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    Around the World in 80 Days
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    Around the World in 80 Days
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    Around the World in 80 Days
    Audiobook7 hours

    Around the World in 80 Days

    Written by Victor Hugo

    Narrated by Jim Dale

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Shocking his stodgy colleagues at the exclusive Reform Club, enigmatic Englishman Phileas Fogg wagers his fortune, undertaking an extraordinary and daring enterprise to circumnavigate the globe in eighty days. With his French valet Passepartout in tow, Verne's hero traverses the far reaches of the earth, all the while tracked by the intrepid Detective Fix, a bounty hunter certain he is on the trail of a notorious bank robber.

    Combining exploration, adventure, and a thrilling race against time, Around the World in 80 Days gripped audiences upon its original publication and remains hugely popular to this day.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 12, 2005
    ISBN9780307206299
    Author

    Victor Hugo

    Victor Hugo (1802-1885) is one of the most well-regarded French writers of the nineteenth century. He was a poet, novelist and dramatist, and he is best remembered in English as the author of Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre-Dame) (1831) and Les Misérables (1862). Hugo was born in Besançon, and became a pivotal figure of the Romantic movement in France, involved in both literature and politics. He founded the literary magazine Conservateur Littéraire in 1819, aged just seventeen, and turned his hand to writing political verse and drama after the accession to the throne of Louis-Philippe in 1830. His literary output was curtailed following the death of his daughter in 1843, but he began a new novel as an outlet for his grief. Completed many years later, this novel became Hugo's most notable work, Les Misérables.

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    Reviews for Around the World in 80 Days

