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Around the World in 72 Days
Originally published in 1890 in book form, the text was based on Nellie Bly's newspaper articles for the New York World. In 1889, Bly went around the world as a journalism "stunt" to beat the fictional record of Jules Verne's Phileas Fogg -- and even made a stop in France to meet Verne. Since no cover image has shown up for this edition, shown is an 1890s advertising card with Nellie Bly belting up the world.
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1890
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About the author
Nellie Bly
102 books261 followersNellie Bly (1864-1922) was the pen name of pioneer female journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochran. She remains notable for two feats: a record-breaking trip around the world, in emulation of Jules Verne's character Phileas Fogg (Bly completed the trip in seventy-two days) and an exposé, in which she faked insanity to study a mental institution from within. In addition to her writing, she was also an industrialist and charity worker. Bly died of pneumonia at St. Mark's Hospital in New York City in 1922 aged 57.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
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June 10, 2020
This account of trailblazing woman journalist Nellie Bly's 1889 attempt to beat fictional Phileas Fogg's record, of travelling Around the World in Eighty Days in Jules Verne's novel, was a fun book to listen to on my daily walks the past week or so, although there's more to it than that, and Mary Reagan's narration for the LibriVox edition was superb.
A great deal of Bly's trip was spent in the company of others travelling on the same ships and trains that she was taking and she shares amusing accounts of them, from an American family on her transatlantic ship whose dog was named "Home, Sweet Home" but called "Homie" for short, to a fellow passenger who sued the Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Line for the cost of hotel accommodations due to the ship arriving in Hong Kong two days early.
Some reviewers are disappointed that she doesn't treat in more detail with the people and cultures of the places she visited. Keeping in mind that she had one day's notice that she was going on the trip for her employer, Joseph Pulitzer's New York World, and that she was racing against the calendar so spent as little time as possible in any port, I think she did better than could be expected on this count.
She describes a charming meeting with Jules Verne and his wife at their home in Amiens, France, during which he marked her itinerary on a wall-mounted map that displayed Phileas Fogg's fictional journey. In addition to a very descriptive account of travelling through the Suez Canal, she provides a detailed report on its construction, noting that it was claimed that 100,000 workers died on the project.
Colombo, Ceylon seemed to her more beautiful than Newport, Rhode Island. Here, she tensely watched a snake charmer who successfully re-captured his cobra when it attacked him rather than danced, complaining that it was "too fresh". She found Hong Kong to be filthy and spent Christmas Day in Canton touring an execution ground, a court's torture chamber, and a leper colony, upset that one of the coolies that carried her chair distracted her because she could tell he was uncomfortable.
On her last foreign stop, she found paradise. She said that if she ever loved and got married, she would desert her native America for "Japan, the land of love - beauty - poetry - cleanliness." In Yokohama, Japanese children "always look happy and never seem to quarrel or cry." She is smitten by the Geisha girls who, upon her leaving after their performance, did her the honor of pressing "their soft, pouting lips to mine in parting". In a pretty blunt comparison, Bly opines that: "the Japanese are the most delightful of people, the Chinese the most disagreeable."
Which is a convenient segue to another criticism of the book, i.e. its racism. There's no getting around that Bly sees the world through the conventional lens of American racism of the time. While I would have noted the racism, but moved on from it pretty quickly in the past, I can't let it go that easily as I process the meaning of George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police two weeks ago. This book entertained me, but parts of it also bothered me, and, if you read it, I hope they bother you, too.
A great deal of Bly's trip was spent in the company of others travelling on the same ships and trains that she was taking and she shares amusing accounts of them, from an American family on her transatlantic ship whose dog was named "Home, Sweet Home" but called "Homie" for short, to a fellow passenger who sued the Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Line for the cost of hotel accommodations due to the ship arriving in Hong Kong two days early.
Some reviewers are disappointed that she doesn't treat in more detail with the people and cultures of the places she visited. Keeping in mind that she had one day's notice that she was going on the trip for her employer, Joseph Pulitzer's New York World, and that she was racing against the calendar so spent as little time as possible in any port, I think she did better than could be expected on this count.
She describes a charming meeting with Jules Verne and his wife at their home in Amiens, France, during which he marked her itinerary on a wall-mounted map that displayed Phileas Fogg's fictional journey. In addition to a very descriptive account of travelling through the Suez Canal, she provides a detailed report on its construction, noting that it was claimed that 100,000 workers died on the project.
Colombo, Ceylon seemed to her more beautiful than Newport, Rhode Island. Here, she tensely watched a snake charmer who successfully re-captured his cobra when it attacked him rather than danced, complaining that it was "too fresh". She found Hong Kong to be filthy and spent Christmas Day in Canton touring an execution ground, a court's torture chamber, and a leper colony, upset that one of the coolies that carried her chair distracted her because she could tell he was uncomfortable.
On her last foreign stop, she found paradise. She said that if she ever loved and got married, she would desert her native America for "Japan, the land of love - beauty - poetry - cleanliness." In Yokohama, Japanese children "always look happy and never seem to quarrel or cry." She is smitten by the Geisha girls who, upon her leaving after their performance, did her the honor of pressing "their soft, pouting lips to mine in parting". In a pretty blunt comparison, Bly opines that: "the Japanese are the most delightful of people, the Chinese the most disagreeable."
Which is a convenient segue to another criticism of the book, i.e. its racism. There's no getting around that Bly sees the world through the conventional lens of American racism of the time. While I would have noted the racism, but moved on from it pretty quickly in the past, I can't let it go that easily as I process the meaning of George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police two weeks ago. This book entertained me, but parts of it also bothered me, and, if you read it, I hope they bother you, too.
June 15, 2018
3.5 ⭐️ Encantada de haber conocido a esta intrépida y valiente periodista pionera que fue Nellie Bly, admirable por su arrojo, confianza en si misma y sobre todo por negarse a aceptar que el papel de una mujer tuviera que limitarse al ámbito doméstico y familiar, que denunció las condiciones de trabajadoras de fábricas dando voz a las mujeres en lucha por una igualdad lo que la convierte en un referente feminista.
Mi parte preferida y destacable del libro es sin duda, la entrevista que le realizó a la interesante Belva Lockwood, candidata a la elecciones presidenciales estadounidenses, que además de política, era abogada, activista por la paz y educadora feminista, y de su vuelta al mundo en la que no profundiza más allá de ir narrando la ruta que sigue y qué hace durante el transcurso de su estancia en cada país, más como una especie de diario de navegación, me gustó cuando se encuentra en Japón. Una cosa que me pilló muy por sorpresa de esta parte del libro dedicada al viaje es la falta más absoluta de empatía que se le detecta hacia otras culturas.
Deseando leer Ochenta días de Matthew Goodman para conocer con más detalle su carrera contra reloj en la que batió el récord ficticio de Phileas Fogg.
Nellie seguiría, a día de hoy, en su salsa y feliz cubriendo directos en tv como reportera, e infiltrada destapando injusticias sociales, vistiendo una Belstaff y con un móvil al lado de ese su frasco de crema facial dentro de, una mochila esta vez, o así me la imagino yo :D
Mi parte preferida y destacable del libro es sin duda, la entrevista que le realizó a la interesante Belva Lockwood, candidata a la elecciones presidenciales estadounidenses, que además de política, era abogada, activista por la paz y educadora feminista, y de su vuelta al mundo en la que no profundiza más allá de ir narrando la ruta que sigue y qué hace durante el transcurso de su estancia en cada país, más como una especie de diario de navegación, me gustó cuando se encuentra en Japón. Una cosa que me pilló muy por sorpresa de esta parte del libro dedicada al viaje es la falta más absoluta de empatía que se le detecta hacia otras culturas.
Deseando leer Ochenta días de Matthew Goodman para conocer con más detalle su carrera contra reloj en la que batió el récord ficticio de Phileas Fogg.
Nellie seguiría, a día de hoy, en su salsa y feliz cubriendo directos en tv como reportera, e infiltrada destapando injusticias sociales, vistiendo una Belstaff y con un móvil al lado de ese su frasco de crema facial dentro de, una mochila esta vez, o así me la imagino yo :D
January 16, 2025
“Preferirei morire e vincere piuttosto che restare viva e arrivare tardi”.
New York a Londra, poi Calais, Brindisi, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, Aden, Colombo, Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York.
Partenza da Hoboken (New Jersey) il 14 novembre 1889.
Arrivo a Jersey City il 25 gennaio 1890.
Questo il viaggio compiuto dalla giornalista americana Nellie Bly, pseudonimo di Elizabeth Jane Cochran
Caparbia e decisa a difendere l’immagine americana ma – ahimé- succube dei molti pregiudizi di un occidente ancora colonialista.
Ammirata dalle donne per il bagaglio minimalista e dagli uomini per l’audace iniziativa, la Bly, molto spesso, confeziona una cronaca asettica con descrizioni accurate dei mezzi di trasporto più che di paesaggi e di persone.
Via via, però, si scalda.
Il viaggia comincia subito con una deviazione a casa dei coniugi Verne.
Visita dovuta dato che l’idea originaria di una sfida a tempo per fare il giro del mondo è proprio quella letteraria dello scrittore francese.
La Bly racconta aneddoti a volte poco interessanti per il lettore contemporaneo già saturo di conoscenze.
