Around the world in eighty days, Jules Verne
Publication date: 1872
Edition: unabridged edition of the 1873 translation of George Makepeace Towle
Publisher: Dower Thrift Editions
Format: Paperback
pages: 170
Source: Amazon
Price: 3€
Summary: Taking up the challenge from his whist partners, a mysterious English gentleman named Phileas Fogg wagers half his fortune and abandons his quiet domestic routine to undertake a daring feat: to circle the globe in a mere 80 days, an achievement unheard of in the Victorian world.
Firstly I have to say that having the definition of Edgar Allan Poe in mind this is no book. I read it in about two and a half hours.
Secondly I have to forestall that if you search for a book with a believable story line, suspense and language up-to-date then this story is not for you. Nonetheless this should not mean that you ,at least, will not enjoy reading this book.
If you search for other things in a good story, maybe then you are going to have a new favorite one.
While the story certainly lacks in the things mentioned above it has other perks. The author tells the story without any great violence, blood and gore are missing completely. The author takes his time with details and you always are able to picture the things in your mind which are described by him.
While the main protagonist may rush through his journey and miss all those wonderful things around him, the second protagonist, his servant, notices them. So you are always divided between wanting Phileas Fogg to complete his voyage as fast as possible while at the same time wanting it to stop - to take a break and have the author describe all the quirks and little things of the countries and its men they travel through.
Maybe this book is a great way to gain a little bit of interest into other countries like India or China. (Speaking from experience I can say that such a book is a good way to choose your next holiday destination).
Also this book simply is a must-read because there are more than 15 different books, movies oder other things dealing with the plot of "Around the world in eighty days" - most likely you have already read or seen some of them.
Alone the fact that it was written 1872 and is still on the market (there even was one Ducktales episode about it) should be enough motivation.
The language the author employs ,naturally, is rather old-fashioned and sometimes difficult to read. All in all it nonetheless adds to the short story's charm and at some points the scenes described would not seem that authentic if they were written in a modern English.
So if you have 2-3 hours to kill before you die and 3€ (around 4 US-Dollar I think) to spare then nothing should prevent you from getting this short story.
It will not be your greatest read ,it also will not be the worst but what I am certainly able to say after reading this book: It is one of 1001 books you simply have to read before you die.
My rating: Because I always rate in 480 credits total in excel(a standard a few guys agreed on) I converted the rating into a total of 10 credits.
This short story gets 7,17 out of 10.