A review by hbcbray
Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

3.0

I have been interested in reading this book ever since finishing "Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World". Unfortunately, the original was a disappointment. Not only because all Tantor media productions are so low-level and such poor audio quality, but also because the character about whom all the fuss is made, Fogg, is hardly a character at all. Repeatedly he is called "mathematical" and "mechanical", and so he is. But also, when he takes charge of some action, he leaves the narrative completely. Truly, this story belongs to every character but Fogg, as the narrative is never told from his perspective, but from several other characters', and he often leaves the reader completely. It's not even that great an adventure - the whole of the trip between Liverpool and Calcutta is omitted, e.g. and many adventures are included which aren't interesting, e.g. the riot in San Francisco.

I can't say I'm unhappy I listened to it, but it is not the great adventures of a great man it is frequently purported to be.