    4/5

    2,385 ratings110 reviews

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    • 4/5
      A fast-paced adventure dripped with cliches and humor - I listened to the audio read by Jim Dale and it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.
    • 4/5
      There's something rather charming and fantastic about this work, and in the way that Verne manages to bring to life characters in even such a fast-paced and simply told tale as this one. Certainly, the language is as dated as the narrative and the modes of transportation involved in Fogg's journey, but in an odd way, that feels to make it all the more fantastic and believable. Strange as that might be.I don't think I would have had the patience for this tale when I was younger, so I'm glad to have finally gotten around to it now. Certainly, I'd recommend it.
    • 4/5
      This was a very suspenseful, exciting book! This was the first Verne book I've ever read, and he is very good at keeping readers gnawing on their nails at the edge of their seats. The story has humor sprinkled throughout it that had me laughing out loud. I loved it; I know I say this about nearly everything I read, but this truly was a wonderful book!
    • 5/5
      Delightful book. Passepartout is the real hero; saving lives all over the globe.
    • 3/5
      An old book that has dated well. It is a good tale, well told. of two Londoner's travel around the world to win a wager. While the errors in detail in some places helps us understand how hard fact checking was in a pre-Google world, there is enough got right to make the reading enjoyable. In particular, the twist in the plot based on the travellers maintaining London time for the whole journey leading to them miscounting the number of days away from London, is a little gem.
    • 4/5
      I'm not a typical Classics fan but I try to read a few each year. I actually enjoyed this one but was a bit confused because all the covers and film adaptations have Phineas Fogg in a hot air balloon but I never got that during y reading of this story. I enjoyed seeing all the different geographical locations and how Fogg manage to somehow come right even at the end..
    • 4/5
      Well-paced, familiar adventure yarn, offering also a travelogue and 'ethnologue' of the world of as it was then - or as viewed through a mid-19th century lens. Phileas Fogg travels the world without relaxing his sangfroid, sidekick Passepartout stays agitated throughout. On the way, they rescue an Indian beauty from her widow's pyre, almost fight a duel, dodge arrest by a mistaken detective, etc. Remarkable that they get all the way to Shanghai before actually leaving British territory (except for France and Italy, which are in fact skipped over here; sorry, no balloon ride in the original). At some point, one tires of the formula, and the shallow writing, but the inventiveness remains a pleasure.
    • 4/5
      Essentially light-hearted tale about a trip taken on a wager. The translation conveyed or possibly enhanced the humour.
    • 4/5
      My most recent installment book was Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne which was originally published in 1873 and I think it has definitely aged well. The story is told in a simple straightforward style, and the various global adventures move the story along at a rapid pace. The plot is a little silly yet the book comes together nicely and before too long the reader finds himself involved in the story and rooting for the participants. The characters are distinct and well developed from the routine-obsessed, uptight yet cool main character who travels around the world based on a bet from some of the gentlemen at his club, to the sympathetic French manservant who is loyal, smart and a very good gymnast. Even the lesser developed characters of Aouda, the Indian lady, to Fix, the stalking policeman, are colourful and add to the story. Around the World in Eighty Days is light, fun and makes for great escape reading. A little dated, to be sure, but overall a very good read.
    • 3/5
      Ok boring at points
    • 3/5
      Finally read this - I think I read it before, many many years ago, but the only thing I remember was the end, not any of their travels. It's mildly interesting, but not much to it - actually, the most interesting part is that the "hero" is not the POV character. We get scenes from Passepartout, a few from Fix, a few from Aouda - but Phileas Fogg is seen only from the outside. The closest we come to knowing what's going on with him is a few scenes where the author "watches" him, recounting what he's doing, and speculating on what he's thinking and feeling - and we never get any idea why he'd make the bet in the first place. A very odd twist. But overall, it reads like the world's longest shaggy dog story - chapter after chapter after chapter just to say "and he didn't know he'd lost a day!" Of course, in reality, he would have noticed the day change as soon as the liner landed in America and he was taking a train. And given they missed the liner from the East Coast by less than a day...the whole last section with burning the ship may have been utterly unnecessary. It's an amusing story, I'm glad I've finally read it, and I see no need to ever read it again.
    • 3/5
      Interesting story from a historical perspective. Definitely not something that could be written today.
    • 4/5
      The imperturbable Mr Fogg traverses the world in 80 days all while upholding the grandest tradition of English stiff-upper-lipedness. Not really sure why this is on the 1001 list.
    • 5/5
      A super fun adventure. Following dutiful, straight-laces, prompt and no-nonsense Phileas Fogg around the world through exotic and strange places is almost too funny to bear. Amazing, quick, and to the hilarious point. Clever!
    • 4/5
      This was a very suspenseful, exciting book! This was the first Verne book I've ever read, and he is very good at keeping readers gnawing on their nails at the edge of their seats. The story has humor sprinkled throughout it that had me laughing out loud. I loved it; I know I say this about nearly everything I read, but this truly was a wonderful book!
