Around the World in Eighty Days

Around the World in Eighty Days is a true classic and has remained a favourite of mine after I first read it when I was around ten.I have always loved that no one knows anything about Phileas Fogg or where he car from and how his wealth is amassed. He is an enigma before he and his friends at the Reform Club make their bet, and as the adventure unfolds I can imagine it on the broad pages of The Times of London along with ’Where did the money go?’Fogg’s new and yet, faithful servant and companion; Jean Passepartout joins Fogg as he travels throughout the world. I cannot help but find myself caring about the characters, whether it be the almost stoic Fogg, to the nervous and yet brave Passepartout as they take on a journey unlike anything you see in books written at the same time (the book was first published in French in 1872)The duo travel from London, and Verne tells the story of Fogg and Passepartout in China, India, Japan, Hong Kong, America and my own home port of Liverpool. The adventures of the two men are incredible and give you a brief look at what the world was like for explorers who due to revolutionary technology could travel faster and further - the premise for the bet in the first place.Unbeknown to the adventurers, they are being followed by Fix, a police officer intent on apprehending the Bank of England thief who has fled England. I love how determined and yet absurd Fix’s attempts to catch the culprit it - if it can go wrong? It does. Perhaps in its own way (spoiler warning), it is fate’s way of trying to tell Fix he is following the wrong man. I always wished that the hot air balloon part that takes place in the movie was a part of the book but Verne gives us other magical experiences. My favourite is no doubt the same as many others when Fogg and Passepartout are forced to travel by elephant and encounter Aouda the Indian princess who will accompany the two men and inadvertently Inspector Fix on their journey from India to England.Knowing Phileas is based off a real person adds something to the book and I love that even through fiction, an element of his adventure is told.I would honestly recommend this as a book to read from 10/11 depending on reading age right through till when you've read it a hundred times!A classic in every way.