Mi ha sorpreso il suo soffermarsi sui minimi particolari delle truci condanne a morte in Cina senza nessun commento disgustato al riguardo mentre non nasconde il ribrezzo verso gli uomini di fatica:
”Un aspetto sgradevole dei coolie è che grugniscono come maiali mentre trasportano le persone. Non so se il grugnito ha per loro un significato particolare, il fatto è che continuano a grugnire uno dopo l’altro nella fila di portantine ed è tutt’altro che piacevole.” (!)
Parole di grande ammirazione sono, invece, dedicate al Giappone ed ai suoi abitanti che probabilmente rispecchiano in miglior modo la sua idea di bellezza e pulizia.
Insomma, ovviamente, una lettura che va inquadrata e digerita (!) tenendo conto del contesto storico.
Personalmente, ho ammirato l’inflessibile volontà di questa donna di arrivare a raggiungere il suo obiettivo.
New York a Londra, poi Calais, Brindisi, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, Aden, Colombo, Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong, Yokohama, San Francisco, New York.
Partenza da Hoboken (New Jersey) il 14 novembre 1889.
Arrivo a Jersey City il 25 gennaio 1890.
Questo il viaggio compiuto dalla giornalista americana Nellie Bly, pseudonimo di Elizabeth Jane Cochran
Caparbia e decisa a difendere l’immagine americana ma – ahimé- succube dei molti pregiudizi di un occidente ancora colonialista.
Ammirata dalle donne per il bagaglio minimalista e dagli uomini per l’audace iniziativa, la Bly, molto spesso, confeziona una cronaca asettica con descrizioni accurate dei mezzi di trasporto più che di paesaggi e di persone.
Via via, però, si scalda.
Il viaggia comincia subito con una deviazione a casa dei coniugi Verne.
Visita dovuta dato che l’idea originaria di una sfida a tempo per fare il giro del mondo è proprio quella letteraria dello scrittore francese.
La Bly racconta aneddoti a volte poco interessanti per il lettore contemporaneo già saturo di conoscenze.
Mi ha sorpreso il suo soffermarsi sui minimi particolari delle truci condanne a morte in Cina senza nessun commento disgustato al riguardo mentre non nasconde il ribrezzo verso gli uomini di fatica:
”Un aspetto sgradevole dei coolie è che grugniscono come maiali mentre trasportano le persone. Non so se il grugnito ha per loro un significato particolare, il fatto è che continuano a grugnire uno dopo l’altro nella fila di portantine ed è tutt’altro che piacevole.” (!)
Parole di grande ammirazione sono, invece, dedicate al Giappone ed ai suoi abitanti che probabilmente rispecchiano in miglior modo la sua idea di bellezza e pulizia.
Insomma, ovviamente, una lettura che va inquadrata e digerita (!) tenendo conto del contesto storico.
Personalmente, ho ammirato l’inflessibile volontà di questa donna di arrivare a raggiungere il suo obiettivo.
October 30, 2021
jälle saab tõestust, et hea reisikirja kirjutab eelkõige ikkagi hea reisija - selline, kes ei pirtsuta ja suudab igas olukorras huumorit leida ja sealjuures ka iseenda üle naerda. kahju ei tee, et tegu on elukutselise kirjutajaga (ajakirjanik).
lugesin seda paralleelselt ühe teise sarnase looga, kus Inglismaalt Indiasse, seal ringi ja siis tagasi reisis Nelliest paarkümmend aastat varem üks briti noormees. pole muidugi aus võrdlus, sest selle kuti reisipäevik polnud avaldamiseks kunagi mõeldudki, aga siiski - kaks inimest sattusid peaaegu samal ajal samadesse kohtadesse sarnastes oludes, nii et ikka ma võrdlen. Nellie võidab pika puuga. eks temalgi on kohatud inimeste ja kultuuride suhtes (eel)arvamusi, aga ta vähemalt seletab ja põhjendab neid. ja tervis tundub tal ka tugevam olevat :)
eriti meeleolukas tundub mulle Nellie reisi lõpuosa, kus ta rongiga läbi Ameerika kihutab ja kogu rahvas talle kaasa elab ja kõigile veduritele pannakse täiskäik sisse ja jaamadesse tulevad puhkpilliorkestrid vastu. selline tore... õnneliku lõpuga lugu. ja tekitab ka endas tahtmise selline madala süsinikujalajäljega (ja kerge pagasiga) maailmareis ette võtta ükspäev.
lugesin seda paralleelselt ühe teise sarnase looga, kus Inglismaalt Indiasse, seal ringi ja siis tagasi reisis Nelliest paarkümmend aastat varem üks briti noormees. pole muidugi aus võrdlus, sest selle kuti reisipäevik polnud avaldamiseks kunagi mõeldudki, aga siiski - kaks inimest sattusid peaaegu samal ajal samadesse kohtadesse sarnastes oludes, nii et ikka ma võrdlen. Nellie võidab pika puuga. eks temalgi on kohatud inimeste ja kultuuride suhtes (eel)arvamusi, aga ta vähemalt seletab ja põhjendab neid. ja tervis tundub tal ka tugevam olevat :)
eriti meeleolukas tundub mulle Nellie reisi lõpuosa, kus ta rongiga läbi Ameerika kihutab ja kogu rahvas talle kaasa elab ja kõigile veduritele pannakse täiskäik sisse ja jaamadesse tulevad puhkpilliorkestrid vastu. selline tore... õnneliku lõpuga lugu. ja tekitab ka endas tahtmise selline madala süsinikujalajäljega (ja kerge pagasiga) maailmareis ette võtta ükspäev.
December 30, 2022
Mida küll arvasid preili Bly raamatust inimesed, keda ta reisil kohtas ja oma päevikus kirjeldas? Olgu siis Kantoni kulid või tülikad kaaslased aurulaevalt või Jaapani muusikud? Nellie ei ole oma hinnangutes üleliia hell. Ka ei tundu ta iseloom, ei raamatu ega neti-materjalide järgi, kuigi leebe olema. Kuid 19. sajandi uuriv nais-ajakirjanik ei saagi vist väga lumehelbeke olla. Nellie kogu karjäär algas ju käredast vastulausest misogüünsele leheartiklile.
Reisipäevik on igatahes lahe lugemine. Aus. Olgu siis Inglismaa ja USA võrdlused, toonase Hong Kongi või Singapuri kirjeldused, elu aurulaeval ja aurorongis - kõik on huvitav.
Hea pilk kadunud maailmale.
Reisipäevik on igatahes lahe lugemine. Aus. Olgu siis Inglismaa ja USA võrdlused, toonase Hong Kongi või Singapuri kirjeldused, elu aurulaeval ja aurorongis - kõik on huvitav.
Hea pilk kadunud maailmale.
July 19, 2022
Seitseteist peatükki reisikirjeldusi on suurepärased. Lihtsalt väga huvitav on kogu aeg.
Kui mina sellest raamatust lavastuse peaksin tegema, siis oleks naiseks olemine kõrvaline teema. Maailm läbi naise silmade näib siin tavaline, pinnuks silmas on hoopis kolonialistlik mõtteviis, 1890ndate kõige tavapärasem nähtus. Toda kolonialismi on muidugi lihtne tagantjärele hukka mõista, aga raske tegudes heaks teha.
Näiteks peaksime kurvastamise asemel hoopis rõõmustama, et tänapäeval on riike, mis valgeid eurooplasi niisama lihtsalt reisima ei luba, mis hakkavad vastu meie geograafilisele ülemvõimule. Tahame igale poole viia universaalseid inimõigusi, tahame, et saaksime minna ükskõik kuhu täpselt samasuguse turvatundega nagu oleksime omas kodus. Aga kas ei olnud väga sarnased mõtted eelmistel sajanditel ajendiks brittidele koloniseerida India ja Hiina, ojastada Araabia?
Kujutan raamatut lugedes ette, et olen parem kui Nellie Bly kes kirjeldab hiinlastest kerjuseid räpaste ja eemaletõukavatena. Arvan, et tõenäoliselt ei oska ameeriklanna lihtsalt näha ilu traditsiooniliste ühiskondade kommetes, erandiks vaid Bly "japsid", kes kasulikuma osa lääne harjumustest üle on osanud võtta. Tänapäeval ütleks reisikirjanik lihtsalt: "Mulle meeldis Jaapan rohkem kui Hiina". Mina võiksin niimoodi öelda, analüüsimata pikemalt tolleaegse Hiina vägivaldset allutamist Lääne poolt, analüüsimata tegureid, mis rahva sellisesse seisu on viinud.
Sestap mõtlen: kas pole nonde riikide poliitika kõigest enesekaitse Lääne uuskolonialimi laine vastu? Sest kas Lääne tegudes üldse on midagi muutunud? Uuskolonialismi eesmärk ei näi mitte olevat kohalike rahvaste õnn, vaid läänlaste mugavus igale poole reismiseks, elamiseks, koloniseerimiseks.
See raamat nendele küsimusele vastust ei anna. See raamat räägib ümbermaailmareisist, mille sooritas Nellie Bly 72 päevaga, võites sellega Jules Verne'i ilukirjanduslikku kangelast koguni 8 päevaga. Bly astub Verne'ide elamisest reisi jooksul muide läbi ka. Õnneliku juhuse läbi on ka minule saanud osaks võimalus Amienis asuvat kodumuuseumi külastada. Bly kirjeldused ühtivad mälestustega tollest majast igati.
