Hello, my name is Kiley, and welcome to "Intro to Around the World in 80 Days."
In this video, you will learn about the fascinating life of the French author
Jules Verne and one of his famous stories. Ready to take an adventure around the world? Let's go!
"Around the World in 80 Days" is an adventure novel by the French writer
Jules Verne. Published in 1873, it was originally published in the French language.
Verne was born in 1828 on a man-made island in the middle of the Loire River in Nantes, France.
His father Pierre was a lawyer. His mother Sophie was a housewife, as was the custom for the time.
At 6 years old, Verne was sent to boarding school.
There, an older lady, Madame Sambin, was his teacher and main caretaker. She was a widow,
although she often told the students that her husband, who was a ship's captain, would return
one day. She believed he was shipwrecked. She compared his disappearance with the story
"Robinson Crusoe," by Daniel Defoe, and would tell tales from the book aloud to her pupils.
"Robinson Crusoe" is a collection of true, or mostly true, tales of a castaway who spent
28 years shipwrecked on a deserted island. He had many adventures and survived.
Verne, like many of her pupils, was fascinated by these stories. Verne would go on to write
several adventure stories, including "Around the World in 80 Days." It is thought that his
writing was influenced by the stories he heard from Madame Sambin when she would retell them.
Outside of school, he also spent time with his uncle, Prudent Allotte, who was a retired ship
owner. Like his school mistress, his uncle would entertain him with the stories of
adventure on the high seas. He enjoyed playing an interesting board game called "Game of the Goose."
This is a dice game, very much like modern board games.
Verne spent a lot of time in his family's vacation house on the Loire River,
and he was fascinated by boats and by ships.
There is an amazing legend that is often told about
Jules Verne. Historians aren't sure if it is true, but it is interesting to think about nonetheless.
The legend says that Verne was hired on as a cabin boy at 22 years old on a ship to
travel to the Indies, near the Philippines. That is almost 7,000 miles away by ship.
The journey would have taken several months. Besides that, he apparently didn't
ask for permission from his father. Supposedly, his father caught wind of the plan just before
young Verne was to leave port and made him promise to only take such adventures in his imagination.
After an adventurous childhood, becoming a lawyer, and traveling, Jules Verne went on to write
several amazing tales of adventure. He is thought of as the father of the genre science fiction.
Some of his other works include "Journey to the Center of the Earth,"
written in 1864, and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" was written in 1870.
Verne wrote "Around the World in 80 Days" in 1873. It tells the tale of an English man named Phileas
Fogg, who travels around the world in a race. He does so on a bet of 20,000 British pounds, which,
in today's money, would equal about 2 million U.S. dollars. In the book, Verne details every
part of Phileas' journey: his adventures, the people he meets, and the difficulties that he
faces. I wonder if he makes it all the way around the world? If he does, did he make it in 80 days?
"Around the World in 80 Days" was written during difficult times.
Verne was actually drafted into the French Coast Guard during the Franco-Prussian War,
his father had just passed away, and he witnessed a public execution... ugh,
oh my! Despite the tough times in his life, Verne loved to write, and writing "Around
the World in 80 Days" brought him great pleasure and a way to escape his hardships.
"Around the World in 80 Days" became one of Jules Verne's most beloved stories,
and it is still in publications today. It has been translated into dozens of different languages,
has been made into countless plays, movies, television shows, games,
and even carnival rides. You can find copies of "Around the World in 80 Days" at your local
library and online. Be sure to also play our fun online games and quizzes about this amazing story.
Now have fun traveling the world with Phileas and his 80-day adventure.
Along the way, remember to always be clever!