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. The prose has a lovely flow to it.
    • 3/5
      Jim Dale (narrator of the Harry Potter series) really helped bring to life this classic adventure novel. Admittedly, I've never read the book or seen any of the movie adaptations, so I didn't know what to expect. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that there was no hot air balloon scene?! The most iconic book covers and images have always portrayed Phileas Fogg in a hot air balloon traveling around the world but, spoiler alert, that is not one of the methods used for transportation. While at his gentleman's club Fogg takes a bet that he can go round the world in 80 days. A precise, mathematical, and intelligent man, Fogg has no doubt that it can be done so he bets his life savings. Armed with only a small travel sack and his trusty French manservant, the two of them depart on the biggest adventure of their lives. Exotic adventures await them in China, India, Hong Kong, crossing the oceans, and America. Can Fogg really pull it off? And why is there a British man tailing him on this journey? A fun read for all ages. Admittedly, a little outdated in terms of racism and stereotypes of other religions and cultures, but it must be remembered that Jules Verne was viewing the world the British lens of imperialism at the time.
    • 5/5
      Amazing narration and a beautiful story with an unpredictable but interesting turn of events.
    • 5/5
      Amazing book and having Jim Dale as the narrator is the cherry on top!
    • 5/5
      Really exciting production of the book. The music and the narrator keep this story flowing and exciting, and the scenes are vivid and adventurous .
    • 4/5
      Digital audiobook performed by Frederick Davidson One of the books in Verne’s series of “Extraordinary Voyages” begins when Phileas Fogg accepts a wager at his gentleman’s club. He’s certain that he will be able to circumnavigate the world in eighty days. Taking a significant amount of cash and his trusty servant Passepartout, and chased by Detective Fix who is certain Fogg is a bank robber, they set out on a grand adventure.I’d seen more than one movie adaptation but had never read the book until now. What a delight! (Although, of course, there are some racial stereotypes that grate on the modern reader’s sensibilities.)I marveled at how cool and collected – almost uninterested – Fogg remained throughout. He is never upset or even particularly inconvenienced. He moves with the certainty that he is correct in assuming that he can achieve this great task. Passepartout on the other hand is in a dither frequently, and he is a wonderful foil for Fogg … and for Detective Fix. Great fun!One quibble re cover art. SO many covers (as well as the movies) show the iconic hot-air balloon … which is NEVER used in the book! Frederick Davidson does a marvelous job narrating the audiobook. He sets a good pace and I loved the way he interpreted the characters. I was happy also to have a text copy available, which included a handful of full-color illustrations, as well as a small drawing of the mode of travel for each of the chapters.
    • 5/5
      Not the best adaption in the world - large chunks of the journey are left out, but perfect for reading aloud in the car for kids.
    • 4/5
      Despite the idea of a hot air balloon ride being so associated the story in most peoples' minds there is no hot air balloon ride in the actual book.Phileas Fogg remains completely calm through out the story.His servant Passepartout is the much more emotional. Passepartout is the person I identified with throughout the story.
    • 1/5
      My high hopes for “Around the World in Eighty Days” were dashed in eight chapters or so.Having seen a film of this as a child, I expected a similar amount of fun and adventure, but instead I endured a tedious plot and unappealing characters.
    • 3/5
      I have no idea if I’ve read this before – I don’t think so, but it’s hard to tell since I’ve seen versions of the films enough times over the decades to know the story. Except, well, they’re not the story. I don’t think any of the movies I’ve seen – I can think of two, off the top of my head, one starring David Niven and the other Steve Coogan – are at all faithful to the book. Yes, Phineas Fogg accepts a challenge to travel around the world in eighty days. Yes, he thinks he’s failed, only to discover that by travelling east he has gained a day. Yes, he has adventures along the way, and even rescues a young woman who becomes his wife at the end of the book. But in the novel, he meets her in India, when he rescues her from suttee. And I don’t recall a Scotland Yard detective on Fogg’s trail for much of his travels – he believes Fogg stole £50,000 shortly before leaving London. And the final section, in which a desperate Fogg, Passepartout, Fix and Aouda race across the USA to catch a ship to Liverpool… the big set-piece is driving a train over a damaged bridge at high speed so the bridge doesn’t collapse under it. Much of the prose is larded with geography lessons, and while Verne’s didactism is one of the more charming aspects of his novels, here it seems overdone. True, I’m coming at the book more than a century later, as a member of a society considerably better-informed about world geography, and a highly-educated member of that society with an interest in other countries… So much of the exposition was superfluous as far as I was concerned. Further, Fogg’s characterisation as unemotional and po-faced hardly made him a sympathetic protagonist. Perhaps Verne intended this so the reader would indeed think Fogg was the bank robber, but it only made him feel like he had zero depth. Unfortunately, I’m not convinced, from what I remember, that the film adaptations are especially superior. The book is, I suspect, the best version of the story. Which is a bit of a shame.
    • 4/5
