Dear Readers,
I recently read the book “Around the World in Eighty Days” written by a world-renowned British writer, Jules Verne. This novel can be said to be one of the classics in the history of English literature, so I chose this book amongst all others.
First of all, let me give you a simple summary of the plot in this story.
Phileas Fogg, an affluent man of few words, made a wager with his five friends. If he was able to travel around the world, stopping at significant places and countries, within a span of 80 days, he would win 20,000 pounds. Otherwise, each of his friends would win 4,000 pounds from Fogg.
Together with his newly-employed servant, Passepartout, Fogg set out on his voyage, meeting with innumerable difficulties like incomplete railway at the hamlet of Kholby, the nabbing of Passepartout on the way to Omaha, his arrest by the police as well as a court trial.
In the end, Fogg returned to London a few minutes late and was disappointed that he had lost his wager. However, the twist was that he had forgotten that by travelling eastwards, he gained one day due to the International Dateline. In fact, he had travelled around the world in slightly more than 79 days! He returned exactly at the promised time and consequently won the 20,000 pounds.
In actual fact, Fogg had not won much, as the whole journey cost nearly 19,000 pounds. However, the fun and rapport built with Passepartout was something that he could not put a price to.
For everything, there are merits and demerits. Let me share with you what I think is good about this book.
Firstly, the words used are rather simple to comprehend. The vocabulary is not flowery and bombastic, so it should be suitable for any age group.
This novel teaches us about the different types of cultures in the world, with the visit to India as a good example. We learn that before stepping into the temple, we must take off our shoes in respect to the gods of India. This is extremely important, and very enriching. It might even serve as a good guide for tourists and those who want to learn more about the history of some countries. A good example would be Yokohama, where Verne wrote, “[t]he Japanese quarter of Yokohama is called Benten, after the goddess of the sea, who is worshipped on the islands round about”. I never did know this, even though I am rather well-versed with Japan and its prefectures.
The novel also inculcates virtues in the readers. A good example would be the virtue of helpfulness. Fogg did not ignore the poor girl who was in need of help, Aouda, but instead was willing to slow down his journey to save her. In the end, he married the girl. This also goes to prove the saying that “whatever comes from the heart goes to the heart” and the effect of Karma.
There were also very touching scenes, which can help develop our Emotional Quotient (EQ). When Passepartout was kidnapped by the Indians, Fogg did not ignore him, although he was running short of time. This truly reflects the kind side of mankind, and will surely tug at your heartstrings!
However, there are also some demerits about this book.
For one, the pace of the book is extremely slow, and the plot very predictable. This is because the planned journey has already been stated in the beginning of the story, so it is very obvious how the story would move on. There was not much suspense, because I already know the planned route. This might be one of the largest minus-points for this book.
The twist provided is also not very interesting, because it is very predictable. For example, for me, before the entire story, I already knew what was going to happen. In such stories, there must be a twist, and I knew the twist must be the gaining of day through travelling eastwards, as stated in the beginning of the story and through general knowledge.
Nonetheless, I would say that this book is a passable one. If you are someone who loves travelling and about geography and maps like me, you will definitely enjoy this book, and I recommend you to get your hands on this book. However, if you are someone who loves fast-paced stories and suspense, I would say that there are many other books out there in the library, which you might want to give a shot at, but this is not one you will like.
Readers, what are your views, and how would you rate the book?
Best Regards,
Nathan :)
Dear Nathan,
ReplyDeleteThe first time I read this book was in Primary Five and it can be considered to be a quite a good read for that standard. When I first read the book, I was thrilled by the travels to the various countries and lands that were mostly unfamiliar to me at that time. I learnt about the geography, history, culture and various other aspects of life in these countries which I have not visited. Furthermore, the book was published in 1873; it has been 138 years since the publication of the book, and we might never ever have a chance to visit these places anymore even if we wished to.
One thing to note is that critiques have often pointed out that the story and title of this book is not original, yet it is still such a success with the general audience of young and old, even after 138 years, and this is a feat we all have to admire. The novel has been adapted for over five plays, with the first play in 1874 having been presented for over 415 times, and over five films, with the 2004 film starring Jackie Chan as Passepartout and Steve Coogan as Fogg (though this film has been criticised for its irrelevance to the novel), 4 television programmes, an exhibition in London in 2006, and being a reference for various cartoon shows, amusement parks, board games, songs and other novels.
Moreover, the novel has inspired various other people to traverse around the world in eighty days, to follow in Fogg’s footsteps. There were many trips made from the 19th century up to the 21st century today, and one of the most prominent one was that by Nellie Bly, and her book she had written thereafter, Around the World in Seventy-Two Days became a best seller. As we have seen, the influence books can have on society can be huge and unimaginable. After all, how many books can claim to have touched and inspired the hearts of readers for over 13 decades?
By the way, since you mentioned that the twist was predictable, I had no prior knowledge of time zones nor the story when I had read it a few years back, so I suggest readers of a younger age (upper primary), and probably not for higher levels. Nevertheless, Around the World in Eighty Days, I feel, is still an amazing and wonderful book, which I believe you have elaborated on in your post. I would like to suggest a few more books to readers of a younger age who might be interested in these stories involving adventure and geography, Journey to the Centre of the Earth and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, which are all classics of English literature.
Regards,
Ivan
Dear Ivan,
ReplyDeleteWell, thank you for the informative piece. Regarding "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", I did not at all like that book. This is because I found it rather ridiculous and the plot was extremely unbelievable. As for Journey to the Centre of the Earth, I also read the book but once again, it seemed too unrealistic for me. Well, they are good books and I recommend them to sci-fi fanatics. Jule Verne indeed writes well, but his out-of-this-world plots are not my piece of cake.
Regards,
Nathan (: