Around The World In 80 Days - Jules Verne

Around The World In Eighty Days
Jules Verne
Signet Classics
978-0451529770

The amazon.com product description:

Take a journey of imagination.

In this all-time favorite, Phileas Fogg and his manservant set out to win a wager by travelling around the world in 80 days. They embark on a fantastic, action-packed journey into a world filled with danger and beauty, from India to the American frontier.

 Another classic novel, Around The World In Eighty Days is one that came with my Kobo Reader, just as my recently reviewed read of The Jungle Book did. Thing is, it's a version from The Gutenberg Project. All well and good, but those editions on the Kobo don't seem to have the copyright date, and Amazon.com gives the most recent printing date only.

Regardless of all that, the book Around the World in Eighty Days was an intriguing read. One that honestly left me feeling a bit lost at times, especially at the beginning of the story. Not because of the speed of the travel, but because I still don't understand the culture that Phineas Fogg lived in. Clubs? Uncut newspapers? But especially the clubs and organizations. They seem so important to the characters, but I just don't have the background knowledge to understand what and why.

Probably an edition such as this one with its introduction would be helpful in answering that. Either way, it's a very good read. One I wish I'd read much earlier in my life too. After the first few pages, the trip starts, and from there the action never stops. About the only form of "modern" travel not used in the story that I know of is hot air balloon. And the multiple points of view combined with the misunderstandings threading through the story make for some wildly amusing moments too.

If you haven't read this classic work yet, you should - both older children and adults will probably love it. I know that based on my enjoyment of Around The World In Eighty Days, I'm going to be giving Jules Verne's other books a try as well. Now I just have to see if I can get Journey To The Center of The Earth for my Kobo. I've already got his Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea.