Muses of Murari

Around the world in eighty days. A Charming novel.

I picked up this book, once I saw the author’s name on it, Jules Verne. I still remember reading his other brilliant book, “Twenty thousand  leagues under the sea”. When I first read “Twenty thousand …”, I was simply blown away. Verne written a masterpiece. A great science fiction. No wonder he is considered father of science fiction.

Coming to the topic, “Around the world…” is about a rich person taking up a challenge of going around the world in just eighty days. At the start of the journey, he is accompanied by his servant, later by a cop who chases him till the end assuming the latter as a robber and by an Indian lady, whom he later marries. He uses various means to travel such as steamers, trains, boats and even elephants!

During this travel, hero faces various obstacles. Once, he tries to cover the distance between two Indian cities by an elephant ride. In meantime, he rescues an Indian lady, who were about to be sacrificed on her husband’s funeral pyre. And he later gets arrested in Calcutta for a charge, inspired by a chasing cop. And he misses steamer in Hong Kong and tries to cover the distance by a boat. The train, in which he travels in USA, gets attacked by a local bandit and due to which his servant goes missing. He saves his servant and in meantime he loses precious hours. And at the end, he gets arrested for a false charge of roberry in England and later released after several hours and eventually he loses his bet. And after that, there is a twist that ends the story in a happy note.

The way the author pins the story by introducing many obstacles, twists gives a pleasure reading. And also author did assiduous work, maintaining the nature of the character intact and true, throughout the episode. For example, posing the protagonist as unassuming, unemotional, strong, ethical, kind and tranquil character. And the lady as beautiful, always adoring the main character and the servant as mischief, loyal and troublesome nature.

I couldn’t keep the book down till I finished reading it. Nostalgic. Pure read. Go ahead and assimilate it with joy.

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