Trains Boats Elephants and Idiots

Around The World in 80 Days -Jules Verne

This book was so ridiculously awful that I found in uproariously entertaining. To be honest, I did not Seek out this book rather this book found me. One day it was sitting on the bedside table so of course I had to read it.

Warning this review contains spoiler alerts. Phileas Fogg is an idiot. He spends every single day doing the exact same thing which includes playing some inane card game buddies in a rich man’s club called the reform club. Anyone who belongs to a reform club has to be an idiot.

Predictably he hires a servant named Passepartout who is also a well trained idiot. Phileas bets his friends at the Reform club he can circumnavigate the world in 80 days.

So he takes a bet with his card playing buddies that he can make it around the world in less than 80 days. The idiot never stops to take in the world but is fascinated by time and day much like he was in every day life.

He meets a young lady whom he saved from a near certain death as she was part of a human sacrifice. It was during a shortcut they took through India. You live by the shortcut you die by the shortcut and he ended up meeting the woman of his dreams. I’m not even sure he realized that Or whether he actually dreams. That would upset the rhythm of his day.

Fogg and Passepartout reach Suez in time. While disembarking in Egypt, they are watched by a Scotland Yardpoliceman, Detective Fix, who has been dispatched from London in search of a bank robber. Since Fogg fits the vague description Scotland Yard was given of the robber, Detective Fix mistakes Fogg for the criminal.

This leads to a ridiculous three-way subplot With detective Fixx trying to get the reward and at other times helping Fogg along the way.

It is considered Verne ‘s masterpiece and I find it ridiculous and laden with privilege. Then again I read this book in a world record time as the story was kind of mesmerizing and addicting. And I hate to admit at times somewhat enjoyable. It was worth a good laugh and the adventures were admirable.

As a spoiler, the idiots do make it around the world and mostly because of their ineptitude. They thought they had not made it but due to a recalculation because of the rotation of the earth they had made it in with 24 hours to spare. Of course they weren’t smart enough to realize it.

Yes the man finds his woman. They do get married and my guess is she is a woefully unhappy woman. I hope he fits her into his schedule. Once again, another human sacrifice and an appeasement to the gods.