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Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne


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It is assumed that you have read the book before reading posts in this thread, as the discussion might give away crucial points, and the continuous use of spoiler tags might hinder fluent reading of posts.

 

 

1.Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

Phileas Fogg is a man of habit, a Victorian gentleman who follows the same routine every day--until he accepts a wager that he can circle the globe within eighty days. Thus begins a hair-raising journey, in which Fogg's obsession with his timetable is complemented by the dynamism and versatility of his French manservant, Passepartout, whose has a talent for getting into scrapes as the two dash across continents in a suspenseful race against time

 

 

Welcome to June's Reading Circle Choice.

 

A few questions/statements to start us off

 

1. What do you think of Phileas Fogg ?

 

2. Although Aouda is depicted as a passive female, she made quite a mark on the other travellers. What do you think about her?

 

3. Do you think Jules Verne made a play on some of the names he chose for his characters?

 

4. Do you think that Verne really leans on certain stereotypes during the book?

 

5. Why do you think Phileas Fogg took the bet?

 

6. As time goes by, why does Fix not change his opinion regarding Phileas Fogg?

 

7.While reading the book, did you ever think that Phileas Fogg was guilty of theft?

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I just very recently finished reading this novel on my Kindle and enjoyed it a great deal. Fogg is the quintessential Englishman - never allowing his emotions to be publically observed. Always reserved and aloof almost to the point of coldness, it's not surprising that the law would believe him capable of pulling of an audacious crime and escaping in such a cool manner.

 

Aouda is pretty much the perfect match for him - always ladylike and reserved, but she's got bottle, determination and stamina which allows her not only to keep pace with Fogg, but to sometimes stay a step ahead of him. :-)

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1. What do you think of Phileas Fogg ?

I cannot but help liking Phileas Fogg, although he is not a very likeable character in some ways. However, although he is portrayed as mathematically cold, pedantic and a pain in the neck, he is also cool, calm and precise, generous and possesses a self control which must be envied. His character is a paradox - he is a man of habit, his days regulated by the clock, one day an exact copy of the next, yet he takes on a £20,000 wager (equal to

£1,324,289 today according to wikipedia) on a whim. He informs his valet that he must pay the gaslight bill, (he forgot to turn the gaslight off), yet he gives a £ 2000 elephant as a present to the Indian guide ‘for his devotion.’

 

 

2. Although Aouda is depicted as a passive female, she made quite a mark on the other travellers. What do you think about her?

I think she is written as a product of those times where women had to depend on a male to be their saviour and protector. If the story had to be written today, she would be given a much larger role in the story, although to be fair this particular story would not have worked in today’s times. I think over all, although she cost Phileas Fogg both time and money, she gave him a purpose in life, and from the moment he met her he went through a change of character. There were times when I wondered how the author did not expand at all on the differences between their ethnicity, difference in clothing or food, cultures and believes. In fact, as far as I remember, Aouda changed into European clothes from her Indian ones, and it was as if she became British.

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I am. I started to read it last night during a quiet period at work and I am about a quarter of the way into it. I'm not sure what to think of Fogg just yet but I have noticed that Verne seems to like male lead characters who are of a certain standing in society. This is certainly the case in 20,000 Leagues and Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

 

I shall post more thoughts as I get further into the book.

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3. Do you think Jules Verne made a play on some of the names he chose for his characters?

 

 

I think he might have - with some of them:

 

Passepartout

is literally translated to ‘go everywhere’, although the word itself means a skeleton key. He was not a normal valet, he had travelled extensively, had held various jobs.

 

Mr Fix

he has to fix a wrongdoing and bring a thief to justice.

 

Colonel Stamp Proctor

is described as

‘’A big brawny fellow with a red beard, flushed face, and broad shoulders, who seemed to be the chief of the band,..’’. ....According to wikipedia, Proctor, is variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge.

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I have finished the book now so I can add my thoughts.