      London, 1872Huset, Saville Row nr 7, Burlington Gardens, beboes af Phileas Fogg, esq. En excentrisk, men elskværdig og rig engelsk gentleman med en vældig kapabel og gesvindt fransk tjener Jean med tilnavnet Passepartout. Tjeneren er et nyt bekendtskab for den anden oktober om morgenen afskedigede han sin tjener, James Forster, fordi denne havde bragt ham barbervand, der holdt 80 Gr. Fahrenheit i stedet for 90. Passepartout er på sin side begejstret for at tjene en rolig og systematisk herre som Fogg. Der kommer dog hurtigt noget på tværs.Fogg er medlem af Reformklubben i London og da han er meget vidende om geografi og rejser, roder han sig ud i et væddemål om at rejse Jorden rundt på 80 dage. Anledningen til væddemålet er en diskussion om en gentleman, der har nappet £55000 fra banken og gjort både dem og sig selv usynlig.Fogg holder £20000 på at Jorden er blevet så meget mindre i vor tid at man både i teori og praksis kan nå turen på 80 dage. Fem af vennerne fra Reformklubben: Stuart, Fallentin, Sullivan, Flanagan og Ralph holder tilsvarende hver £4000 imod.Efter at have spillet sit parti kort færdigt, tager Fogg hjem og fortæller Passepartout at de skal på en rejse Jorden rundt og afrejser om 10 minutter mod Dover og Calais. Passepartout pakker som befalet en vadsæk og er klar til tiden. Han har altid sit familieur på sig og insisterer på at det viser tiden rigtigt uanset at tidszonerne skifter under rejsen. Desværre har han også erindringen om at have glemt at slukke gassen i sit kammer, inden han gik ud af døren.En meget nidkær men fantasiløs opdagelsesbetjent, Fix, har sat sig i hovedet at Fogg er identisk med banktyven og rejser efter i håb om at kunne arrestere ham. Rejsen går Fix imod. De kommer omkring Brindisi, Suez, Bombay, Calcutta, Singapore, Honkong, Yokohama, St. Francisco, Newyork, Liverpool, og London, og hver gang er Fix ikke lige i stand til at slå en klo i Fogg. Han gør sig gode venner med Passepartout på vejen til Indien.En del af vejen i Indien er de nødt til at tilbagelægge på en dertil dyrt indkøbt elefant, men undervejs redder de Mrs. Aouda fra enkebrændingens bål.I Calcutta står Fix klar med en anklage, men Fogg stiller £2000 som kaution og tager videre. Fix følger efter og Passepartout får en ide om at Fix er udsendt af Reformklubben for at checke at alt går rigtigt til. I Hongkong toner Fix dog rent flag ved at fortælle Passepartout at han er politiagent, men han drikker ham også under bordet og giver ham lidt opium at ryge oveni!Fogg, Mrs. Aouda og stakkels Passepartout bliver agterudsejlet, men Fogg får fat i en (for lille) båd og stikker til Japan i den. En tyfon hjælper Tangadére på vej mod Shanghai. Imens har Passepartout faktisk skaffet sig om bord i Carnatic, men uden Fogg. Passepartout tager job som fransk klovn, men løber af pladsen, da Fogg dukker op. Via Shanghai har Fogg indhentet damperen til Yokohama og her genforenes han med Passepartout.Yokohama - San Francisco sker med hjuldamperen "General Grant". Fix og Passepartout slutter våbenhvile, for Fix er nu interesseret i at få Fogg tilbage på engelsk jord og vil gerne lette vejen. De tager tog fra San Francisco til New York og når lige over en faldefærdig jernbanebro i bedste stumfilmsstil.En duel mellem en amerikaner, Oberst Proctor og Fogg bliver afbrudt af et indianerangreb. Passepartout er dagens helt og redder alle, men bliver selv taget til fange. Han bliver befriet og via en gang issejllads indhenter de igen forsinkelsen. En Jerndamper "Henrietta" bliver hyret til turen til England og så går turen ellers mod Liverpool efter et lille raskt mytteri ombord. I Liverpool arresterer Fix hr. Phineas Fogg og får ham smidt i fængsel.Det er lidt trist, da man i mellemtiden har afsløret en hr. James Strard som Banktyven. Fogg giver Fix en omgang bank og forsøger at nå til London i tide, men forgæves. Imidlertid finder han og Mrs. Aouda ud af at de vil giftes og undervejs i arrangementet af dette, viser det sig at de har regnet en dag for sent.Alt ender i lykke og gammen.Herlig historie.
    • 4/5
      What a fantastic, thrilling, gripping story this is. What a nail-biter! Filled with fun characters, vivid locations, and a sense of desperate urgency, Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne is deservedly a classic. I listened to this on audiobook read by Jim Dale and enjoyed every minute (except the truly nauseating little talk, added by the publisher, at the end. But I will rant about that later). I was surprised to realize that I had probably never read the unabridged version of this story. I have a vague recollection of one of those Great Illustrated Classics, with a truly terrifying illustration of Passepartout in the opium den. Though I'm familiar with many of Verne's plots, I haven't really sat down with one of his books as an adult reader. I see I will have to rectify that. Phileas Fogg is an eccentric English gentleman who has followed an unvarying pattern — to the minute — for most of his life. He is meticulous down to the temperature of his shaving water, and when his manservant brings him water that is two degrees too cold, Mr. Fogg has no alternative but to fire him. We arrive at the house in Savile Row the day the new servant, Passepartout, is to begin work. Passepartout is delighted at the prospect of a well-ordered, established life, but it is not to be. That very night, Fogg makes a twenty-thousand-pound bet at his club that he can travel around the world in eighty days. To the astonishment of his colleagues, who are well accustomed to his precise and unvarying life, Fogg sets out that very evening on his madcap voyage.There is an interesting correlation between this story and that of Les Misérables; though completely opposite in tone and plot, both feature a legalistic, misled police inspector trailing the hero on all his journeys. Both inspectors step in to wreak ruin upon their quarry at the worst possible moment, and both, in the end, are foiled. That is probably as far as the comparison goes, but isn't it interesting? Les Misérables was published in 1862, and Around the World in Eighty Days in serial form in 1873. I love Verne's descriptions; they are often so wryly humorous. Anyone who thinks classics are boring and slow really ought to read this book. He says that Fogg is "like an incarnation