Kui mina sellest raamatust lavastuse peaksin tegema, siis oleks naiseks olemine kõrvaline teema. Maailm läbi naise silmade näib siin tavaline, pinnuks silmas on hoopis kolonialistlik mõtteviis, 1890ndate kõige tavapärasem nähtus. Toda kolonialismi on muidugi lihtne tagantjärele hukka mõista, aga raske tegudes heaks teha.
Näiteks peaksime kurvastamise asemel hoopis rõõmustama, et tänapäeval on riike, mis valgeid eurooplasi niisama lihtsalt reisima ei luba, mis hakkavad vastu meie geograafilisele ülemvõimule. Tahame igale poole viia universaalseid inimõigusi, tahame, et saaksime minna ükskõik kuhu täpselt samasuguse turvatundega nagu oleksime omas kodus. Aga kas ei olnud väga sarnased mõtted eelmistel sajanditel ajendiks brittidele koloniseerida India ja Hiina, ojastada Araabia?
Kujutan raamatut lugedes ette, et olen parem kui Nellie Bly kes kirjeldab hiinlastest kerjuseid räpaste ja eemaletõukavatena. Arvan, et tõenäoliselt ei oska ameeriklanna lihtsalt näha ilu traditsiooniliste ühiskondade kommetes, erandiks vaid Bly "japsid", kes kasulikuma osa lääne harjumustest üle on osanud võtta. Tänapäeval ütleks reisikirjanik lihtsalt: "Mulle meeldis Jaapan rohkem kui Hiina". Mina võiksin niimoodi öelda, analüüsimata pikemalt tolleaegse Hiina vägivaldset allutamist Lääne poolt, analüüsimata tegureid, mis rahva sellisesse seisu on viinud.
Sestap mõtlen: kas pole nonde riikide poliitika kõigest enesekaitse Lääne uuskolonialimi laine vastu? Sest kas Lääne tegudes üldse on midagi muutunud? Uuskolonialismi eesmärk ei näi mitte olevat kohalike rahvaste õnn, vaid läänlaste mugavus igale poole reismiseks, elamiseks, koloniseerimiseks.
See raamat nendele küsimusele vastust ei anna. See raamat räägib ümbermaailmareisist, mille sooritas Nellie Bly 72 päevaga, võites sellega Jules Verne'i ilukirjanduslikku kangelast koguni 8 päevaga. Bly astub Verne'ide elamisest reisi jooksul muide läbi ka. Õnneliku juhuse läbi on ka minule saanud osaks võimalus Amienis asuvat kodumuuseumi külastada. Bly kirjeldused ühtivad mälestustega tollest majast igati.
September 20, 2008
Nelly Bly's epic account of her trip around the world, undertaken as a publicity stunt in 1889-1890, has an unmistakable aura of Gilded Age enthusiasm about it, but it's also the work of a remarkable woman. Bly was a mold-breaker in every sense of the word -- she went places and did things that women had never done before. Her record-breaking trip was but one of many striking exploits; in fact, probably her most daring feat was to get herself committed to a women's insane asylum for ten days in order to write a startling eposé of the abuses of the system. On another occasion, she posed as an unwed mother to unmask the baby-buying trade. Bly also risked imprisonment in Mexico early in her career for writing critical pieces on the repressive government there. On other occasions she undertook "stunts" that were part dare, part circulation booster. Although there was always the need for her to make her mark and a living in the hardscrabble world of journalism, she was something of social crusader insofar as her editors allowed her free rein.
In undertaking her trip, Bly was clearly inspired by Jules Verne's fictional account Around the World in 80 Days. Bly realized that with the opening of the Suez Canal (1873) and the advent of transcontinental railroads that what Verne had penned as fiction was now quite possible in fact. Like Phileas Fogg, Verne's hero, Bly traveled by all kinds of transport - by ship, carriage, train, rickshaw, sampan, catamaran, and even donkey. Her first major leg, across the Atlantic was done in a blistering 6 days, 21 hours aboard the "Augusta Victoria." When she arrived in England, she even undertook a detour to meet Jules Verne himself, who showed her a globe that had her route and that of his fictional hero marked upon it.
This sentimental journey, however, meant that she left absolutely no room for error for the rest of her trip -- she needed to make every connection and every facet of the journey had to go exactly as planned. As she progressed around the globe, she mesmerized readers with her accounts of exotic locales, strange customs, and bizarre foods. Her sponsoring newspaper ran pieces to keep readers abreast of just where in the world Nelly Bly was at that moment, a sort of great geographical educational project. To add even more spice, it seemed that Nelly had a competitor, another intrepid female reporter named Elizabeth Bisland sent by a rival publication. At this point, Bly's journey becomes more than a publicity stunt; it becomes, for her, a do-or-die undertaking. "I would rather go back to New York dead, than not a winner," she proclaimed.
Happily, Bly emerged triumphant, and during the final leg of her journey, by train across the continent from San Francisco, she was cheered at practically every station by crowds of adoring fans. She had become the nation's first international female daredevil celebrity, in an age that relished "firsts" of all kinds. Women, in particular, turned out in droves to cheer on their new role model. It was an age when women were getting the first hint of what lay before them, and Nelly Bly became iconic of all the women could do if only they seized the moment with courage and resolution.
Bly went on to become one of the greatest celebrities of her age, with countless things named in her honor. She now could write about whatever she choose, for the world truly was her apple, but she ultimately married a much older man, a wealthy industrialist, and for a time led a fairly conventional life as a society matron. On his death, however, Nelly Bly emerged once again to head her husband's company, which ultimately went bust. Once again she took up reporting (and crusading), but, sadly, her time had come and gone and now she was looked upon in the new century as more a quaint relic than the iconoclast she'd once been regarded. Bly died in her late 50's in 1922 -- the decade that ushered in the flappers ushered out the figure that, one might argue, in good part paved the way for them.
In undertaking her trip, Bly was clearly inspired by Jules Verne's fictional account Around the World in 80 Days. Bly realized that with the opening of the Suez Canal (1873) and the advent of transcontinental railroads that what Verne had penned as fiction was now quite possible in fact. Like Phileas Fogg, Verne's hero, Bly traveled by all kinds of transport - by ship, carriage, train, rickshaw, sampan, catamaran, and even donkey. Her first major leg, across the Atlantic was done in a blistering 6 days, 21 hours aboard the "Augusta Victoria." When she arrived in England, she even undertook a detour to meet Jules Verne himself, who showed her a globe that had her route and that of his fictional hero marked upon it.
This sentimental journey, however, meant that she left absolutely no room for error for the rest of her trip -- she needed to make every connection and every facet of the journey had to go exactly as planned. As she progressed around the globe, she mesmerized readers with her accounts of exotic locales, strange customs, and bizarre foods. Her sponsoring newspaper ran pieces to keep readers abreast of just where in the world Nelly Bly was at that moment, a sort of great geographical educational project. To add even more spice, it seemed that Nelly had a competitor, another intrepid female reporter named Elizabeth Bisland sent by a rival publication. At this point, Bly's journey becomes more than a publicity stunt; it becomes, for her, a do-or-die undertaking. "I would rather go back to New York dead, than not a winner," she proclaimed.
Happily, Bly emerged triumphant, and during the final leg of her journey, by train across the continent from San Francisco, she was cheered at practically every station by crowds of adoring fans. She had become the nation's first international female daredevil celebrity, in an age that relished "firsts" of all kinds. Women, in particular, turned out in droves to cheer on their new role model. It was an age when women were getting the first hint of what lay before them, and Nelly Bly became iconic of all the women could do if only they seized the moment with courage and resolution.
Bly went on to become one of the greatest celebrities of her age, with countless things named in her honor. She now could write about whatever she choose, for the world truly was her apple, but she ultimately married a much older man, a wealthy industrialist, and for a time led a fairly conventional life as a society matron. On his death, however, Nelly Bly emerged once again to head her husband's company, which ultimately went bust. Once again she took up reporting (and crusading), but, sadly, her time had come and gone and now she was looked upon in the new century as more a quaint relic than the iconoclast she'd once been regarded. Bly died in her late 50's in 1922 -- the decade that ushered in the flappers ushered out the figure that, one might argue, in good part paved the way for them.
July 27, 2022
Nellie Bly is exactly the kind of mighty woman that we all love. When she proposes her idea to her publishers she is hastily met with the rebuke that, if the trip were at all possible it would require a man to undertake it. To paraphrase her reply, she said:
"Very well, you send a man today and I shall depart tomorrow for another newspaper and I shall still beat your man back."
Apparently this can-do attitude was enough to eventually convince her superiors that she was up to the task and soon afterwards she was off and away on her ground breaking trip.
The story of her trip is told with delightful humour. An early example is when Bly discusses how much sweeter sleep is when it threatens to make you miss an engagement.
Just like Phileas, Nellie suffers delays and risks taking several detours yet still manages to eventually beat her ETA. On her journey she takes the opportunity to meet Mr. Verne himself and although on her departure he makes it clear that he doesn't believe she will be able to complete the trip in her estimated 75 days, she nonetheless considered him a fabulous host. This particular stopover is quite enjoyable to read, Verne shows Bly the map on which he'd drawn Phileas' trip and compares the places where Bly's trip will deviate.