 

1. What do you think of Phileas Fogg ?

I think he is a fairly typical Verne lead character in that he is odd and doesn't seem to panic at all. He certainly fits the stereotype of an English city gent in his reserved manner. There seems to be a fair bit of purposeful stereotyping on the part of Verne which adds humour to the tale. Fogg is likeable but his reserved nature till made me not completely sure of him until much later into the book. His outburst with relation to Aouda at the end of the book is very out of character and endearing.

 

2. Although Aouda is depicted as a passive female, she made quite a mark on the other travellers. What do you think about her?

I didn't think much of Aouda for a large part of the book, I assumed that she was merely added to the tale as a love interest. That was until the battle on the train where she proves herself to be quite handy with a pistol. Personally I would have liked her to be a little more independent as she seems to cling to what Passepartout or Fogg a lot. This is probably in keeping with the way things were when the book was written and I imagine her prowess with a pistol really made her stand out at the time.

 

3. Do you think Jules Verne made a play on some of the names he chose for his characters?

Given what Maureen has detailed above I think he must have had that intention from the start, it can get lost on those of us who have to read a translated version of the story. I do wonder if he gave Phileas Fogg such an unusual name to make him seem even more eccentric and well to do than if he were called 'John Smith'.

 

 

4. I have alluded to it earlier but do others think that Verne really leans on certain stereotypes during the book?

I don't say this as a criticism but certain national character traits are very evident to me throughout the book. The Englishman (Fogg) is a rich gent who is reserved and yet can't be fully trusted. The Frenchman (Passepartout) is passionately loyal, thinks with his heart, heroic but prone a mistake. The policeman (Fix) is pretty devious and scheming, his motivation is sound but his methods questionable. The Americans take huge risks without thinking them through and are very loud.

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4. Do you think that Verne really leans on certain stereotypes during the book?

 

Hmmm interesting. I would agree that certain characters seem stereotypical - the rich gentleman, the damsel in distress, the policeman who does not give up, the faithful servant and the loud American. However I don't see Fogg as a person who can't be fully trusted, and neither do I think that Fix is particularly devious. But over all Verne does seem to fit his characters to a particular stereotype.

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3. Do you think Jules Verne made a play on some of the names he chose for his characters?

Definitely. Even Fogg, the name of the main character is a slight play on words. Fog obscures things from view and Fogg keeps his emotions firmly under wraps and out of public view.

 

 

4. I have alluded to it earlier but do others think that Verne really leans on certain stereotypes during the book?

On the whole, I think they do fit the stereotypes, but the damsel in distress isn't your typical swooning woman - she's a very strong character who shows great fortitude and common sense. Fix, as you've already said, show the stereotypical traits of a law man never giving up, but also shows great cunning and can be incredibly underhanded at times. Passpartout is the typical faithful servant, but costs his master greatly at every turn and keeps secrets from him. Fogg is the quintessesntial English Gentleman, but he is aloof to the point of coldness rather than a great romantic hero. So, I'd say he uses the stereotypes, but subverts them slightly to give an alternative twist. They're still charicatures, but they're slightly more well rounded versions than we sometimes see, because they have a few more facets to their personalities.

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3. Do you think Jules Verne made a play on some of the names he chose for his characters?

Definitely. Even Fogg, the name of the main character is a slight play on words. Fog obscures things from view and Fogg keeps his emotions firmly under wraps and out of public view.

 

Yes! Did not get that one, but definately!

 

 

4. I have alluded to it earlier but do others think that Verne really leans on certain stereotypes during the book?

On the whole, I think they do fit the stereotypes, but the damsel in distress isn't your typical swooning woman - she's a very strong character who shows great fortitude and common sense. Fix, as you've already said, show the stereotypical traits of a law man never giving up, but also shows great cunning and can be incredibly underhanded at times. Passpartout is the typical faithful servant, but costs his master greatly at every turn and keeps secrets from him. Fogg is the quintessesntial English Gentleman, but he is aloof to the point of coldness rather than a great romantic hero. So, I'd say he uses the stereotypes, but subverts them slightly to give an alternative twist. They're still charicatures, but they're slightly more well rounded versions than we sometimes see, because they have a few more facets to their personalities.