of the god of punctuality," and continually calls Passepartout a "dear fellow." Inspector Fix is also a very humorous and yet well-rounded character. Of Mrs. Aouda, alas, we do not see much.I can't praise Jim Dale's reading enough; it was wonderful. His voices for the characters were superb. The only weakness was his voice for Mrs. Aouda, but it seems a common failing among male actors; they never can get the women's voices so well as the female actors can get the men's. But apart from that small quibble, I loved Dale's interpretation, especially of the beloved Passepartout! I will always hear his slightly breathless, emphatic, strongly accented voice in my head when I think of the character. (I should mention that another thing I love about audiobooks is that I learn how to pronounce all the words and names... Passepartout is pronounced "Paspertoo;" who knew?).And now for the banal little talk at the end, given by the son of the man who started the Listening Library company (now owned by Random House). First off, the poor man's voice is not a pleasure to listen to after Dale's warm, rolling tones. It's nasally, effeminate, and just plain annoying. Even had his script been wonderful, it would have been hard to appreciate, read by that unfortunate voice. And what he says is bad enough on its own account. Does Listening Library commend Verne for being interested in other countries and cultures, for opening new vistas to his readers, and demonstrating a vivid curiosity about the fascinating world around him? Do they praise his enthusiasm for the exotic and share his excitement for the geographical limitations that technology was removing? Oh no. Instead, the publishers chose to disparage his work as "unacceptable" by today's standards in its portrayal of "certain social structures" and "other cultures." Verne, they self-righteously sniff, displays a staggering "naivete" and "lack of appreciation and experience" for the various cultures that his characters encounter. Sure, Verne had an imperfect understanding of the many cultures in his book. Do we, in chronological snobbery, really think our appreciation of every culture and "social structure" so perfect? Actually I was rather disappointed that the publisher did not actually mention the specific issues with the story, preferring rather to take the safe route of vague, lofty accusation. It's a good thing readers are generally intelligent enough to pick out these things for ourselves — where, oh where would we be without Listening Library to mold our minds? And there are textual refutations to their sweeping claims, if they would but condescend to play fair and be specific about what's giving them indigestion.I find it absurd and unfair to judge a historical figure by modern standards. I think if any sermon must be made of the book's relative level of 21st-century political correctness or lack thereof (again, assuming we readers aren't astute enough to pick it out for ourselves), it ought to focus on the themes of the story rather than passing judgment on the author. The cover art for this audiobook is further proof of the publisher's cluelessness. It features a large hot-air balloon... which Phileas Fogg never takes. Verne mentions a balloon for about two seconds as a method of travel that would most certainly not work for Mr. Fogg — and then the cover sports one prominently. *sigh*But I don't want to leave you with all this negativity. The rating I am giving is strictly for the book. Random House/Listening Library's hamfisted approach is such a pity, because the actual production was excellent. I enjoyed the ethnic music that opened each new chapter, and of course Dale was great. And I suppose it's good the publishers didn't excise the parts they didn't like; this is unabridged, after all. But it's a 50th anniversary tribute to Listening Library's first audiobook production, which was this book. It might look bad if they interfered with the actual text itself.If you think you are intelligent enough to perceive ideas that are in alignment with their historical setting (and actually, perhaps, ahead of their time) — if you're sure you won't suddenly morph into a bigot under Verne's pernicious influence — you really ought to give this book a try. It's funny, well written, and adventurous, and you'll enjoy every minute of Phileas Fogg's eighty days around the world. I certainly did. Highly recommended!
    • 5/5
      Around the World in 80 Days is Jules Verne’s classic adventure story. One evening at the Reform Club, Phileas Fogg “impulsively” bets his companions £20,000 that he can travel around the entire globe in just eighty days. Breaking the very well-established routine of his daily life (one could say compulsive), the Fogg immediately sets off for Dover, accompanied by his servant Passepartout. Travelling by train, steamship, sailing boat, sledge and even elephant, they must overcome storms, kidnappings, natural disasters, Sioux attacks and the dogged Inspector Fix of Scotland Yard - who believes that Fogg has robbed the Bank of England - to win the wager. The story is simple and fun, though for the modern reader one may be surprised by the bias of the main character—particularly towards the natives of India. In addition I found that the main character for me was Passepartout—a wonderfully funny character—who in many ways really saves the day. But in the end we also see the growth of the character Fogg, who begins to see the importance of friendship and love above his usual concerns of reserve and punctuality. He is willing to lose his bet in order to personally help a friend, and he doesn’t care about defeat because he has won the hand of the woman he loves. I actually listened to the novel being read by Jim Dale (of Harry Potter fame)—which made this novel even more enjoyable. 4 ½ out of 5 stars.
    • 4/5
      The imperturbable Mr Fogg traverses the world in 80 days all while upholding the grandest tradition of English stiff-upper-lipedness. Not really sure why this is on the 1001 list.
    • 4/5
      Good book, fun (if long...) movie. Will he make it? It's how it is actually done that makes it a hoot.