Around the world in 80 days - Book Review

This is a adventure based and science-fiction story written by an author called Jules Verne about a guy called Phileas Fogg traveling around the world in 80 days. He was one of the most prominent members of the London Reform Club. On the very day he hire a new servant Passepartout, Phileas Fogg bets half his fortune that he can travel around the globe in eighty days with the members in the club. Immediately, the pairs set off on a race against time that will see them either win fame and fortune or face obscurity and ruin.

Before they start their absurd journey, there was a bank robbing happened not long before the departure of Phileas Fogg who was then quite popular in his names in the newspaper indicating his impossible journey. So, here comes a detective, named Fix. He then suspected Phileas Fogg for the man who robbed the bank. Unfortunately, such coincidence that Phileas Fogg start his journey right after the case of robbing. And so, Fix the detective claimed that Fogg was undertaking the tour around the world on the pretext of a wager. Thus, Fix requested a warrant of arrest without delay to Bombay.

To assure Phileas Fogg to be arrested, Fix kept on track with him and consequently search opportunities to delay Phileas Fogg and his servant, Passepartout to get the warrant in Bombay to arrest them. Fix tried to approach Passepartout and be friend with him to gain his convidence and also seeking details about his master from him.

In India, Phileas Fogg saved a woman that would be force to sacrifice for her husband who died. The woman was to be burned alive for the ceremony. But the man of heart-Phileas Fogg decided to save her as he had twelve extra hours to spare during his journey. The woman was successfully saved by Fogg and she decided to follow Fogg to a safer place where she could land. The woman was Mrs. Aouda.

On the way, suddenly the detective Fix who continuously set obstacles on Fogg’s journey turned his objectives. He decided to sort of assist Fogg and make him reached London without delay so that he could arrest him in English ground. Passepartout who then knew that Fix was a detective and tracking them along the way bet with him that Phileas Fogg was an honest man and not a robber. The journey then continued with different exciting obstacles and a rush against time.

My favourite character in this story is the guy called Passepartout. I loved him because he was quite humorous and foolish (in the sense of funny).One time, He left a burning gas in his room and the expense of wasted gas will be docked from his salary. Every day along the journey, he was always worrying about the gas expenses. He was also very brave when rescuing Aouda. Besides, he was quite friendly towards the people around him such as Mr. Fix, the Frenchman and Aouda. He also expose to lot of strange things like get trapped or left behind which makes him a interesting role to find out. The greatest admiration of me in him was his loyalty. Along the journey, he plays a critical role, saving and companioned Fogg during the tough journey. Thus, without a loyal servant like Passepartout, Fogg would not have make it through the journey.

Kidnapped - Book Review

Kidnapped is a novel about a young man known as David Balfour. His parents have recently died and he was to stay alone .He received a letter from Mr. Campbell and was told to deliver it to the House of Shaws in Cramond, where David's uncle, Ebenezer Balfour, lives. During his journey, David seek help from people to find the location of the House of Shaws and he was been told that it was a place that filled with fear.

When David arrives at the house, he was confronted with his uncle. He was allowed to stay after he handed the letter to his uncle. Once, his uncle asked him to get a chest from the top of a tower in the house, but he refuses to provide David a lamp or candle. In the tower, he realizes that it was unfinished in some places and the steps was dangerous as well. David later found out that his uncle intended to make him dead to prevent him giving over his inheritance.

On the next day, a cabin boy, Ransome, arrives at the house of Shaw, and told Ebenezer that Captain Hoseason wanted to meet him. Ebenezer then took David with him to meet Hoseason. Leaving his uncle alone, he went to visit the docks with Ransome. Suddenly, David was struck by something on the dock and went unconscious. When he woke up, he found out he was kidnapped! On the dock, he was weak and sick due to lack of food. He also met some guy called, Mr. Riach, Mr.Shuan, Hoseason and of course Ransomes.

One day, they strike a small boat and all of the crew on boat was killed except one man, Alan Breck . Alan tried to be reasonable to the captain, Hoseason and he offered the captain money to take him to somewhere but until he acknowledged by David that Hoseason planned to kill him. He then with David armed with guns and swords prepared to defense themselves. At the end, they defeated five crews on dock and the others refused to continue fighting.

Hoseason has no choice but to give Alan and David passage back to the mainland. Soon, David and Alan are separated with David being washed ashore on the isle of Erraid near Mull, while Alan and the others row to the same island. David had a few days exploring alone in the island . Eventually, David found that Alan and other crews had survived.

Alan and David then began their flight avoid been seen from English soldiers day by day. As David and Alan continue their flight, David becomes more ill. On their way, they met a lawyer of David.s uncle who agrees to help David to gain back his inheritance and after which the story of David is revealed .It was said that his father and uncle had once quarrelled over a woman, and the older Balfour had married her; informally giving the estate to his brother while living as an impoverished school teacher with his wife. And so David was provided two-thirds of the estate's income for as long as his uncle survived and the novel ended with Alan going to France and David went to the back to settle his fortune.

My favourite character in this novel is Alan because he was courageous and was considered a hero to David as he always intended to help David to across different obstacles with all his might. And also he was very kind and friendly too, on the first day David met Alan. The two of them was very cooperative fighting against the crews of captain Hoseason and they got along very easily too.