Three angels, or "daimons," or maybe neutrinos--who may also have been the Three Wise Men--"drop" into several of these stories via their steam balloon, the Jules Verne. They bring messages from the "Consiliarii," but who are they? A council of heavenly spirits? The Force? A code name for God? And what might their message be? Could it be as simple as "All you need is love"? Maybe. Davenport ranges from ancient Greece to a somewhat contemporary Denmark; from Christian theology and ancient philosophy to pubescent phallocentrism and drug overdose. "The Jules Verne Steam Balloon" is perplexing and enlightening, humorous and melancholy, and vibrant with life and the joy of living it. These stories move as only Davenport's fiction does, as full of "fact" as of "fiction," as full of life in the body and in the world as of philosophical discourse and natural science. And--oh,yes! be warned--accompanied by much doffing of undergarments.

Although critics continue to debate whether Jules Verne's work is "true" science fiction (SF), rather than scientific romance, Verne is widely credited as one of the founders of the genre and in the popular imagination, he and SF are seen as largely synonomous. Verne has received renewed attention since the publication in 1994 of his "Paris au Vingtieme Siecle", and this has highlighted his importance as a key commentator on the anguishes of modernity. Arthur B. Evans provides a detailed account of the relationship between Verne and the French literary canon, demonstrating the "now-ineluctable trend towards rehabilitation and literary canonization". Daniel Compere exmines narrative technique, versimilitude, defamiliarization, naturalization and dialogism in Verne's work, while Timothy Unwin develops the enquiry into the nature of the Vernian text in discussing the role of science and textual repetition. The interface between realism, utopianism and SF in a number of Verne's novels is investigated by Sarah Capitano.

I meant to give the book 5 stars in the original review, but I missed that. The book should be given a five-star rating.

Is a men who makes a bet to a group of partners of the Reform Club in London and he has to do the trip over the world in 80 days Can he made it?

The plot centers around a farm owner of Iquitos, Joam Garral. He has his wife Yaquita, his son Benito, and his daughter Minha living with him. Minha is going to be married to Benito's friend Manoel Valdez. They want the wedding to take place in Belem, Brazil, but Joam doesn't want to go into Brazil. To appease Minha and Yaquita, however, he agrees to go. A giant raft is built, and a barber found in the woods also accompanies them. He is called Fragoso, and he seems to be attracted to a young servant named Lina. Eventually, they wind up in Brazil, where they meet a crafty character, Torres. Torres is a favorite of mine because he is bold and daring and has a big impact on the story. He gets passage to Manaus, but keeps to himself. Eventually, due to some of the past, Torres is kicked off the raft, and Joam gets arrested. Joam's past is revealed, and I imagine you would be surprised as I am of Joam's past. The Manaus judge, Vincente Jarriquez, is not a nice man. But, he tries to help Joam in any way possible to get the information Torres knows about Joam, which is in the form of a cryptogram. Judge Jarriquez is a puzzle person, however, but even he is left nonplussed about the document. And Torres isn't telling, and I'm not telling why. I would say in this story that Joam, Benito and Manoel are men of action, Fragoso is the man of humor, and Judge Jarriquez is the man of knowledge. Humor, action, and knowledge are most often found in Verne's novels. This one is no exception. One warning: this book is rare and fairly expensive if you want a good copy. Good luck if you want to solve the great Cryptogram of Verne. (You'll need it, big time.)

"80 days around the world" is a wonderful trip that will take you north and south, east and west where you will see the colors, hear the anthems and taste the way of life of 1000 different cultures!

MillsHughes@compuserve.com from UK

I read this a long time ago (during many hours of school detention) after seeing a TV adaptation when I was a kid. All I can say is that it was a great read and it is well worth seeking out if you can find it.

Realmente es un libro excelente, narra una historia fascinante que te va envolviendo durante el transcurso de la misma, ademas se aprende acerca de las costumbres rusas y también narra parte de la historia de Rusia viendolo todo desde el punto de vista del protagonista Miguel Strogoff. Recuerdo que lei este libro por primera vez a los 12 años y desde entonces lo he vuelto a leer como 6 veces mas, es simplemente uno de mis libros preferidos. Se los recomiendo, ya que trae aventura, traición, lealtad, etc. Van a quedar encantados del protagonista Miguel Strogoff, que en la historia es el correo especial del zar de Rusia que tiene que llevar a cabo una importante misión al tener que cruzar la estepa siberiana para entregar una carta de la cual depende el destino de Siberia, no les puede seguir contando, así que leanlo.

The two books of the "Steam House" series: "The Demon of Cawnpore" and "Tigers and Traitors", are set in the British Indian Empire following the Great Mutiny. The centerpiece of the entire series is Behemoth, a massive steam powered locomotive resembling an elephant pulling two luxury railway-like cars behind it. Would be considered a perfect example of the 'steampunk' genre if written today. The story follows the travels of some British officers across the Indian subcontinent and the various sights they see and the fights they have. Some of Verne's best work, and prophetic if one believes this to be a vision of RVs to come.