 

He also makes a reference to the typical English gentlemen who is not really at ease eating foreign food during his trip....that one made me smile.

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I wanted to read this book as it was a story I felt I should be familiar with but wasn’t. All I knew about it was that Phileas Fogg travelled around the world in 80 days in a hot air balloon. :lurker:

 

I basically read this online during quieter moments at work and was surprised at how quickly I read it. I did kind of lose the thread here and there through not paying proper attention and would wonder if I need to reread the last paragraph or so but then I would have a little titter to myself at something that happened and realised that I had been paying more attention than I had given myself credit for.

 

I didn’t really know what to make of Fogg as for me someone who is incredibly punctual and to the point as Fogg was at the beginning of the book is not the sort of person to wager a bet and then go off around the world just like that in my mind at least. I also feel that someone that particular would not just hand over money to almost everyone along the way especially without getting receipts.

 

Aouda may have been depicted as passive but I didn’t really read her like that at all I thought, for the time, she came across as being fairly modern and ready for adventure.

 

I did enjoy this book particularly where there was more dialogue than description and was surprised at the light hearted parts of it although I was disappointed that there were no hot air balloons. :doh:

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I wanted to read this book as it was a story I felt I should be familiar with but wasn’t. All I knew about it was that Phileas Fogg travelled around the world in 80 days in a hot air balloon. :lurker:

 

 

I did enjoy this book particularly where there was more dialogue than description and was surprised at the light hearted parts of it although I was disappointed that there were no hot air balloons. :doh:

Teeheehee! I wondered how many people were under that misconception. I also wonder if many of those same people watched the cartoon series Around the World with Willy Fog - LOL!

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Teeheehee! I wondered how many people were under that misconception. I also wonder if many of those same people watched the cartoon series Around the World with Willy Fog - LOL!

 

I remember the programme but I am pretty sure I didn't actually watch it I think I might have just watched the opening sequence and then gone out to play hop scotch or something more interesting.

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1. What do you think of Phileas Fogg ?

I really found him a likeable character. I didnt like his attitude to money I did think this was a bit throwaway, but I suppose this is to do with him being a typical rich english gentleman of the time

 

2. Although Aouda is depicted as a passive female, she made quite a mark on the other travellers. What do you think about her?

As others have said, I didnt really like her as a character, she was a bit too clingy for my liking, but I suppose that this was another sign of the times.

 

3. Do you think Jules Verne made a play on some of the names he chose for his characters?

I hadnt, until this question. The only character I can think of is Mr Fix, who is in a bit of a fix as to weather to chase a man around the world as he suspected he was a thief

 

4. I have alluded to it earlier but do others think that Verne really leans on certain stereotypes during the book?

I think Fogg is definitaly stereotpical. He is your typical english gentleman of the time but I'm not too sure of the others.

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5. Why do you think Phileas Fogg took the bet?

 

I think Phileas Fogg took the bet because he was sure that it could be done - just for the bet’s sake. When he was talking to his friends, and he found out that they were of a different opinion, he wanted to prove himself right. He set great store by his exact calculations, and his whole life was based on timings, and he found this to be a bet he could not refuse, although he must have figured that he would not make much money out of it - in fact he stood to lose quite an amount.

 

 

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5. Why do you think Phileas Fogg took the bet?

 

I think he took the bet because he didn't want to be wrong among his peers. I imagine he thought he could do it but I don't think he was 100% he would do it. Even if he had lost the bet I think that he has the skills to make the money he lost back in some other way so losing the money was no a big concern of his.

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I have not read the other answers yet, as I didn’t want mine to be confused by other people’s thoughts. :)

 

1. What do you think of Phileas Fogg ?

I really liked him. He is sometimes cool in his behaviour (and I don’t mean in terms of the modern definition of cool!) and doesn’t always show his emotions, but I think that is how someone of his class, and certainly at the time it was set, would have behaved. Despite his reserve, he clearly shows he does have feelings with his behaviour towards the people he meets along the way, particularly his rescue of Aouda and also the rescue from the Sioux of Passepartout, which put the chances of winning his bet in severe doubt.

