Around the World in Eighty Days (French Edition)

The novel tells the story of an English gentleman, Phileas Fogg, who bets he can circumnavigate the world in 80 days.

He is accompanied by Jean Passepartout, his French valet. The entire novel is a skillful blend of travelogue (traditional for Jules Verne) and scientific data, such as that used for the novel's climactic twist.

This extraordinary journey is made possible by the transport revolution that marked the 19th century and the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution.

The appearance of new modes of transport (railways, steamships) and the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 shortened distances, or at least the time needed to cover them.