Around the World in Eighty Days. Junior Deluxe Edition

In Short

A wealthy, exactingly precise London gentleman named Phileas Fogg bets his fellow club members twenty thousand pounds that he can travel around the earth in eighty days. Accompanied by his acrobatic French manservant, Passepartout, Fogg races across oceans and continents using steamers, trains, and even an elephant. Along the way, he is tailed by Detective Fix, who suspects him of robbing the Bank of England. The novel has endured because it pairs a thrilling, clock-defying plot with a charmingly improbable romance and an affectionate portrait of human adaptability across a rapidly interconnecting nineteenth-century world.

The Story

The story opens in London, where the imperturbable Phileas Fogg spends his days regulated down to the minute. During a game of cards at the Reform Club, a debate arises regarding a bank robbery and the shrinking size of the world thanks to modern railways and steamships. Fogg maintains that a person can circle the globe in eighty days, and when his companions express disbelief, he wagers twenty thousand pounds—half his fortune—that he can complete the journey and return to the club by eight forty-five in the evening on December twenty-first. Taking the remaining half of his fortune in a carpetbag to cover travel expenses, Fogg instantly departs with his newly hired French valet, Jean Passepartout.

Their route takes them through Suez, where Detective Fix joins the trail. Having received a description of the bank robber that matches Fogg, Fix becomes convinced Fogg is fleeing justice and vows to follow him until a imperial arrest warrant arrives. Crossing India, the travelers discover that a crucial stretch of railway remains unbuilt. Undeterred, Fogg buys an elephant at an exorbitant price to trek through the jungle. En route, they stumble upon a widow, Aouda, about to be sacrificed in a local rite; Passepartout courageously rescues her, and she joins their party.

As the journey continues through Hong Kong, Japan, and across the Pacific Ocean to San Francisco, obstacles pile up. Fix constantly attempts to delay Fogg, going so far as to drug Passepartout in an opium den to separate him from his master. Nevertheless, Fogg hires private pilot boats, boards transpacific steamers, and secures passage on the American Pacific Railroad. While crossing the American West, the train is attacked by Sioux warriors; Passepartout bravely uncouples the engine to save the passengers, but is taken prisoner, forcing Fogg to delay his journey to rescue his servant.

Reaching New York only to find the last transatlantic steamer gone, Fogg charters a trading vessel and burns its wooden fittings for fuel when coal runs short, reaching Liverpool with mere hours to spare. However, upon landing on English soil, Fix arrests him. Detained in the Custom House, Fogg learns hours later that the real robber was caught days earlier. Released, a ruined Fogg rushes to London by special train, but arrives five minutes late.

Dejected, Fogg sits in his home believing he has lost everything. Aouda proposes marriage to comfort him, and Fogg joyfully accepts. When Passepartout is dispatched to arrange a clergyman for the wedding, he realizes that by traveling eastward across the international date line, the group gained a full day. Realizing his error with seconds to spare, Fogg rushes to the Reform Club, arriving just in time to win the bet.

How It Unfolds

The wager is struck Phileas Fogg engages in a quiet debate at the Reform Club over a bank robbery, asserting that modern transport makes a global circuit possible in eighty days. He bets twenty thousand pounds on his claim and leaves London that very night with his surprised valet, Passepartout.

Shadowed at Suez Reaching the Red Sea, Fogg is spotted by Detective Fix, who mistakes the quiet gentleman for a fleeing bank robber. Fix resolves to follow Fogg, waiting impatiently for an official arrest warrant to intercept him on English territory.

Riding through India When the Indian railway abruptly ends, Fogg purchases an elephant to traverse the forest, where his party rescues Aouda from a tragic fate on a funeral pyre. Despite incurring huge expenses and bail costs in Calcutta, Fogg presses forward onto the ocean.

Separation in Hong Kong Determined to halt Fogg until his warrant arrives, Fix tricks Passepartout into getting drunk in an opium den, causing the servant to board the steamship to Yokohama alone while his master misses it. Unfazed, Fogg charters a small pilot boat to Shanghai to catch the connection.

Crossing the American plains Reunited in Japan, the group sails to San Francisco and boards the transcontinental railroad, facing snowstorms and an attack by Sioux warriors. Passepartout heroically saves the train by disconnecting the engine, but Fogg must stall his schedule to rescue his captured servant.

