Around the World in Eighty Days [Paperback]

Jules Verne Great excitement and awe greeted its publication in 1873, and today Around the World in Eighty Days remains Jules Verne’s most successful novel. A daring wager by the eccentric and mysterious Englishman Phileas Fogg that he can circle the globe in just eighty days initiates this marvelous travelogue and exciting suspense story. Together with his manservant, Passepartout, Fogg makes a breathless world tour, overcoming wild misadventures and finding time to rescue a beautiful Indian maharani from a burning funeral pyre—all the while restlessly pursued by a bumbling detective called Mr. Fix. Realistically utilizing nearly every means of transportation known in the 1870s,Around the World in Eighty Daysgenerated enchantment with scientific progress—and its delightful mixture of fantasy, comedy, and dazzling suspense has kept it a perennially superb entertainment.“The reason Verne is still read by millions today is simply that he was one of the best storytellers who ever lived.”—Arthur C. ClarkeJules Verne was born into a family with a seafaring tradition in Nantes, France in 1828. Verne was sent to Paris to study law, but once there, he quickly fell in love with the theater. He was soon writing plays and opera librettos, and his first play was produced in 1850. When he refused his father's entreaties to return to Nantes and practice law, his allowance was cut off, and he was forced to make his living by selling stories and articles. Soon he was turning out imaginative stories such asFive Weeks in a Balloon(1863),Journey to the Center of the Earth(1864), andFrom the Earth to the Moon(1865), which were immensely popular all over the world. His ability to envision the next stage in man's technological progress produced20,000 Leagues Under the Sea(1870) andMichael Strogoff(1876). His biggest success came withAround the World in Eighty Days(1872). Verne's books made hils4