers saved the woman and escaped with their lives. In the United States, the adventures battled native American Indians that attacked their train. Passepartout was captured by the Indians during the fight and Mr. Fogg was forced to delay his travels and give chase to the Indians with a troop of US cavalry at his side. The chase was successful in saving Passepartout, but resulted in Mr. Fogg losing valuable time in his journey. He was now likely to lose his wager. Even though Mr. Fogg and company were now significantly behind schedule, he was not going to give up. The group desperately tried to move very quickly and slowly, but surely, he made up lost time. After 81 days had passed, the travelers entered London. Mr. Fogg believed that he had lost the wager. As methodical and organized as Mr. Fogg was, he did not take into account the fact that by traveling Eastward, he would actually gain an additional day. While Mr. Fogg and Passepartout actually slept 81 times, only 80 days on the calendar in London had passed. Mr. Fogg had won his wager. This work by Jules Verne is one of his classics. It has been made into several movies, including the 1956 version by the same name. That version starred David Niven as Phileas Fogg and Mario Moreno as Passepartout. The 2004 version of 80 days starred Jackie Chan as Passepartout and Stephen Coogan as Mr. Fogg. All in all, this work is a very easy read and an exciting adventure story. Although this is somewhat different than other works by Verne (many of his other works were early science fiction), it is easily one of the classics of the time.--Submitted by Anonymous.

The story begins at England. We are introduced to Fogg, a very precise man who regularly goes to the Reform Club every evening. At one such visit to the club to play cards, he gets into a conversation with his fellow card players as to whether it is possible to go around the world in eighty days. He believes that it is and is challenged to complete the adventure. This is the beginning of the entire plot and from then on we see how Fogg goes around the world and we witness the amazing adventures that he has with his companions. The main plot is based on Fogg’s travels, while other such plots merely support the central theme Fix, the detective follows Fogg all over. He believes that Fogg is the bank robber who has robbed a great sum from the bank of England. He puts obstacles in Fogg’s path just so that he can arrest him whenever he gets the warrant from England. The suspicion that Fogg might be a clever gentleman robber is the sub-theme of the book and the author makes the reader also suspicious. Passepartout too wonders whether his master might be a robber though in his heart he has ample trust in Fogg’s integrity. The plot moves ahead with Fogg striving through various obstacles to reach London in time. He goes through Brindisi, Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York and finally Liverpool. Fix arrests Fogg at Liverpool and this delays our hero. He thinks that he has missed the deadline and hasn't reached London in time when in reality he reached a full day earlier. Thus Fogg wins the wager and in the course of his travels, finds himself a worthy charming, beautiful wife too.--Submitted by ifda.

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