A Conversation for 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Peer Review: A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 1

BobI

Entry: 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne - A87929473
Author: BobI - U15003083

This Entry is for Dmitri. I can't say I particularly enjoyed the book, but I enjoyed writing about it.


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 2

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

And we enjoyed reading about it! smiley - ok Thank you for doing this, so I didn't have to read any more Jules Verne.

Our young friends worldwide will appreciate this addition to their knowledge of fun stories. smiley - smiley

The 'Movie' section was of surpassing beauty. It could not possibly be improved upon. I did a little proofreading. I hope you don't mind:

smiley - biro Is there any way you could throw in the definition of the French word 'passepartout'?

smiley - biro I think the paragraph beginning 'The general opinion amongst the group....' would be better if you put it into the present tense.

smiley - biro >>This is where Mr Fix the detective appears convinced that Phileas Fogg is the runaway thief.<<

I think you need a comma after 'appears', because without it, the sentence means that Mr Fix only appears to be convinced.

smiley - biro >>why Passepartout would not appraise his employer of the attentions of Mr Fix.<<

I think the word should be 'apprise', meaning 'inform'?

Again, this is a great read! smiley - biggrin


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 3

Bluebottle

The one thing I would mention in the film section is that you are writing about the 1956 adaptation. Other film versions have been made since, particularly Disney/Walden Media's 2004 adaptation starring Jackie Chan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steve Coogan, Jim Broadbent, John Cleese and both Owen and Luke Wilson. Rather obvious, really, I mean who else would you possibly cast in an adaptation of a classic French novel?

Like many people of a certain age, for me Phogg will always be a lion.

smiley - whistlesmiley - musicalnotePhogg, I'm the one who made the bet
smiley - whistlesmiley - musicalnoteAnd I know we'll be exactly right on ti-ime

smiley - whistlesmiley - musicalnote80 days around the smiley - earth
smiley - whistlesmiley - musicalnoteWe'll find a pot of gold
smiley - whistlesmiley - musicalnoteJust sitting where the smiley - rainbow ends
smiley - whistlesmiley - musicalnoteTime - we'll fight against the time
smiley - whistlesmiley - musicalnoteAnd we'll fly on the white wings of the wind
smiley - whistlesmiley - musicalnote80 days around the smiley - earth
smiley - whistlesmiley - musicalnoteNo we won't say a word
smiley - whistlesmiley - musicalnoteBefore the ship is really back
smiley - whistlesmiley - musicalnoteRound, all around the world, Round, all around the world
smiley - whistlesmiley - musicalnoteRound, all around the world, Round, all around the world

<BB<


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 4

BobI

"Thank you for doing this, so I didn't have to read any more Jules Verne."

smiley - laughsmiley - laughsmiley - laugh I had to read the book twice!!

"The 'Movie' section was of surpassing beauty. It could not possibly be improved upon."

Thank you smiley - biggrin

I made those changes smiley - smiley


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 5

BobI

Thank you Bluebottle - I added mention of the 2004 film version too smiley - smiley


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 6

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

smiley - ok


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 7

bobstafford

"Passepartout" there several choices
1, Pass Key,
2, Been or seen everywhere

Also of interest for DG
And with a hyphen "Passe-Partout", Farming


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 8

Bluebottle

Thanks, this is coming along nicely. If I may be pedantic, is it worth a footnote to say that Queenstown in Ireland is now (since 1920) known as Cobh?

<BB<


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 9

SashaQ - happysad

"Like many people of a certain age, for me Phogg will always be a lion."

Yes indeed - for me as well smiley - laugh

I haven't read the book, but I did watch the 1956 film (apart from one or two bits that I fast-forwarded through) so I appreciate this Entry smiley - ok


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 10

Gnomon - time to move on

Hi BobI.

This is a good entry, but I don't think you really explain the reason why Fogg arrived home a day earlier than he thought.

Was the international date line established at the time this book was written? I thought it was only invented at the end of the 19th century when time zones were just beginning to be established.


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 11

BobI

Thank you Bluebottle - I added a footnote on Queenstown.

Thank you Gnomon - I added a footnote about the International Date Line and made changes so I hope that is better.


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 12

You can call me TC

Isn't an explanation of the date line thing rather a spoiler alert?


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 13

You can call me TC

Oh dear - I mean a spoiler, needing an alert.


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 14

You can call me TC

Having read the entry now, I wondered why Jules Verne chose to write about an Englishman. I checked the stories of 20000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey To the Centre Of The Earth and notice that these start in Paris and Hamburg respectively with "Professors" and protagonists of varying nationalities.

Was it just fashionable to base stories in London? Was Verne particularly well-travelled that he could describe life in London and Hamburg (Let alone the rest of the world)? Did he know in advance that his books would become best-sellers in several languages?

I thought I remembered Gregory Peck playing Fogg - he would have been perfect for the part - but as you say, the David Niven version is the best-known film. Steve Coogan has also stuck in my memory - that film really brought out the comedy.




A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 15

Gnomon - time to move on

Thanks BobI, that’s better - but I still think it needs more explanation. Fogg did take 80 days to travel around the world but only 79 days had passed back home in London. This would have seemed a great mystery to the readers of the time.

But as you say, it is implausible that Fogg would have travelled across America without once noticing what day it was.


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 16

Gnomon - time to move on

The title of Voyage au centre de la terre is usually translated as Journey to the Centre of the Earth in English. The word voyage in English means a journey by sea.


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 17

BobI

I have added a bit more detail about the date change in footnotes. I hope that is not too much of a spoiler (the title sort of gives away the conclusion, anyway!).

I can only speculate why Jules Verne set this novel in London - as you say, he also set novels in Hamburg and Paris, so perhaps he simply enjoyed imagining other countries and writing travelogues.


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 18

Dmitri Gheorgheni, Post Editor

Maybe his readers thought these places were more 'exotic'? Or they would believe weird behaviour from the English? smiley - winkeye Didn't one novel involve the balloon corps in the US Civil War?


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 19

Tavaron da Quirm - Arts Editor

This is a very good Entry. smiley - smiley

I think right at the start you should make clear that Passepartout is the name of the manservant of Fogg, you mention those two only independantly and let the reader gather this fact for themselves.

Like others her e I mostly remember the animated series but for me the most impressing part was always the gleam in Fix' eye. smiley - laugh

I think I saw the old movie once, but there was also a newer one with Sir Peter Ustinov, I believe?
... looked it up and indeed: Pierce Brosnan as Fogg and Eric Idle as Passepartout. Ustinov was Fix.


A87929473 - 'Around the World in Eighty Days' - a Novel by Jules Verne

Post 20

BobI

Thank you Tavaron - I changed the information about Passepartout’s job and mentioned Peter Ustinov. I hope that is better smiley - smiley


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