Around the World in Eighty Days (Le tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours) was published by Pierre-Jules Hetzel in 1873 after serialization in Le Temps. Phileas Fogg, an enigmatic English gentleman of rigid habits and vast wealth, wagers twenty thousand pounds at his London club that he can travel around the world in eighty days. Accompanied by his newly hired French valet Passepartout, Fogg departs London and travels east — by rail across Europe, by steamer through the Suez Canal, by train across India (and elephant through the jungle), by ship across the Pacific, and by rail across America — while being pursued by Detective Fix, who believes Fogg is a bank robber fleeing with stolen money.
The novel was a sensation in its own time — readers followed Fogg’s progress in real time as the story was serialized — and it captured the Victorian optimism about technology and global connectivity. Steamships, railroads, and the recently opened Suez Canal had for the first time made it physically possible to circumnavigate the globe in a matter of weeks, and Verne’s novel celebrated this achievement while dramatizing its fragility.
Collecting Around the World in Eighty Days
First edition in French (Hetzel, Paris, 1873): Hetzel cartonnage binding.
Market values:
- Hetzel first edition (cartonnage), fine: $3,000–$8,000
- First English edition (Sampson Low, 1874): $500–$2,000
- Illustrated editions: $50–$500
Projected values (2026–2036): Strong appreciation. Verne’s most famous novel.
The Wager
Phileas Fogg, a meticulous English gentleman, bets £20,000 that he can circumnavigate the globe in eighty days. With his French valet Passepartout, he travels by steamer, railway, elephant, and wind-powered sledge, pursued by a detective who believes Fogg is a bank robber. Published in 1872, the novel captured the excitement of an era when new railways, steamship lines, and the Suez Canal were shrinking the world. Fogg’s mechanical precision (he times every connection to the minute) is Verne’s tribute to the age of industrial modernity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Hetzel editions? Pierre-Jules Hetzel was Verne’s publisher, and the original Hetzel editions — published in Paris with distinctive illustrated bindings (red and gold cartonnage) — are the most collectible Verne items. First Hetzel editions of major titles command prices in the thousands. The bindings were designed by Hetzel and are works of art in themselves.