Around the World in Eighty Days (Verne)
Very Brief Summary
London, 1872. Wealthy English gentleman Phileas Fogg made a bet at his Reform Club that he could circumnavigate the world in exactly eighty days. Known for his mathematical precision, calmness, generosity, mysterious past, and devotion to strict routine, Fogg departed immediately, accompanied by his new French valet, Jean Passepartout, a loyal, emotional former circus performer and fireman.
Traveling eastward by rail and steamer, they soon found themselves pursued by Scotland Yard detective Fix, who mistakenly believed Fogg was a bank robber. Fix, persistent, intelligent, nervous, and slight-built with constantly twitching eyebrows, dogged Fogg’s tracks, hoping for an opportunity to arrest him. Disaster followed them continually, including missed connections, mistaken identity, and attacks.
In India, Fogg and Passepartout saved a young woman, Aouda, from ritual sacrifice. She joined their entourage, sharing in the adventure. Detective Fix eventually sought to prevent their return to England, where alone Fogg could be arrested. Despite Fix's efforts, after Fogg bravely saved Passepartout from Sioux tribes in America, they reached New York. Missing their Liverpool-bound ship, Fogg bought another steamer at enormous expense, finally hiring a rail, sled, ship, and every conveyance possible to London.
Arriving in England, Fix finally arrested Fogg, but soon discovered his grievous error when the real culprit had already been apprehended. Released, Fogg seemed to have lost the wager, arriving in London on what he thought was the eighty-first day. All hope seemed lost.
Phileas Fogg had won his wager of twenty thousand pounds! How was it that a man so exact and fastidious could have made this error of a day? How came he to think that he had arrived in London on Saturday, when it was really Friday?
Because of travelling eastward, Fogg unknowingly gained a day, arriving twenty-four hours early. Realizing the mistake just in time, Fogg rushed to the Reform Club precisely at the last second, winning his bet. Though he made no financial profit from the wager, Fogg won something more precious—he recognized his love for Aouda, marrying her and finding true happiness.
Detailed Summary
Division into chapters is editorial.
London: Phileas Fogg's Wager
In 1872, Phileas Fogg lived at No. 7 Saville Row in London. He was a mysterious gentleman of precise habits who had recently dismissed his servant James Forster for bringing shaving water at the wrong temperature. That same day, he hired a new French valet named Jean Passepartout, who was seeking a quiet, predictable household after a varied career as a circus performer, gymnastics instructor, and fireman.
He was one of the most noticeable members of the Reform Club, though he seemed always to avoid attracting attention; an enigmatical personage, about whom little was known, except that he was a polished man of the world.
That evening at the Reform Club, Fogg engaged in a discussion about a bank robbery and the possibility of traveling around the world in a short time. When his whist partners expressed doubt that such a journey could be completed in eighty days, Fogg wagered twenty thousand pounds that he could circumnavigate the globe in that time or less. The bet was accepted by his fellow club members Stuart, Fallentin, Sullivan, Flanagan, and Ralph.
A true Englishman doesn't joke when he is talking about so serious a thing as a wager. I will bet twenty thousand pounds against anyone who wishes that I will make the tour of the world in eighty days or less.
Fogg immediately prepared to depart, taking only a carpetbag with a few essentials and twenty thousand pounds. He and Passepartout left London by train at 8:45 p.m. on October 2nd, beginning their journey eastward. Before boarding, Fogg gave twenty guineas to a beggar woman, revealing his generous nature despite his reserved demeanor.
Journey to India
Fogg and Passepartout traveled through France and Italy, reaching Brindisi where they boarded the steamer Mongolia bound for Suez. Unknown to them, a detective named Fix had been dispatched from London in pursuit of Fogg, who was suspected of being the bank robber who had stolen fifty-five thousand pounds from the Bank of England.
In Suez, Fix met Passepartout and began questioning him about his master, hoping to confirm his suspicions. Fix was waiting for an arrest warrant from London and decided to follow Fogg to India. After having their passports visaed, Fogg and Passepartout continued their journey on the Mongolia across the Red Sea.
During the voyage, Fix befriended Passepartout without revealing his true identity or suspicions. The Mongolia made good time, arriving at Aden ahead of schedule. Fogg remained unperturbed by the journey, spending most of his time playing whist. They reached Bombay two days ahead of schedule on October 20th, giving Fogg a comfortable lead in his race against time.
