Around the World in 80 Days

I was walking through the book store the other day trying to kill some time. I had no where particular to be so I figured I’d go there and wander through the stacks for a while. This is something I enjoy doing from time-to-time, always hoping that I won’t buy anything but instead just wander and enjoy killing a few hours with a bit of noisiness and people watching.

Yeah, I was wrong there. I don’t think I ever go into a book store and not buy at least one book. Well, this time, as I walked around it dawned on me that the only travel books I had reviewed were non-fiction ones. Who says that a good travel story can’t be fictitious? Not I as I enjoy a well told story regardless if it’s true or not.

One of the books on a very long list that I’ve been wanting to read for a while was Jules Verne‘s Around the World in 80 Days. Being the Jackie Chan dork that I am I saw the movie first. I quite enjoyed that, so I had no doubt that I’d love the book too as they’re usually better than the movies. Usually.

The story, in case you’re not familiar with it, is about how an eccentric Englishman named Phileas Fogg makes a bet that it’s possible to go around the world in 80 days in 1872. That’s certainly no small task as it’s not possible to fly it; everything has to be done by steamer ship and train, and through some dangerous country in places like India and the wild west of America. The story goes as he makes his way around the globe with his valet, or servent, Passepartout – played by Jackie Chan in the movie.

Because Jules Verne never did anything like this himself, some of the story isn’t exactly accurate. But, as it’s fiction, I didn’t once mind and quite enjoyed the story. It’s a great adventure and one that most travelers, myself included, would love to have the opportunity to do.

Around the World in 80 Days is an easy read that can be done in a day. I spent a few days enjoying my copy, but it’s such an entertaining tale I could’ve readily lounged on the couch reading the pages on a lazy day. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a bit of adventure traveling from the comfort of your own sofa. It’s a fun story that’s sure to delight.