An arrest at Liverpool After buying and burning parts of a steamship to reach England on time, Fogg steps ashore at Liverpool, only to be arrested immediately by Fix. Though cleared hours later, Fogg believes he has reached London too late and lost his fortune.

A gain of twenty-four hours Facing financial ruin, Fogg accepts Aouda's proposal of marriage, prompting Passepartout to seek a clergyman. The valet discovers they gained a day by traveling east, allowing Fogg to dash to the Reform Club and claim victory in the final seconds.

The People

• Phileas Fogg wants above all to accomplish what he set out to do, maintaining utter composure regardless of circumstances. Standing in his way are unpredictable weather, missed connections, geographical hurdles, and an unexpected arrest. By the end of his ordeal, his cold, mathematical lifestyle yields to genuine human warmth, as he realizes that winning the love of a devoted companion is worth far more than winning a wager.

• Jean Passepartout wants to serve his new master faithfully and live a quiet life after years of chaotic work as an acrobat and firefighter. His loyalty is tested by his own blunders—such as losing his shoes in a pagoda or getting drugged in Hong Kong—and by Detective Fix's manipulations. He grows from a well-meaning, easily distracted comedic servant into a hero whose agility and brave devotion repeatedly save his companions' lives.

• Detective Fix wants to perform his duty by arresting the man he believes robbed the Bank of England, hungering for the glory and financial reward offered by Scotland Yard. His goal is thwarted by the lack of a valid warrant outside British territories and Fogg's relentless momentum. Though he acts as the primary antagonist, his remorse upon realizing his error reveals a man driven by mistake rather than malice.

• Aouda wants safety and a peaceful life after being saved from death in the Indian forest. Her primary obstacle is the danger of being recaptured or abandoned far from home. As she travels with Fogg, her gratitude turns into deep affection, ultimately leading her to offer him her heart when he believes himself penniless.

In Its Own Voice

"The world has grown smaller, since a man can now go round it ten times more quickly than a hundred years ago."

Phileas Fogg quietly offers this rationale during a game of whist at the Reform Club, establishing the central premise of his attempt to travel around the world in eighty days.

"A detective on the track of Mr. Fogg, accused of robbing the Bank of England! Pshaw! Mr. Fogg is no more a robber than I am a murderer."

Passepartout reflects on Detective Fix's pursuit while on board the steamship, fiercely dismissing the notion that his honorable master could be guilty of a crime.

"He divided the one thousand pounds that remained between Passepartout and the unfortunate Fix, against whom he cherished no grudge."

Following his triumph at the Reform Club, Fogg demonstrates his inherent generosity by sharing what remains of his travel funds with his valet and the detective who pursued him.

What It's Really About

Beneath its energetic adventure plot, the novel explores the victory of human ingenuity over physical space and time, set against the backdrop of an increasingly modern world. It contrasts the rigid, mechanical discipline of Phileas Fogg with the unpredictable, chaotic nature of the world he travels through. The story argues that while punctuality, money, and modern engineering can bridge vast distances, they are meaningless without human connection, duty, and courage. Fogg's voyage begins as a cold mathematical exercise, but it succeeds only through spontaneous acts of heroism, loyalty, and self-sacrifice. Ultimately, the narrative highlights how the true value of any journey lies not in overcoming geography or winning a financial bet, but in opening oneself up to love and companionship.

Why Read It Today

This classic remains a joy for readers who love high-spirited adventure, ingenious plot twists, and rich historical atmosphere. Reading it feels like embarking on a fast-paced tour of a bygone world, where steamships, trains, and carpetbags represented the cutting edge of global travel. What lingers longest is the warm dynamic among the main characters: Fogg's hilarious, unflappable calm when faced with crisis, Passepartout's vibrant enthusiasm and acrobatic heroics, and the quiet dignity of Aouda.

Modern readers should be aware that the book is very much a product of its era. It presents mid-nineteenth-century British imperial attitudes and includes outdated terminology, exoticized depictions of native cultures, and colonial perspectives that can feel jarring today. Additionally, the middle chapters move at a rapid pace dominated by transport logistics and railway routes. Yet, for those willing to engage with its historical context, the novel offers an irresistible blend of humor, charm, and pure narrative momentum that celebrates the spirit of adventure.