 

He is no doubt a romantic. Not in the obvious sense of the word, but I, myself fell in love with him at the end of the book.

 

I love you!” he said simply. Yes, by all that is holiest, I love you, and I am entirely yours!

 

Swoon! :wub:

 

2. Although Aouda is depicted as a passive female, she made quite a mark on the other travellers. What do you think about her?

I loved her loyalty to Fogg and the way she gently fell in love with him. Her proposal of marriage was lovely (and also, I imagine a daring thing for a nineteenth century woman to do).

 

3. Do you think Jules Verne made a play on some of the names he chose for his characters?

Yes. Some of them are obvious (Fix, Fogg...) and l looked up the definition of Passpartout on dictionary.com when I started reading and it defines it as “something that passes everywhere or provides a universal means of passage.”.

 

4. Do you think that Verne really leans on certain stereotypes during the book?

Yes. Fogg himself is a stereotypical eccentric upper-class gent, who spends all day at his club. I also think that many of the characters and countries that Fogg visited along the way were quite stereotypical, although I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing. Aouda’s characterisation might be considered slightly atypical in how one might think of an Indian woman in the late nineteenth century would behave, particularly in regard to her proposal (see question 2).

 

5. Why do you think Phileas Fogg took the bet?

I think it was largely to do with pride. Having made the declaration that a person could circumnavigate the world in 80 days, he would have lost face if he had not taken the wager and opened himself to ridicule – he was already seen as eccentric by some of the club membership!

 

Other random thoughts

 

One of the features I love about the Kindle is its ability for one to highlight passages or words. I used this feature more than ever reading this – there were so many references to things that I thought might be real. Many turned out not to be! For instance Gauthier Ralph was not a Director of the Bank of England (but someone called Ralph Gauthier had his obituary in the Calgary Herald a few years ago – I wonder if his parents gave him his forename as a conscious thing?!). The Mormon Elder, William Hitch is also fictional!

 

I have learned that the word ‘thug’ comes from the ‘thuggees’ – a religious cult who travel as assassins!

 

I love the Michael Portillo programme Great Railway Journeys, so I was pleased to see that Fogg was armed with a trusty Bradshaw guide!

 

I enjoyed reading about the places and cultures he visited, and this is one of those books that makes me head to Wikipedia and look up various subjects encountered along the way – I love books that make me want to find out more!

 

I will read through the other answers a bit later. :)

 

An excellent choice! :D

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I wanted to read this book as it was a story I felt I should be familiar with but wasn’t. All I knew about it was that Phileas Fogg travelled around the world in 80 days in a hot air balloon. :lurker:

 

</snip>

 

I did enjoy this book particularly where there was more dialogue than description and was surprised at the light hearted parts of it although I was disappointed that there were no hot air balloons. :doh:

I did think a hot air balloon was involved in the story as well.

It got a very brief mention...

 

Still, some means must be found to cross the Atlantic on a boat, unless by balloon - which would have been venturesome, besides not being capable of being put in practice.

 

:)

 

I haven't seen the David Niven version before. I do have a version with Pierce Brosnan in (which came free with a newspaper) but I haven't ever watched that either - I might now! ETA: I've just looked on IMDB and apparently it was a TV mini-series!

 

I have seen the 2004 version with Steve Cooghan and Jackie Chan - which I've now discovered is very, very different from the book! :giggle2: It's entertaining enough and I do like it, but I prefer the book version and in this case I'm glad I saw the film first!

Edited by Janet
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6. As time goes by, why does Fix not change his opinion regarding Phileas Fogg?

 

I kept waiting for Fix to change his opinion and his attitude, but this never happened. I think he was so caught up in his own story, that he never seriously entertained the thought that he might be wrong. I never thought that he realised his mistake but wanted a scapegoat for his own personal profit, but rather that he had a case of tunnel vision.

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