The story features plenty of racial stereotyping and derogatory language which a modern reader will need to expect, much like Verne's story but this story also spent much more time on the quirks of the individuals that Bly met, giving this true story much better secondary characters throughout.
Much to my surprise quite a lot of this narrative struck me as probably progressive for the time. Bly is quite proud of how much freer and more progressive her America was when compared with other European nations of the time. Still, there was a wide range of things that women had no say over back then, much of which seemed pretty weird to me, (eg. At one location women are not allowed out of their cabins before 8am, during which time the men can roam freely in their pyjamas).
I couldn't parse many of the references used, which were presumably familiar to American readers in the late 19th century. It wasn’t just unfamiliar names either, for example I have no idea what Bly means when she says, "they were making love through the nose."
There is much in Bly's story that parallels the journey that Phileas took, although there's also much to distinguish this as an excellent follow up to the 80 day journey. I'm not usually taken with biographical texts and certainly not a fan of travel journals, but as a sort of continuation of Verne's story this was perfect. It was just as much fun to read and it is easy to read it as another fantastic work of fiction, even more amazing that it's non-fiction. Who knows how much embellishment was added but either way '72 Days' has established Bly as an excellent writer in my mind and I was a little disappointed to not find any actual fiction written by her.
The narration by Mary Reagan is very, very good. She captures the joyful mood of the tale really well and pulls off many accents superbly. The recording has some rather funny quirks about it including at one point very faint sirens in the background and at another point it seems that something like a pet getting in the way occurs because it sounds like Mary recoils from the microphone while reading and even so she never missed a single beat in her narration. All part of the fun with these volunteer recordings and I had to smile. Check it out on Librivox, it's well worth the listen.
I was a little tired of this by the end, but that's mostly because this isn't a typical read for me. The story continued with the same energy right through to the end. Bly does have another publicity stunt book called 'Ten Days in a Madhouse' which I wouldn't mind checking out some time, but not for a while, I'm having withdrawals and it's time for me to get back into some scifi.
"Very well, you send a man today and I shall depart tomorrow for another newspaper and I shall still beat your man back."
Apparently this can-do attitude was enough to eventually convince her superiors that she was up to the task and soon afterwards she was off and away on her ground breaking trip.
The story of her trip is told with delightful humour. An early example is when Bly discusses how much sweeter sleep is when it threatens to make you miss an engagement.
Just like Phileas, Nellie suffers delays and risks taking several detours yet still manages to eventually beat her ETA. On her journey she takes the opportunity to meet Mr. Verne himself and although on her departure he makes it clear that he doesn't believe she will be able to complete the trip in her estimated 75 days, she nonetheless considered him a fabulous host. This particular stopover is quite enjoyable to read, Verne shows Bly the map on which he'd drawn Phileas' trip and compares the places where Bly's trip will deviate.
The story features plenty of racial stereotyping and derogatory language which a modern reader will need to expect, much like Verne's story but this story also spent much more time on the quirks of the individuals that Bly met, giving this true story much better secondary characters throughout.
Much to my surprise quite a lot of this narrative struck me as probably progressive for the time. Bly is quite proud of how much freer and more progressive her America was when compared with other European nations of the time. Still, there was a wide range of things that women had no say over back then, much of which seemed pretty weird to me, (eg. At one location women are not allowed out of their cabins before 8am, during which time the men can roam freely in their pyjamas).
I couldn't parse many of the references used, which were presumably familiar to American readers in the late 19th century. It wasn’t just unfamiliar names either, for example I have no idea what Bly means when she says, "they were making love through the nose."
There is much in Bly's story that parallels the journey that Phileas took, although there's also much to distinguish this as an excellent follow up to the 80 day journey. I'm not usually taken with biographical texts and certainly not a fan of travel journals, but as a sort of continuation of Verne's story this was perfect. It was just as much fun to read and it is easy to read it as another fantastic work of fiction, even more amazing that it's non-fiction. Who knows how much embellishment was added but either way '72 Days' has established Bly as an excellent writer in my mind and I was a little disappointed to not find any actual fiction written by her.
The narration by Mary Reagan is very, very good. She captures the joyful mood of the tale really well and pulls off many accents superbly. The recording has some rather funny quirks about it including at one point very faint sirens in the background and at another point it seems that something like a pet getting in the way occurs because it sounds like Mary recoils from the microphone while reading and even so she never missed a single beat in her narration. All part of the fun with these volunteer recordings and I had to smile. Check it out on Librivox, it's well worth the listen.
I was a little tired of this by the end, but that's mostly because this isn't a typical read for me. The story continued with the same energy right through to the end. Bly does have another publicity stunt book called 'Ten Days in a Madhouse' which I wouldn't mind checking out some time, but not for a while, I'm having withdrawals and it's time for me to get back into some scifi.
February 19, 2011
I enjoyed this book for the most part. It is a good story and step back to a different era, if you can get past her somewhat bigoted, arrogant remarks about some of the cultures she happened upon. She did redeem herself a bit as a not too ugly American with her descriptions of the Japanese culture. And considering she wrote this book after writing Ten Days in a Madhouse, where she demonstrated such compassion for those subjected to the conditions there, she apparently only empathize by personal experience; because as a passing observer she was as unfeeling as any she had justifiably found fault with while in the madhouse; and quite heartless at times. For example:
“He was not an easy traveler, this [rickshaw runner] . . . Many times he shifted the [shoulder] strap, much to my misery, and then he would turn and, by motions, convey to me that I was sitting more to one side than to the other. As a result, I made such an effort to sit straight and not to move that when we alighted at the shops I would be cramped almost into a paralytic state. Before the day was over I had a sick headache, all from thinking too much about the comfort of the Chinamen.”
Poor thing!
“He was not an easy traveler, this [rickshaw runner] . . . Many times he shifted the [shoulder] strap, much to my misery, and then he would turn and, by motions, convey to me that I was sitting more to one side than to the other. As a result, I made such an effort to sit straight and not to move that when we alighted at the shops I would be cramped almost into a paralytic state. Before the day was over I had a sick headache, all from thinking too much about the comfort of the Chinamen.”
Poor thing!
August 21, 2021
Põnev jutustus 1889-1890. aastatel reisimisest, aga ei tasu unustada, et väga privilegeeritud vaatenurgast. Seetõttu ajasid osad kirjeldused nina kirtsutama. Enamuse saab aega silmas pidades andeks.
Ja see reis poleks rekord- ja ülesandeks püstitatud ajaga toimuda saanud, kui lõpuotsas poleks Bly jaoks erirongi käima pandud. Aga eks see oli tingitud inimeste kirglikust kaasaelamisest, kes kõik edukale sooritusele enda poolt kaasa aitasid. Natuke totraks ja samas nunnuks läksid need kirjeldused jaamades vastuvõtmistest lillede ja puuviljade ja kompvekkide ja käepuudutamistega. Samas ma pole kunagi hullumiseni kellegi fännamisest aru saanud, et see võib selle totruse aspektiga mu jaoks seotud olla.
Tundus muidu tuus tegelane, kes ei leppinud suure osa normidega, mida naistele peale suruti.
Ja see reis poleks rekord- ja ülesandeks püstitatud ajaga toimuda saanud, kui lõpuotsas poleks Bly jaoks erirongi käima pandud. Aga eks see oli tingitud inimeste kirglikust kaasaelamisest, kes kõik edukale sooritusele enda poolt kaasa aitasid. Natuke totraks ja samas nunnuks läksid need kirjeldused jaamades vastuvõtmistest lillede ja puuviljade ja kompvekkide ja käepuudutamistega. Samas ma pole kunagi hullumiseni kellegi fännamisest aru saanud, et see võib selle totruse aspektiga mu jaoks seotud olla.
Tundus muidu tuus tegelane, kes ei leppinud suure osa normidega, mida naistele peale suruti.
October 9, 2021
72 Days Around the World
Review of the Loomingu Raamatukogu Estonian language paperback (2021) translated from the original English language edition (1890)
1889 Photograph of Nellie Bly in her single dress and coat holding her single piece of hand luggage before setting out on her journey around the world. Image from the Library of Congress sourced from Nellie Bly Around the World
The above book synopsis gives a summary of the early career of Nellie Bly, the penname of Elizabeth Jane Cochran (1864-1922), and points to her earlier books 10 Days in a Madhouse (1887) and Six Months in Mexico (1888). I read her Seitsmekümne kahe päevaga ümber maailma (translated from her Around the World in 72 Days (1890)) in my heritage language of Estonian as it was a recent issue of the regular literary journal Loomingu Raamatukogu (The Creation Library) which issues various short works of translated world literature and Estonian authors.
Around the World in 72 Days is fascinating for the picture it paints of world travel at the time and the interactions with other travellers and the guides and world peoples that Nellie Bly encounters. Bly wrote under a penname as that was the convention for women writers at the time. Bly has to undertake the journey on only a few days notice, having proposed it to her newspaper editors a year previously and being turned down at the time. Inspired by the idea of beating the fictional record of Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days (1872), Bly sets herself a target of 75 days and manages to beat it. She uses the few days notice to trim down her wardrobe and baggage to a single dress and coat and a small hand luggage, in order to ensure no travel delays due to baggage problems. Compare that to some of the people she encounters who are travelling with 14 suitcases.