In Bombay, while Fogg was arranging their departure by train, Passepartout wandered into a Hindu temple, unaware that non-Hindus were forbidden to enter with their shoes on. He was attacked by priests for this sacrilege and barely escaped. This incident would later cause trouble for the travelers when they reached Calcutta.
Passepartout had been a sort of vagrant in his early years, and now yearned for repose; but so far he had failed to find it, though he had already served in ten English houses. But he could not take root in any of these.
Adventures in India
Fogg and Passepartout boarded the train to cross the Indian peninsula. They were joined by Sir Francis Cromarty, a British officer who was traveling to rejoin his brigade. The journey proceeded smoothly until they reached Kholby, where they discovered that the railway line was incomplete. They would need to find alternative transportation to Allahabad, where the railway resumed.
Undeterred by this setback, Fogg purchased an elephant named Kiouni and hired a Parsee guide. The party set off through the jungle, with Sir Francis accompanying them. During their journey, they encountered a procession where a young woman was being led to a funeral pyre for suttee—the practice of burning widows with their deceased husbands.
Learning that the woman, Aouda, was being forced to this fate against her will, Fogg resolved to rescue her. With the help of Sir Francis, the guide, and Passepartout, they devised a plan. Passepartout disguised himself as the corpse of the rajah and, at the critical moment, rose from the funeral pyre with Aouda in his arms. The startled crowd believed they were witnessing a miracle, allowing the group to escape with the rescued woman.
From India to Hong Kong
The party reached Allahabad and continued by train to Calcutta. Fogg decided to take Aouda with them to Hong Kong, where she had relatives. Upon arriving in Calcutta on October 25th, Fogg and Passepartout were arrested for the temple incident in Bombay. Fix had arranged this to delay Fogg until the arrest warrant arrived.
In court, Fogg was sentenced to a week's imprisonment and a fine of one hundred and fifty pounds, while Passepartout received fifteen days and three hundred pounds. Fogg immediately paid bail of one thousand pounds each, and they hurried to catch the steamer Rangoon bound for Hong Kong. Fix, still without his warrant, followed them aboard, increasingly frustrated by his inability to arrest Fogg on British soil.
During the voyage, Fix revealed his identity to Passepartout but presented himself as an ally rather than an adversary. He claimed he was now trying to help Fogg return to England, where the detective still planned to arrest him. Passepartout, though suspicious, agreed to an uneasy alliance with Fix.
Meanwhile, Fogg spent time with Aouda, who was deeply grateful for her rescue. Though Fogg remained outwardly impassive, a bond began to form between them. The Rangoon encountered rough seas and arrived at Hong Kong on November 6th, one day behind schedule. This was Fogg's first delay, but he remained confident.
The unforeseen does not exist. What was this adventure? Nothing. A mere inconvenience, not worth mentioning. Being in the habit of travelling, I know how to avoid difficulties. I have plenty of money and time.
In Hong Kong, they discovered that Aouda's relative had moved to Europe. Fogg gallantly offered to take her to Europe, and she gratefully accepted. They learned that the steamer Carnatic was scheduled to depart for Yokohama the next day. Fix, desperate to keep Fogg in Hong Kong until the warrant arrived, lured Passepartout to an opium den and drugged him, hoping to prevent him from informing Fogg about a change in the Carnatic's departure time.
From Hong Kong to Japan
When Fogg discovered that the Carnatic had departed early without them, he searched for alternative transportation. He found a small pilot boat, the Tankadere, and hired its captain, John Bunsby, to take them to Shanghai, where they could intercept the steamer to Yokohama. Fix, still without his warrant and afraid of losing track of Fogg, reluctantly joined them on this leg of the journey.
Meanwhile, Passepartout awoke from his drugged sleep to find himself aboard the Carnatic, which had already sailed. Realizing he was separated from his master, he resolved to reach Yokohama and wait for Fogg there. Upon arrival, the penniless Passepartout found employment with a Japanese circus troupe to sustain himself until his master arrived.
Mr. Fogg, bolder than his servant, did not hesitate to approach the pilot, and tranquilly ask him if he knew when a steamer would leave Hong Kong for Yokohama. 'At high tide tomorrow morning,' answered the pilot.
The Tankadere encountered a typhoon during the crossing but weathered it skillfully under Bunsby's command. They reached Shanghai just as the steamer for Yokohama was departing. Fogg signaled the ship, which stopped to pick them up. Aboard the steamer, Fogg, Aouda, and Fix continued to Yokohama, still unaware of Passepartout's whereabouts.
