Around the World in 80 Days

By: Jules Verne

Narrated by: Patrick Tull

Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

Filled with fantasy, comedy and grand suspense, Around the World in 80 Days is classic entertainment that is sure to enchant listeners of all ages. When an eccentric Englishman named Phileas Fogg makes a daring wager that he can circle the globe in just 80 days, it’s the beginning of a breathlessly-paced world tour. With his devoted servant Passepartout at his side, Fogg sets off on an adventurous journey filled with amazing encounters and wild mishaps. Pursued all the way by the bumbling Detective Fix, who believes the two travelers are bank robbers on the run, Fogg and Passepartout must use every means of transportation known to 19th-century man - including a hot-air balloon, a locomotive, and an elephant - to win the bet. When Jules Verne’s delightful tale of two globetrotting gentlemen first appeared in 1873, it won the hearts - and imaginations - of readers across Europe. Published chapter by chapter over the course of many months, Around the World in 80 Days aroused so much excitement that readers placed bets on the outcome of Phileas Fogg’s race against time.

Public Domain (P)1986 Recorded Books

A straightforward adventure/exploration story

A straightforward adventure/exploration story. Verne is a master at capturing the magic of geography. He juggles all that while also letting the reader ponder the wonders of technology and the industry and honor of man.

Again, the biggest limit to Verne is his poor 19th-century translators and editors and in this novel perhaps a tad too much colonial attitude. Verne's inaccuracy about Mormons is funny, but illustrative of the weakness found throught the rest of the book. Verne seemed more adept at speculating about the future and technology than observing the present and people.

We Cheered at the End!

My kids (ages 10 and 6) listened to this book together. We enjoyed it thoroughly! Patrick Tull's characterizations were impeccable, especially that of the French servant. I found myself very involved in the story, and looking for every opportunity to turn it on.

For parents who might be selecting this for your children, be aware that the language is difficult to understand at times due to the more formal style of the unabridged text. My daughter (age 6) had a tough time understanding some of the syntax, but a third of the way through or so she seemed to adjust to it and was able to follow the story much better. She enjoyed the story very much, and when it ended all three of us literally cheered!

A Classic Not To Be Missed!

Thrilling and charming adventure. This was a sheer delight and I am at a loss as to why I have not read this book earlier. Delightful in every sense of the word. Endearing characters and pure escapism. The performance by Patrick Tull was sublime. He was perfect. The tension and excitement he created were spine-chilling at times. One of my favourite books and I have listened to it twice already. Fabulous!!!!

Fun, classic story - but SCREEN PLAY BETTER

What made the experience of listening to Around the World in 80 Days the most enjoyable?

Fast moving, compelling adventure story.

Any additional comments?

Actually a bit disappointed. This was because the movie is such a favorite. The screen play is really much more detailed, compelling, colorful and enjoyable. Many of the pivotal scenes in the book are only lightly detailed and pass without the detail that one might want. This is one of those cases where the movie was actually an improvement on the book.

A delightful read

Jules Verne was an excellent writer and this is one of his great, classic stories. It is a fun romp around the world and the characters are very engaging, especially Passepartout who provides the main point of view for the reader as well as a catalyst for a lot of the action. The book builds to an exciting and satisfying conclusion.

It is read by the great Patrick Tull who is famous for reading the Patrick O'Brien novels (which is why I chose this particular book). Tull imbues each character with their own personality, he really was one of the best readers.

I highly recommend this book, it is also a great family book.

An exciting book for the whole family!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The book moved along at a nice pace, and the subplot of the thief kept us wondering. We used the story as part of our geography lesson, and we tracked the main character's movement throughout the story. The reader did a great job on all voice performances, too.

What did you like best about this story?

The characters and the suspense of the story.

Which scene was your favorite?

The bartering for the elephant scene.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It was too long for that, but we did use it on a long car ride. Perfect! Everyone enjoyed it.

Couldn't finish

I picked out this book since it is a classic, but half way through it I still didn't care one bit about any of the characters and I didn't want to keep listening to find out what happens. Life is too short to waste on a book one does not enjoy so I gave up. The narrator was good, the story for me, not so much.

Classic Adventure - narrator a bit clipped.

The story stands the test of time. A good, rollicking adventure. The narrator is too quick and clipped. Slowing the track down to .9 speed worked well.

An absolutely delightful romp!

Thank you, thank you, Audible for offering this book on the $4.95 sale. I would not have used one of my credits for it - why should I spend a credit on under 7 hours of listening when I could get for the same cost 20 or even 50 hours of listening? There is no shortage of excellent longer choices. But, you know, sales work - even for self-controlled people like me. So, since I like 19th century literature, I took Around the World in 80 Days, and it was totally delightful, wildly entertaining, and a superb performance by the reader (except his voice for the one female character, but she didn't speak so much, so it is a truly negligible matter). If anyone is feeling down, in need of some cheer, listen to this book! Trust me - your mood will improve hugely. The book does suffer, here and there, from one of the ailments of a lot of literature of that era - bigotry. Often it is the pawnbroker or money-lender, almost invariably singled out as a Jew, when a literary character is in need of such services. Or, of course, in American literature, the depiction of African-Americans is deplorable. In this case it is the depiction of American Indians. It is not the fact that the train was attacked by Indians - that indeed might be historically realistic, without going into the complexity of the situation. It is when in chapter 26 (actually before an attack) we are told that "the railway crosses a territory which is still infested by Indians and wild beasts" that I cringed. The original French is not quite as blunt - instead of "infested" it has "frequentee" (frequented), which "merely" denotes danger but does not denote some kind of vermin in need of elimination. But it is not the French version that you will be listening to, here. And, like so much literature of the era, there is a rather paternalistic attitude towards the female character. Sort of like chivalry. But I am a fan of 18th and 19th century literature, and I maintain that one can read (or listen to) and appreciate this literature and use a filter to understand and appreciate the historical reality, and use it to remind us that though there has been progress in some places regarding some groups of people, the world still has much to improve in the realm of respect for people who are different from us. These bits of misguided attitude towards "the other" or towards women can serve as an exercise in increasing sensitivity.

Wonderful classic

I only wish I had read this sooner! Wonderful adventure story! Would highly recommend this book to anyone seeking adventure