She hits several of the same ports of call as Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg, and manages to make a side trip in France to meet Mr. and Mrs. Verne in person who cheer her on her way. I wouldn't say there were any particular surprises or shocks in the journey except for the stop in Canton (present day Guangzhou, China where the local tourist guide seems to delight in presenting the criminal execution grounds and boasting of the numbers of executioner's victims.
Bly states that her main regret was not bringing a Kodak camera (invented in 1888) along for the journey. Her travels have been retroactively reconstructed pictorially at the Nellie Bly Around the World web pages.
The Estonian translation and supplementary Afterword by translator Riina Jesmin was excellent as is always the case with the Loomingu Raamatukogu issues.
Trivia and Links
The Loomingu Raamatukogu (The Creation Library) is a modestly priced Estonian literary journal which initially published weekly (from 1957 to 1994) and which now publishes 40 issues a year as of 1995. It is a great source for discovery as its relatively cheap prices (currently 4.50€ per issue) allow for access to a multitude of international writers in Estonian translation and of shorter works by Estonian authors themselves. These include poetry, theatre, essays, short stories, novellas and novels (the lengthier works are usually parceled out over several issues).
For a complete listing of all works issued to date by Loomingu Raamatukogu see Estonian Wikipedia at: https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looming...
Review of the Loomingu Raamatukogu Estonian language paperback (2021) translated from the original English language edition (1890)
The young journalist Nellie Bly (1864–1922) excelled in America in the 1880s with many innovative works: she did not want to limit herself to the horticultural and cultural topics for female journalists, but also wrote about the situation of women in factories, worked as the first foreign correspondent in Mexico. and was, among other things, one of the founders of embedded journalism, exposing a brutal life at the Blackwell Island Mental Hospital as an undercover patient.
In 1888, she proposed to the editor-in-chief of The New York World the idea of traveling around the world faster than Phileas Fogg, the hero of Jules Verne's novel Eighty Days Around the World. In November 1889, at a time when women's unaccompanied travel was still looked at askance, this race began with an enthusiastic American audience. To the delight of the readers of the travelogue, the travel connections were not always very smooth at the time, and so Nellie Bly had some time to get involved in local life and to describe it. In conclusion, a book was published, which is a reflection of the life and attitudes of a very particular era. - translated from the Estonian language synopsis
1889 Photograph of Nellie Bly in her single dress and coat holding her single piece of hand luggage before setting out on her journey around the world. Image from the Library of Congress sourced from Nellie Bly Around the World
The above book synopsis gives a summary of the early career of Nellie Bly, the penname of Elizabeth Jane Cochran (1864-1922), and points to her earlier books 10 Days in a Madhouse (1887) and Six Months in Mexico (1888). I read her Seitsmekümne kahe päevaga ümber maailma (translated from her Around the World in 72 Days (1890)) in my heritage language of Estonian as it was a recent issue of the regular literary journal Loomingu Raamatukogu (The Creation Library) which issues various short works of translated world literature and Estonian authors.
Around the World in 72 Days is fascinating for the picture it paints of world travel at the time and the interactions with other travellers and the guides and world peoples that Nellie Bly encounters. Bly wrote under a penname as that was the convention for women writers at the time. Bly has to undertake the journey on only a few days notice, having proposed it to her newspaper editors a year previously and being turned down at the time. Inspired by the idea of beating the fictional record of Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days (1872), Bly sets herself a target of 75 days and manages to beat it. She uses the few days notice to trim down her wardrobe and baggage to a single dress and coat and a small hand luggage, in order to ensure no travel delays due to baggage problems. Compare that to some of the people she encounters who are travelling with 14 suitcases.
She hits several of the same ports of call as Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg, and manages to make a side trip in France to meet Mr. and Mrs. Verne in person who cheer her on her way. I wouldn't say there were any particular surprises or shocks in the journey except for the stop in Canton (present day Guangzhou, China where the local tourist guide seems to delight in presenting the criminal execution grounds and boasting of the numbers of executioner's victims.
Bly states that her main regret was not bringing a Kodak camera (invented in 1888) along for the journey. Her travels have been retroactively reconstructed pictorially at the Nellie Bly Around the World web pages.
The Estonian translation and supplementary Afterword by translator Riina Jesmin was excellent as is always the case with the Loomingu Raamatukogu issues.
Trivia and Links
The Loomingu Raamatukogu (The Creation Library) is a modestly priced Estonian literary journal which initially published weekly (from 1957 to 1994) and which now publishes 40 issues a year as of 1995. It is a great source for discovery as its relatively cheap prices (currently 4.50€ per issue) allow for access to a multitude of international writers in Estonian translation and of shorter works by Estonian authors themselves. These include poetry, theatre, essays, short stories, novellas and novels (the lengthier works are usually parceled out over several issues).
For a complete listing of all works issued to date by Loomingu Raamatukogu see Estonian Wikipedia at: https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looming...
March 20, 2013
Nellie Bly (pen name for Elizabeth Jane Cochrane) was an American journalist who lived around 1864- 1922. In this volume she chronicles her journey around the world where she broke the fictitious record of Jules Verne's Phileas Fogg, making the trip in 72 days. She even takes time out during her travels to visit Mr. Verne in France...
December 24, 2023
... non ero stata insultata in quanto americana, ma semplicemente perché queste persone erano maleducate.
Nellie Bly a fine '800 decide di intraprendere un giro del mondo in meno di 80 giorni sulle orme di Verne e di Phileas Fogg.
Avendo letto altre opere di questa giornalista, avevo aspettative alte, ma il libro non mi ha mai presa del tutto. Mi è apparso episodico, a volte un po' disordinato nell'esposizione. In più, pur essendo una pioniera, lei appare sempre un po' passiva, trasportata, accompagnata da altri passeggeri della nave o dai vari capitani o ufficiali di bordo. Non mi ha convinta, purtroppo.
Nellie Bly a fine '800 decide di intraprendere un giro del mondo in meno di 80 giorni sulle orme di Verne e di Phileas Fogg.
Avendo letto altre opere di questa giornalista, avevo aspettative alte, ma il libro non mi ha mai presa del tutto. Mi è apparso episodico, a volte un po' disordinato nell'esposizione. In più, pur essendo una pioniera, lei appare sempre un po' passiva, trasportata, accompagnata da altri passeggeri della nave o dai vari capitani o ufficiali di bordo. Non mi ha convinta, purtroppo.
November 27, 2021
Ma pooldan elus enamasti aeglust, nii et 72 päeva ümber maailma reisimiseks tundub selgelt kuuluvat tormamise kategooriasse. Samas kui see reisimine toimub suures osas laevaga, on kulgemises paradoksaalsel kombel ka pidev paigalolek - oled oma ookeaniaurikus, vaatled inimesi, suhtled, sööd (kui enam merehaige ei ole), naudid merd ja lahutad meelt. Selles, kuidas Bly seda edasi annab, on lusti ja rahu ja teraseid tähelepanekuid tolleaegsete olude ja külastatud paikade kohta. Kui midagi, siis oleks raamat võinud pikem ja põhjalikum olla, oleks lugemisrõõmu kauemaks jagunud.
September 5, 2021
Täiesti minu maitsele mimm, kes paljusid takistusi ja tabusid murdes otsustas nii umbes-täpselt kahekümneviiesena ajakirjandusliku eksperimendi korras pallile tiiru peale teha. Aasta oli siis 1889 ja ütleme nii, et see oli aeg, mis naiste (eriti vallaliste!) sedalaadi avantüüre just üleliia ei soosinud. Ja kuigi ta sai teele kaaskirja, mis palus aurulaevadel ja rongides igakülgset abi, siis eks omajagu keerukusi ikka tuli ette. Näiteks ühel laeval, kus umbsetest kajutitest pääsemiseks tohtisid härrased ööriietes tekil ööbida ja ringi patseerida ja end üldse vabamalt tunda, samas kui Nellie oleks pidanud kindla kellani vaguralt kajutis passima.
Igatahes hästi palju põnevaid ajastutruid detaile reisimisest ja naistest ja käidud paikadest, mida ma nautisin. Kuna ma alles paar raamatut tagasi lugesin Berta 1935. aasta Itaalia reisist, siis oli siin mäekõrgune vahe. Berta pigem loetles teekonnal läbitud paigad, neile suuremat lisamata, aga Nellie andis kenasti edasi olustikku, kohapealseid inimesi ja juhtumisi.
Muide, Jules Verne, kelle "Kaheksakümne päevaga ümber maailma" oli ju rännutee ajendiks, kutsus samuti Nellie endale külla, nii et ka Verne`iga kohtumine on lehekülgedele jõudnud.
Ja kuigi siin on ohtralt argist juttu, siis ei pea pelgama, ka kaunisõnalisi kirjeldusi on Nellie meile puistanud:
"Istuda vaiksel tekil, pea kohal ja ümberringi ainult tähine taevas, kuulata, kuidas vesi laeva vööri suudleb, on minu meelest paradiis. Võidakse rääkida inimeste seltsist, päikese hiilgusest, kuupaiste mahedusest, muusika ilust, aga andke mulle korvtool vaiksel tekil, kus maailm oma murede, lärmi ja eelarvamustega jääb kaugele ning päikeselõõsa, kuu külma valguse katab öö mustjas tihedus. Laske mul puhata voogavast merest kergelt hällitatuna sametiselt pimedas pesas, ainsaks valguseks tähemüriaadide mahe vilkumine pea kohal vaikses taevas; mu muusika on suudlevate vete sosin, mis jahutab pead ja rahustab pulssi; mu kaaslaseks on mu enda unelustes unelemine. Andke mulle see ja mu õnn on täiuslik."
