Literature's classic race against the clock.
Part manhunt, part love story, part social satire, but mostly a race against the clock, Around the World in 80 Days is Jules Verne's most rollicking novel. When Phileas Fogg, a wealthy British gentleman who lives his life "with mathemetical predictability," bets the fellow members of his club £20,000 that he can circle the earth in just eighty days, he and his new valet, Passepartout, set out on a whirlwind tour of the globe that will challenge their luck, their wits, and their wallets. En route they ride an elephant smack into an exotic murder cult, steer an undersized sailboat through rampaging storms, and outrun sharp-shooting Sioux, man-eating wolves, and Scotland Yard's dimmest detective-only to see everything go hopelessly haywire until Verne springs the slyest of surprise endings. It's one of the planet's favorite thrillers, and Frederick Paul Walter's reader-friendly translation captures its roguish wit and humor, packages its Americana with exceptional accuracy (one-fourth of the tale takes place in the United States), and is complete and unabridged down to the smallest substantive detail.
Recenzijos
"Around the World in 80 Days is the entertainment gem in Verne's output." SirReadaLot.org
Daugiau informacijos
Literature's classic race against the clock.
| Translator's Preface |
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vii | |
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1 In which Phileas Fogg and Passepartout mutually accept each other as master and manservant |
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1 | (5) |
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2 Where Passepartout is convinced he has found perfection at last |
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6 | (3) |
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3 Where a conversation takes place that could cost Phileas Fogg a fortune |
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9 | (7) |
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4 In which Phileas Fogg astounds his manservant Passepartout |
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16 | (4) |
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5 In which a new share shows up on the London stock market |
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20 | (4) |
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6 In which Fix the investigator is understandably impatient |
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24 | (5) |
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7 Which demonstrates once again that passports are no help in police work |
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29 | (3) |
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8 In which Passepartout says a bit more than maybe he ought to |
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32 | (4) |
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9 Where the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean cooperate with Phileas Fogg's objectives |
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36 | (6) |
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10 Where Passepartout gets off easy with just the loss of his shoes |
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42 | (6) |
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11 Where Phileas Fogg buys a fabulously expensive form of transportation |
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48 | (8) |
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12 Where Phileas Fogg and his companions venture through the forests of India and what comes of it |
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56 | (7) |
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13 In which Passepartout proves once again that luck and pluck are partners |
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63 | (7) |
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14 In which Phileas Fogg goes down the whole wonderful valley of the Ganges without even thinking to look at it |
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70 | (7) |
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15 Where the bag of banknotes gets lighter by another couple thousand pounds |
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77 | (6) |
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16 Where Fix plays dumb when he hears certain things |
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83 | (5) |
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17 Which deals with this and that during the crossing from Singapore to Hong Kong |
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88 | (6) |
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18 In which Phileas Fogg, Passepartout, and Fix go about their separate business |
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94 | (5) |
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19 Where Passepartout grows extremely concerned for his master and what comes of it |
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99 | (7) |
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20 In which Fix makes direct contact with Phileas Fogg |
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106 | (6) |
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21 Where the Tankadere's skipper is in real danger of losing his £200 bonus |
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112 | (8) |
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22 Where Passepartout finds that even halfway around the world, it's wise to have a little money in your pocket |
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120 | (6) |
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23 In which Passepartout's nose gets outlandishly long |
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126 | (8) |
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24 During which they cross the whole Pacific Ocean |
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134 | (5) |
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25 Which gives a brief glimpse of San Francisco at election time |
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139 | (7) |
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26 In which we ride an express train on the Pacific Railroad |
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146 | (6) |
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27 During which Passepartout takes a course in Mormon history at a speed of twenty miles per hour |
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152 | (6) |
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28 In which Passepartout can't get anybody to use his head |
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158 | (7) |
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29 Which will describe assorted incidents that are met with only on Union railroads |
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165 | (9) |
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30 In which Phileas Fogg simply does what's right |
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174 | (7) |
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31 Where Inspector Fix behaves in Phileas Fogg's best interests |
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181 | (6) |
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32 In which Phileas Fogg grapples with misfortune |
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187 | (4) |
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33 In which Phileas Fogg rises to the occasion |
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191 | (9) |
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34 Which gives Passepartout the chance to crack an outrageous but possibly original joke |
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200 | (3) |
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35 In which Passepartout doesn't need to be told twice to do what his master says |
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203 | (5) |
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36 Where shares in Phileas Fogg are back at a premium on the stock market |
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208 | (4) |
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37 Which demonstrates that Phileas Fogg didn't gain a thing by going around the world---other than happiness |
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212 | (4) |
| Textual Notes |
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216 | (3) |
| Recommended Reading |
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219 | |
Jules Verne was born in 1828 into a French lawyering family in the Atlantic coastal city of Nantes. Though his father sent him off to a Paris law school, young Jules had been writing on the side since his early teens, and his pet topics were the theater, travel, and science. Predictably enough, his legal studies led nowhere, so Verne took a day job with a stock brokerage, in his off-hours penning scripts for farces and musical comedies while also publishing short stories and novelettes of scientific exploration and adventure.
His big breakthrough came when he combined his theatrical knack with his scientific bent and in 1863 published an African adventure yarn, Five Weeks in a Balloon. After that and until his death in 1905, Jules Verne was one of the planets best-loved and best-selling novelists, publishing more than sixty books. Other imaginative favorites by him include The Mysterious Island, Hector Servadac, The Begums Millions, Master of the World, and The Meteor Hunt. Verne ranks among the five most translated authors in history, along with Mark Twain and the Bible.
Frederick Paul Walter is a scriptwriter, broadcaster, librarian, and amateur paleontologist. A long-standing member of the North American Jules Verne Society, he served as its vice president from 2000 to 2008. Walter has produced many media programs, articles, reviews, and papers on aspects of Jules Verne and has translated many Verne novels, including Amazing Journeys: Five Visionary Classics and The Sphinx of the Ice Realm, both also published by SUNY Press. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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