A delightful, albeit problematic, adventure story. Undeniably imperialist in its core -- in the technological praises of British colonialism and at least two specific incidents involving 'savage' natives -- yet, I do think the book is actually a bit more critical in certain details than it obviously seems. Certainly, Phileas Fogg, as the quintessential English gentleman, is always portrayed as polite, generous, and honorable, but he is also noted as a man who has absolute zero interest in the people, food, customs, history, even the landscapes of all these countries that he travels to. It is, instead, the loveable servant Passepartout who truly observes, engages, and experiences these cultures of the world, as the reader does along with him.

P.S. Don't trust any edition with a hot air balloon on the cover.