Ever wondered what it would be like to go around the whole world in just eighty days? Jules Verne was wondering the same thing, so he decided to write “Around the World in 80 Days” to tell how one remarkable man tried and succeeded in his efforts.
Indeed, it takes a certain kind of person to achieve a task like this, and Phileas Fogg was that person. Any place he had to be at any given time, Mr. Fogg was never late and always arrived there on time. He was the most timely efficient and precise person in town. So precise in fact, that to the common eye, he seemed to reach perfection. He did not appear to have any flaws or difficulties that kept him from retaining his poise or from keeping his purpose. Indeed, Mr. Fogg was one of a kind.
Joining him in his rather brief journey around the world was his new valet called Passepartout. In the story, they traveled by boat and train. Mr. Fogg, being the well organized man he was, planned the exact timing of the journey out ahead of time. Along the way, though, he and his traveling companion ran into a few unexpected problems. The trip was postponed by every ill occurrence imaginable, including storms at sea and unfinished railroad tracks.
To further the chaos, Mr. Fogg had been in trouble with the law due to financial issues. So, when Passepartout was discovered by police for a crime of his own, he led them right to Mr. Fogg. Throughout the journey, Mr. Fogg and Passepartout must find a way to outrun their ill fortune and beat the clock.
Jules Verne published his book in 1872 when the thought of traveling around the world in such a short period of time appealed to many folks. In fact, Verne was just one of several authors who brought this idea to writing. It wasn’t until 1889 that a person decided to tackle an actual real life undertaking. A woman named Nellie Bly set out to travel the world in eighty days but completed the task in just seventy-two days. Bly soon published her own book called “Around the World in Seventy-Two Days.” In spite of her own story’s success, Jules Verne’s book has become a classic novel.
“Around the World in 80 Days” is a fascinating story about how one man’s preciseness and accuracy enables him to succeed in an unbelievable task that many could only dream about.