Ja veel, kui Kankimäki "Naised, kellest ma öösiti mõtlen" sulle kohe eriti meeldis, siis arvesta, et Nellie Bly oli üks neist tema öönaistest (kellest ta kahjuks küll oma raamatus nii lühidalt kirjutas).
Igatahes hästi palju põnevaid ajastutruid detaile reisimisest ja naistest ja käidud paikadest, mida ma nautisin. Kuna ma alles paar raamatut tagasi lugesin Berta 1935. aasta Itaalia reisist, siis oli siin mäekõrgune vahe. Berta pigem loetles teekonnal läbitud paigad, neile suuremat lisamata, aga Nellie andis kenasti edasi olustikku, kohapealseid inimesi ja juhtumisi.
Muide, Jules Verne, kelle "Kaheksakümne päevaga ümber maailma" oli ju rännutee ajendiks, kutsus samuti Nellie endale külla, nii et ka Verne`iga kohtumine on lehekülgedele jõudnud.
Ja kuigi siin on ohtralt argist juttu, siis ei pea pelgama, ka kaunisõnalisi kirjeldusi on Nellie meile puistanud:
"Istuda vaiksel tekil, pea kohal ja ümberringi ainult tähine taevas, kuulata, kuidas vesi laeva vööri suudleb, on minu meelest paradiis. Võidakse rääkida inimeste seltsist, päikese hiilgusest, kuupaiste mahedusest, muusika ilust, aga andke mulle korvtool vaiksel tekil, kus maailm oma murede, lärmi ja eelarvamustega jääb kaugele ning päikeselõõsa, kuu külma valguse katab öö mustjas tihedus. Laske mul puhata voogavast merest kergelt hällitatuna sametiselt pimedas pesas, ainsaks valguseks tähemüriaadide mahe vilkumine pea kohal vaikses taevas; mu muusika on suudlevate vete sosin, mis jahutab pead ja rahustab pulssi; mu kaaslaseks on mu enda unelustes unelemine. Andke mulle see ja mu õnn on täiuslik."
Ja veel, kui Kankimäki "Naised, kellest ma öösiti mõtlen" sulle kohe eriti meeldis, siis arvesta, et Nellie Bly oli üks neist tema öönaistest (kellest ta kahjuks küll oma raamatus nii lühidalt kirjutas).
June 6, 2021
Nellie avait l'air d'être une sacrée tête à claques mais son périple était impressionnant !
Perso, je crois que j'aurais pas tenu trois jours ! 😆
Perso, je crois que j'aurais pas tenu trois jours ! 😆
August 9, 2022
http://www.hyperebaaktiivne.ee/2022/0...
Nellie Bly "Seitsmekümne kahe päevaga ümber maailma" on mu tahan-lugeda listis olnud sellest ajast saati kui lugesin Mia Kankimäki öönaistest (blogipostitus). See on teine raamat, mille sünnipäevaks saadud kinkekaardi eest ostsin. Aitäh, Kati!
1888. aastal käis juba varasemalt ajakirjanduslike eksperimentidega veidi tuntust kogunud Nellie Bly oma peatoimetajale välja järgmise pöörase idee - nimelt tahtis naine teha maakerale kiiremini tiiru peale kui kangelane Jules Verne'i romaanis "80 päevaga ümber maailma". Esmalt ei võtnud toimetaja vedu, kuid aasta hiljem andis ta Blyle 2 päeva reisiks valmistumiseks. Erinevalt paljudest kaasaegsetest, kes lugematul hulgal pagasit kaasas kandsid, piirdus naine ühe kleidi ja ühe mantliga ning veidi nipet-näpet mahtus talle veel kotti. Reis viis ajakirjaniku läbi Inglismaa ja Prantsusmaa, kus ta kohtus muuseas põgusalt Jules Verne'i endaga, enne kui Itaaliasse suundus. Edasi viis teekond läbi Suessi kanali ja erinevate koloniaalmaade ning viimaks Jaapani kaudu tagasi Ameerikasse, kus teda üle mandri sõitmiseks suisa erarong ootas.
Mul on alati varuks meeldiv veendumus, et miski pole võimatu, kui vaid paras jagu energiat õigesse kohta suunata. Kui ma tahan, et midagi tehtaks, ja seda ikka viimasel minutil, ning mulle vastatakse:
„Liiga hilja. Vaevalt seda teha annab", vastan lihtsalt: “Jama! Kui te vähegi tahate, siis saate sellega hakkama. Küsimus on: kas te tahate?"
Ma pole veel näinud meest ega naist, keda seesugune vastus ei ärgitaks tegema kõike, mis tema võimuses.
Kui me teistelt head tööd ootame või ise midagi saavutada tahame, ei maksa kunagi ettevõtmise tulemustes kahelda.
"Seitsmekümne kahe päevaga ümber maailma" oli täpselt paras raamat reisile kaasa võtmiseks - kaalult kerge, sisult kaasahaarav ja hariv. Teosest ei tasu oodata avastusretke ega turismireisi, sest see on siiski võidujooks ajaga. Enamik sellest möödub laevapardal, kuid laevagraafikute tõttu tekib lühemaid ja pikemaid peatusi, mis võimaldavad ajakirjanikul peatuspaikadega tutvuda ja ta kasutab võimalusi maksimaalselt ära. Nautisin väga kuidas tollal oligi iga koht oma näoga, samas kui tänapäeval võid igas maailma nurgas Coca-Colat juua.
Kujutan ette, kui põnev reisi omal ajal ajakirja vahendusel jälgida võis olla, oodata pingsalt Nellie Bly järgmist reportaaži. Ta kirjeldab toimunut väga elavalt ja ühtmoodi huvitav oli lugeda nii kummalistest nähtustest kaugetel maadel kui ka sellest, kuidas üldse 19. sajandil reisimine välja nägi. Ajakirjanik annab ülevaate umbsetest kajutitest, merehaigusest, esimese klassi reisijate meelelahutusest ja kaaslastest, kes tal teel tekivad. Naine teeb kõike muud kui järgib ühiskonna norme, võttes üksinda reisi ette ja lausa lust oli lugeda, kui palju oli džentelmene, kes ta enda hoole alla tahtsid võtta. Kahtlasi tüüpe esines muidugi ka.
Eriti nauditavaks muudavad loetu autori nakkav optimism ja teravad kommentaarid. Mul oli tahtmine terveid lõike välja kirjutada ning sageli muigasin omaette või pahvatasin valju häälega naerma. Kohati ma aga ei teadnudki, kas nutta või naerda. Näiteks üks tema tähelepanek oli põhimõtteliselt see, kuidas hiinlased on koledad ning lollid, aga jaapanlased ilusad ja targad. 19. sajandi meelelaad erineb tänasest ikka kardinaalselt. Kui mina ostan suveniiriks magneti, siis Nellie Bly soetab ahvi.
Nellie Bly "Seitsmekümne kahe päevaga ümber maailma" on mu tahan-lugeda listis olnud sellest ajast saati kui lugesin Mia Kankimäki öönaistest (blogipostitus). See on teine raamat, mille sünnipäevaks saadud kinkekaardi eest ostsin. Aitäh, Kati!
1888. aastal käis juba varasemalt ajakirjanduslike eksperimentidega veidi tuntust kogunud Nellie Bly oma peatoimetajale välja järgmise pöörase idee - nimelt tahtis naine teha maakerale kiiremini tiiru peale kui kangelane Jules Verne'i romaanis "80 päevaga ümber maailma". Esmalt ei võtnud toimetaja vedu, kuid aasta hiljem andis ta Blyle 2 päeva reisiks valmistumiseks. Erinevalt paljudest kaasaegsetest, kes lugematul hulgal pagasit kaasas kandsid, piirdus naine ühe kleidi ja ühe mantliga ning veidi nipet-näpet mahtus talle veel kotti. Reis viis ajakirjaniku läbi Inglismaa ja Prantsusmaa, kus ta kohtus muuseas põgusalt Jules Verne'i endaga, enne kui Itaaliasse suundus. Edasi viis teekond läbi Suessi kanali ja erinevate koloniaalmaade ning viimaks Jaapani kaudu tagasi Ameerikasse, kus teda üle mandri sõitmiseks suisa erarong ootas.
Mul on alati varuks meeldiv veendumus, et miski pole võimatu, kui vaid paras jagu energiat õigesse kohta suunata. Kui ma tahan, et midagi tehtaks, ja seda ikka viimasel minutil, ning mulle vastatakse:
„Liiga hilja. Vaevalt seda teha annab", vastan lihtsalt: “Jama! Kui te vähegi tahate, siis saate sellega hakkama. Küsimus on: kas te tahate?"
Ma pole veel näinud meest ega naist, keda seesugune vastus ei ärgitaks tegema kõike, mis tema võimuses.
Kui me teistelt head tööd ootame või ise midagi saavutada tahame, ei maksa kunagi ettevõtmise tulemustes kahelda.