Crossing the Pacific
In Yokohama, by remarkable coincidence, Fogg and Aouda attended a circus performance where they recognized Passepartout performing as an acrobat. The reunion was joyful, and Passepartout explained his misadventures. Fogg, showing no anger over the mishap, simply prepared for the next leg of their journey—crossing the Pacific Ocean on the American steamer General Grant bound for San Francisco.
During the Pacific crossing, Passepartout discovered that Fix had been following them as a detective, not as a friend. Enraged by this deception, Passepartout attacked Fix but eventually calmed down when Fix explained that he now had a vested interest in helping Fogg reach England, as he could only arrest him on British soil.
The voyage across the Pacific was uneventful. Fogg spent much of his time playing whist, while Aouda's admiration for her rescuer continued to grow. Passepartout noted with satisfaction that his watch, which he had stubbornly kept on London time, now matched the ship's chronometers as they crossed the International Date Line—though he did not understand the scientific reason for this coincidence.
In journeying eastward he had gone towards the sun, and the days therefore diminished for him as many times four minutes as he crossed degrees in this direction. There are three hundred and sixty degrees on the circumference of the earth...
Journey Across America
The General Grant arrived in San Francisco on December 3rd, exactly on schedule. Fogg had neither gained nor lost time since leaving Yokohama. In San Francisco, they encountered a political demonstration that turned violent. During the commotion, Fogg was insulted by a Colonel Stamp Proctor, leading to a challenge for a duel that had to be postponed.
The travelers boarded a train on the transcontinental railroad. During the journey across the American wilderness, they witnessed vast herds of buffalo and the magnificent scenery of the Rocky Mountains. Their train was delayed by a herd of buffalo crossing the tracks, but this setback was minor.
A more serious problem arose when the train reached Medicine Bow, where they discovered that a suspension bridge ahead was damaged and unsafe to cross. The engineer proposed crossing at full speed, and despite the danger, the train successfully made the perilous crossing. Later, the train was attacked by a band of Sioux warriors. During the attack, Passepartout and two other passengers were captured by the Sioux.
The Atlantic Voyage
Fogg, displaying remarkable courage, organized a rescue party with the train's soldiers and successfully freed Passepartout and the other captives. However, this rescue mission caused a significant delay, and they missed their connecting train at Fort Kearney. When they finally reached Omaha and then New York, they arrived on December 11th, just as the Liverpool-bound steamer China was departing—too late to board it.
Undaunted, Fogg found a trading vessel, the Henrietta, and persuaded its captain, Andrew Speedy, to take them to Liverpool. When the captain refused to change course from his intended destination of Bordeaux, Fogg effectively bought the ship for four thousand pounds. He then ordered the crew to set course for Liverpool and, when the coal supply ran low, began burning the wooden parts of the ship to maintain steam power.
The Final Sprint
The Henrietta made good progress across the Atlantic, but as they approached Ireland, Fogg decided to stop at Queenstown to catch a fast mail train to Dublin and then a steamer to Liverpool, hoping to save time. They arrived in Liverpool on December 21st, with just enough time to reach London before the deadline—but at that moment, Fix finally received his warrant and arrested Fogg.
Fogg was imprisoned in Liverpool while Passepartout and Aouda were devastated by this turn of events. Five hours later, Fix learned that the real bank robber had been caught three days earlier. He released Fogg with apologies, but it seemed too late—they had missed the train to London. Fogg chartered a special train, but when they finally reached London, it was five minutes to nine on December 21st. Fogg believed he had lost his wager by five minutes.
The next day, a dejected Fogg apologized to Aouda for bringing her to England only to find himself ruined. To his surprise, Aouda proposed marriage to him, declaring her love. Deeply moved, Fogg accepted. Passepartout was sent to arrange for the wedding with the Reverend Samuel Wilson, but returned with startling news: the next day was not Monday, December 23rd, but Sunday, December 22nd.
In traveling eastward around the world, Fogg had gained a day without realizing it. He still had time to win his wager! Rushing to the Reform Club, he arrived just before the deadline, stunning his friends who had believed him defeated. Phileas Fogg had successfully circumnavigated the globe in exactly eighty days.
What had he really gained by all this trouble? What had he brought back from this long and weary journey? Nothing, say you? Perhaps so; nothing but a charming woman, who, strange as it may appear, made him the happiest of men!
Although Fogg had spent nearly nineteen thousand pounds during the journey, he had won his twenty thousand pound wager. More importantly, he had found love with Aouda and revealed himself to be a man of extraordinary determination, resourcefulness, and hidden warmth beneath his methodical exterior.