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Quick answer: If you loved Around the World in Eighty Days, try Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Treasure Island, Three Men in a Boat, King Solomon's Mines, Eighty Days by Matthew Goodman and Around the World in Seventy-Two Days. They share Jules Verne's pace, wonder and sense of adventure.
Jules Verne's 1872 novel is a race: Phileas Fogg bets that he can circle the globe in 80 days, with his servant Passepartout and a detective chasing him. Readers who love it look for adventure, travel and the pleasure of a bet against time. These 15 books include classic adventures, real travel accounts and the true story of Nellie Bly's own race around the world.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea | Jules Verne | Adult | more Verne |
| Treasure Island | Robert Louis Stevenson | 10+ | readers who want pure adventure |
| The Count of Monte Cristo | Alexandre Dumas | Adult | readers who want a big epic |
| Three Men in a Boat | Jerome K. Jerome | Adult | readers who like comedy |
| King Solomon's Mines | H. Rider Haggard | Adult | readers who like lost-world stories |
| The Prisoner of Zenda | Anthony Hope | Adult | readers who love swordplay |
| Kidnapped | Robert Louis Stevenson | 10+ | readers who like chases |
| Eighty Days | Matthew Goodman | Adult | readers who want true stories |
| Around the World in Seventy-Two Days | Nellie Bly | Adult | readers who like primary sources |
| The Great Railway Bazaar | Paul Theroux | Adult | travel writing fans |
| In Patagonia | Bruce Chatwin | Adult | readers who like literary travel |
| Following the Equator | Mark Twain | Adult | readers who like Twain |
| Travels with Charley | John Steinbeck | Adult | readers who love road trips |
| The Hobbit | J.R.R. Tolkien | 10+ | readers who like fantasy |
| Shōgun | James Clavell | Adult | readers who want a long journey |
1. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Professor Aronnax joins Captain Nemo aboard the submarine Nautilus. Another Verne classic, with great scenes and fine ideas.
Best for: more Verne.
2. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Jim Hawkins finds a treasure map and sails with Long John Silver. The pirate adventure that set the pattern.
Best for: readers who want pure adventure.
3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Edmond Dantès escapes prison and takes revenge in a long, thrilling saga. Perfect if you like big stories.
Best for: readers who want a big epic.
4. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Three friends and a dog take a boat trip up the Thames. A 1889 comic classic and a great antidote to heavy adventure.
Best for: readers who like comedy.
5. King Solomon's Mines by H. Rider Haggard
Allan Quatermain leads an expedition into Africa to find a lost treasure. A foundational adventure novel, with outdated attitudes.
Best for: readers who like lost-world stories.
6. The Prisoner of Zenda by Anthony Hope
An Englishman who looks like the king of Ruritania takes his place. A swashbuckling classic.
Best for: readers who love swordplay.
7. Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
David Balfour is kidnapped and swept into the Jacobite conflicts of Scotland. Fast and vivid.
Best for: readers who like chases.
8. Eighty Days by Matthew Goodman
The real race of 1889 between reporters Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland to circle the world. Fascinating nonfiction.
Best for: readers who want true stories.
9. Around the World in Seventy-Two Days by Nellie Bly
Bly's own account of her trip, in which she beat Fogg's fictional record. Lively and surprising.
Best for: readers who like primary sources.
10. The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux
Theroux travels by train through Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Sharp, funny and observant.
Best for: travel writing fans.
11. In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin
Chatwin wanders through the far south of South America, collecting odd stories. Short, elegant and strange.
Best for: readers who like literary travel.
12. Following the Equator by Mark Twain
Twain's world tour in 1895-96 as a lecturer, with plenty of humor and some darker observations.
Best for: readers who like Twain.
13. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
Steinbeck tours America with his poodle in a camper. Warm and wry.
Best for: readers who love road trips.
14. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Bilbo leaves home with thirteen dwarves on a journey. A classic of travel and adventure.
Best for: readers who like fantasy.
15. Shōgun by James Clavell
An English navigator is shipwrecked in feudal Japan and caught in a power struggle. A huge, absorbing adventure.
Best for: readers who want a long journey.
How to Choose
For more Verne, start with Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. For classic action, choose Treasure Island or The Count of Monte Cristo. For comedy on the water, try Three Men in a Boat. For real stories of world travel, read Eighty Days and Around the World in Seventy-Two Days. Some Victorian adventures include views about race and empire that readers today may find hard.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Was Around the World in Eighty Days based on a real trip?
Verne's story is fiction, but the real Nellie Bly set out in 1889 to beat Fogg's record and finished in 72 days.
Is it a good book for kids?
Yes. Many translations are suitable for ages 10 and up, though the language can be formal.
Which translation is best?
Look for a modern translation, such as the Oxford World's Classics edition, for smoother reading.
How long is it?
About 250 pages in most editions, making it a quick classic.