"Seitsmekümne kahe päevaga ümber maailma" oli täpselt paras raamat reisile kaasa võtmiseks - kaalult kerge, sisult kaasahaarav ja hariv. Teosest ei tasu oodata avastusretke ega turismireisi, sest see on siiski võidujooks ajaga. Enamik sellest möödub laevapardal, kuid laevagraafikute tõttu tekib lühemaid ja pikemaid peatusi, mis võimaldavad ajakirjanikul peatuspaikadega tutvuda ja ta kasutab võimalusi maksimaalselt ära. Nautisin väga kuidas tollal oligi iga koht oma näoga, samas kui tänapäeval võid igas maailma nurgas Coca-Colat juua.
Kujutan ette, kui põnev reisi omal ajal ajakirja vahendusel jälgida võis olla, oodata pingsalt Nellie Bly järgmist reportaaži. Ta kirjeldab toimunut väga elavalt ja ühtmoodi huvitav oli lugeda nii kummalistest nähtustest kaugetel maadel kui ka sellest, kuidas üldse 19. sajandil reisimine välja nägi. Ajakirjanik annab ülevaate umbsetest kajutitest, merehaigusest, esimese klassi reisijate meelelahutusest ja kaaslastest, kes tal teel tekivad. Naine teeb kõike muud kui järgib ühiskonna norme, võttes üksinda reisi ette ja lausa lust oli lugeda, kui palju oli džentelmene, kes ta enda hoole alla tahtsid võtta. Kahtlasi tüüpe esines muidugi ka.
Eriti nauditavaks muudavad loetu autori nakkav optimism ja teravad kommentaarid. Mul oli tahtmine terveid lõike välja kirjutada ning sageli muigasin omaette või pahvatasin valju häälega naerma. Kohati ma aga ei teadnudki, kas nutta või naerda. Näiteks üks tema tähelepanek oli põhimõtteliselt see, kuidas hiinlased on koledad ning lollid, aga jaapanlased ilusad ja targad. 19. sajandi meelelaad erineb tänasest ikka kardinaalselt. Kui mina ostan suveniiriks magneti, siis Nellie Bly soetab ahvi.
January 29, 2016
I highly enjoyed her lighthearted tale of her adventurous trip around the world. For the time period she was exceptionally ambitious for a woman. She was definitely groundbreaking both as a woman and a journalist. Although it was obvious "publicity stunt" she tackles it with journalistic integrity and spunk.
There are several passages that are, softly put, passively racist. It is more a product of the times in her ignorant view of the cultures she encounters. It is seen in most travel literature of the times. Another instance is her description of "minstrel shows" which took place during one of the sea voyages to amuse the passengers. Again, popular at the time, but very uncouth to today's reader.
Overall I found it a very inspiring account by a very inspiring woman.
There are several passages that are, softly put, passively racist. It is more a product of the times in her ignorant view of the cultures she encounters. It is seen in most travel literature of the times. Another instance is her description of "minstrel shows" which took place during one of the sea voyages to amuse the passengers. Again, popular at the time, but very uncouth to today's reader.
Overall I found it a very inspiring account by a very inspiring woman.
February 6, 2022
Toisinaan bestseller-kirjat saadaan suomeksi välittömästi ilmestymisensä jälkeen, toisinaan joudutaan odottelemaan hieman pidempi tovi. Kirjoittajanimellä Nellie Bly tunnetun Elizabeth Jane Cochranin (1864–1922) menestysteos Maailman ympäri 72 päivässä ilmestyi kirjamuodossa vuonna 1890 ja suomeksi 2021 pienen Punos-kustantamon Tuija Tuomaalan suomennoksena. Punos on erikoistunut unohdettujen klassikoiden ja vanhojen kirjahelmien julkaisemiseen, ja sille agendalle tämä kirja sopii erinomaisesti.
Taustalla on tietenkin menestysromaani: Jules Vernen Maailman ympäri 80 päivässä julkaistiin ensimmäistä kertaa vuonna 1872. Siinä vedonlyönti maailmanympärimatkan onnistumisesta saa alkunsa artikkelista, jossa kerrotaan uuden rautatieyhteyden avaamisesta Intiassa. Maailmanympärimatkailu tähän maailmanaikaan onkin monessa mielessä Brittiläisen imperiumin ympäri matkailua. Imperiumia ylläpitävä koneisto mahdollistaa nopean matkanteon.
Nellie Bly keksii siis juttuidean maailman kiertämisestä nopeammin kuin Phileas Fogg. Päätoimittaja Joseph Pulitzerin omistamassa New York World -lehdessä tyrmää idean, kun Bly esittää sitä ensimmäistä kertaa vuonna 1888: yksinäinen nainenko muka lähtisi tällaiselle matkalle! Vuotta myöhemmin Bly kuitenkin lähtee matkaan. Asiassa auttoi Blyn tuossa vaiheessa karttunut maine Worldin tähtitoimittajana. Ennen tätä maailmanympärimatkaa tutkivan journalismin pioneereihin kuulunut Bly oli jo ehtinyt kirjoittaa laajasti tehtaiden naistyöläisten oikeuksista, raportoida Porfirio Díazin hallitseman Meksikon oloista puolen vuoden ajan ja kirjautua newyorkilaiseen mielisairaalaan kymmeneksi päiväksi voidakseen raportoida omakohtaisesti mielisairaanhoidon kurjista oloista.
Niinpä kun Bly sanoo, että joko hän lähtee matkalle Worldin nimiin tai jonkun kilpailijan leivissä, Bly saa luvan lähteä matkaan. Kuten kirjan nimikin paljastaa, Blyn onnistuu tehdä matka selvästi Phileas Foggia nopeammin, vain 72 päivässä. Matkan varrelle mahtui sekä hyvää tuuria että epäonnea. Lisäksi Bly sai vasta Hong Kongissa tietää, että samana päivänä matkaan oli lähtenyt toinen naistoimittaja, joka tekee matkaa toiseen suuntaan kilpaillen Blytä vastaan.
Bly matkusti höyrylaivoilla ja junalla. Matka vie ensin Englantiin, sieltä Kanaalin yli Ranskaan, jossa Bly vierailee tapaamassa Jules Verneä. Ranskasta postijuna vie hänet Italiaan, sieltä laivalla Suezin kanavan kautta – vuonna 1869 avattu kanava oli sekin uutuus, joka nopeutti matkaa – Sri Lankalle. Siellä Bly joutuu odottelemaan hyvän tovin laivaa, joka vie hänet Singaporeen. Singaporesta matka jatkuu Hong Kongiin, jossa on toinen pidempi pysähdys. Myös seuraavalla etapilla Jokohamassa on odottelua. Lopulta laiva vie hänet Tyynen meren yli San Franciscoon, josta juna kiidättää Blyn Chicagon kautta takaisin New Yorkiin.
Kirjassa kuvataan matkantekoa kepeästi ja hauskasti, Bly tekee tarkkoja ja humoristisia huomioita näkemistään paikoista ja kanssamatkustajistaan. Olosuhteet junissa ja laivoissa herättävät välillä terävää kritiikkiä, välillä haltioitunutta ihastelua. Bly matkustaa kevyesti; voisitteko itse kuvitella lähtevänne maailmanympärimatkalle vain yhden käsilaukun kanssa? Matkoillaan Bly kohtaa muun muassa gentlemannin, joka haluaisi puolisokseen vähiin tavaroihin tyytyvän naisen – miehellä itsellään kun on 19 matka-arkullista tavaroita mukanaan. Matkailijoita on ylipäänsä liikkeellä varsin paljon, osa työasioissa ja osa huvin vuoksi. Bly kohtaa muitakin maailmanympärimatkailijoita, kuten miehen, joka on tehnyt jo useammankin maailmanympärimatkan.
Kirja on aikansa ilmiö. Se näkyy toiseuden kuvaamisessa. Erityisen kovasti Bly kohtelee Kiinaa. Hong Kongissa ollessaan Bly vierailee Kantonissa, eikä tästä etapista ole juurikaan kaunista kerrottavaa. Bly muun muassa kuvailee yksityiskohtaisesti kiinalaisia kuolemanrangaistus- ja kidutusmenetelmiä. Päästessään Japaniin Bly päätyy vertailemaan inhottavan likaisia kiinalaisia ja täydellisen puhtaita ja ihastuttavia japanilaisia. Nykyaikaan kumpikaan käsittelytapa ei oikein istu, saman orientalismin ja eksotiikan kääntöpuolia molemmat.
Bly päätyy muun muassa ostamaan matkan varrelta itselleen pienen apinan: "Olin vastustanut houkutusta ostaa Port Saidista poika ja tukahduttanut halun ostaa Colombosta singaleesityttö, mutta kun näin apinan, tahdonvoimani katosi ja aloin välittömästi tehdä siitä kauppaa." Ajankuvaa, totta tosiaan. Epäilemättä aikakauden yleisö on saanut ihmetellä Blyn kuvaillessa kaukomaita, toki myös kauniisti ja ihaillen, mutta myös niiden asukkaita esineellistäen. Selvästikään yleinen ihmisarvo ei vielä toteutunut.
Ikäisekseen Maailman ympäri 72 päivässä on sujuva teos, se oli nopealukuinen ja miellyttävä. Se on hieno kertomus yksinäisestä naisesta, joka ei anna sukupuolensa rajoittaa menemistä ja tekemistä. Kirja on myös mielenkiintoinen kuvaus Brittiläisen imperiumin kukoistuksen ajasta, vaikka ei kovin laajasti maailmaa ehdikään tarkastella, kun Blyn on vain kiidettävä eteenpäin junalla ja laivalla. Suomennos on ansiokas lisä käännettyyn kirjallisuuteen; jokunen kuva ja kartta olisi kuitenkin parantanut teosta.
Matkan ennätys ei pysynyt Blyn hallussa pitkään. Muutamaa kuukautta myöhemmin George Francis Train suoritti matkan ensin 67 päivässä ja kolmannella matkallaan 60 päivässä. Vuonna 1913 maailma oli pienentynyt jo sen verran, että John Henry Mearsin onnistui tehdä matka 36 päivässä. 1920-luvulla kuvioihin tulivat ilmalaivat ja lentokoneet, jonka jälkeen suorituksen luonne muuttui toisenlaiseksi.
Taustalla on tietenkin menestysromaani: Jules Vernen Maailman ympäri 80 päivässä julkaistiin ensimmäistä kertaa vuonna 1872. Siinä vedonlyönti maailmanympärimatkan onnistumisesta saa alkunsa artikkelista, jossa kerrotaan uuden rautatieyhteyden avaamisesta Intiassa. Maailmanympärimatkailu tähän maailmanaikaan onkin monessa mielessä Brittiläisen imperiumin ympäri matkailua. Imperiumia ylläpitävä koneisto mahdollistaa nopean matkanteon.
Nellie Bly keksii siis juttuidean maailman kiertämisestä nopeammin kuin Phileas Fogg. Päätoimittaja Joseph Pulitzerin omistamassa New York World -lehdessä tyrmää idean, kun Bly esittää sitä ensimmäistä kertaa vuonna 1888: yksinäinen nainenko muka lähtisi tällaiselle matkalle! Vuotta myöhemmin Bly kuitenkin lähtee matkaan. Asiassa auttoi Blyn tuossa vaiheessa karttunut maine Worldin tähtitoimittajana. Ennen tätä maailmanympärimatkaa tutkivan journalismin pioneereihin kuulunut Bly oli jo ehtinyt kirjoittaa laajasti tehtaiden naistyöläisten oikeuksista, raportoida Porfirio Díazin hallitseman Meksikon oloista puolen vuoden ajan ja kirjautua newyorkilaiseen mielisairaalaan kymmeneksi päiväksi voidakseen raportoida omakohtaisesti mielisairaanhoidon kurjista oloista.
Niinpä kun Bly sanoo, että joko hän lähtee matkalle Worldin nimiin tai jonkun kilpailijan leivissä, Bly saa luvan lähteä matkaan. Kuten kirjan nimikin paljastaa, Blyn onnistuu tehdä matka selvästi Phileas Foggia nopeammin, vain 72 päivässä. Matkan varrelle mahtui sekä hyvää tuuria että epäonnea. Lisäksi Bly sai vasta Hong Kongissa tietää, että samana päivänä matkaan oli lähtenyt toinen naistoimittaja, joka tekee matkaa toiseen suuntaan kilpaillen Blytä vastaan.
Bly matkusti höyrylaivoilla ja junalla. Matka vie ensin Englantiin, sieltä Kanaalin yli Ranskaan, jossa Bly vierailee tapaamassa Jules Verneä. Ranskasta postijuna vie hänet Italiaan, sieltä laivalla Suezin kanavan kautta – vuonna 1869 avattu kanava oli sekin uutuus, joka nopeutti matkaa – Sri Lankalle. Siellä Bly joutuu odottelemaan hyvän tovin laivaa, joka vie hänet Singaporeen. Singaporesta matka jatkuu Hong Kongiin, jossa on toinen pidempi pysähdys. Myös seuraavalla etapilla Jokohamassa on odottelua. Lopulta laiva vie hänet Tyynen meren yli San Franciscoon, josta juna kiidättää Blyn Chicagon kautta takaisin New Yorkiin.
Kirjassa kuvataan matkantekoa kepeästi ja hauskasti, Bly tekee tarkkoja ja humoristisia huomioita näkemistään paikoista ja kanssamatkustajistaan. Olosuhteet junissa ja laivoissa herättävät välillä terävää kritiikkiä, välillä haltioitunutta ihastelua. Bly matkustaa kevyesti; voisitteko itse kuvitella lähtevänne maailmanympärimatkalle vain yhden käsilaukun kanssa? Matkoillaan Bly kohtaa muun muassa gentlemannin, joka haluaisi puolisokseen vähiin tavaroihin tyytyvän naisen – miehellä itsellään kun on 19 matka-arkullista tavaroita mukanaan. Matkailijoita on ylipäänsä liikkeellä varsin paljon, osa työasioissa ja osa huvin vuoksi. Bly kohtaa muitakin maailmanympärimatkailijoita, kuten miehen, joka on tehnyt jo useammankin maailmanympärimatkan.
Kirja on aikansa ilmiö. Se näkyy toiseuden kuvaamisessa. Erityisen kovasti Bly kohtelee Kiinaa. Hong Kongissa ollessaan Bly vierailee Kantonissa, eikä tästä etapista ole juurikaan kaunista kerrottavaa. Bly muun muassa kuvailee yksityiskohtaisesti kiinalaisia kuolemanrangaistus- ja kidutusmenetelmiä. Päästessään Japaniin Bly päätyy vertailemaan inhottavan likaisia kiinalaisia ja täydellisen puhtaita ja ihastuttavia japanilaisia. Nykyaikaan kumpikaan käsittelytapa ei oikein istu, saman orientalismin ja eksotiikan kääntöpuolia molemmat.
Bly päätyy muun muassa ostamaan matkan varrelta itselleen pienen apinan: "Olin vastustanut houkutusta ostaa Port Saidista poika ja tukahduttanut halun ostaa Colombosta singaleesityttö, mutta kun näin apinan, tahdonvoimani katosi ja aloin välittömästi tehdä siitä kauppaa." Ajankuvaa, totta tosiaan. Epäilemättä aikakauden yleisö on saanut ihmetellä Blyn kuvaillessa kaukomaita, toki myös kauniisti ja ihaillen, mutta myös niiden asukkaita esineellistäen. Selvästikään yleinen ihmisarvo ei vielä toteutunut.
Ikäisekseen Maailman ympäri 72 päivässä on sujuva teos, se oli nopealukuinen ja miellyttävä. Se on hieno kertomus yksinäisestä naisesta, joka ei anna sukupuolensa rajoittaa menemistä ja tekemistä. Kirja on myös mielenkiintoinen kuvaus Brittiläisen imperiumin kukoistuksen ajasta, vaikka ei kovin laajasti maailmaa ehdikään tarkastella, kun Blyn on vain kiidettävä eteenpäin junalla ja laivalla. Suomennos on ansiokas lisä käännettyyn kirjallisuuteen; jokunen kuva ja kartta olisi kuitenkin parantanut teosta.
Matkan ennätys ei pysynyt Blyn hallussa pitkään. Muutamaa kuukautta myöhemmin George Francis Train suoritti matkan ensin 67 päivässä ja kolmannella matkallaan 60 päivässä. Vuonna 1913 maailma oli pienentynyt jo sen verran, että John Henry Mearsin onnistui tehdä matka 36 päivässä. 1920-luvulla kuvioihin tulivat ilmalaivat ja lentokoneet, jonka jälkeen suorituksen luonne muuttui toisenlaiseksi.
September 12, 2014
An enchanting, true account, of a brave and daring woman who endeavored to challenge the protagonist of Jules Vern's novel and travel around the world in less than 80 days. It was a pure delight to read! The writing style lovely and descriptive and her account chalk full of wonderful history! I especially loved her chapter that described her voyage on the Oceanic and captained by none other than Captain E.J. Smith!! All in all a delightful and much recommended read!
March 12, 2018
Finally, completed this after months of dragging through the pages.
Her remarkable stints at the madhouse (what an eye-opener!) and reporting directly from the firing line was clouded by her tone of disdain on her travels to lesser developed regions.
Her meeting with Jules Verne was a high point and her recount of her extraordinary travels definitely pales in comparison with the esteemed writer.
I find her strides in feminism impactful with her gung-ho and get-it-done attitude.
Her remarkable stints at the madhouse (what an eye-opener!) and reporting directly from the firing line was clouded by her tone of disdain on her travels to lesser developed regions.
Her meeting with Jules Verne was a high point and her recount of her extraordinary travels definitely pales in comparison with the esteemed writer.
I find her strides in feminism impactful with her gung-ho and get-it-done attitude.
April 30, 2021
This was a fun listen. It is in the public domain so I downloaded it via Librivox and very much enjoyed the excellent narration by Mary Reagan.
This is the story of Nellie Bly's trip around the world in 1889, starting in New York and using primarily steamships and railroads. She wanted to best the 80 day trip around the world portrayed in Jules Verne's famous novel. One of the neatest parts of her trip is that she went out of the way to visit Jules Verne and his wife in Northern France, and she recounts the meeting in detail.
She was understandably in a hurry for most of the trip so she didn't spend that much time in any given place, so her descriptions of the places she visited aren't usually deep. She does give details of the differences in the trains and ships she traveled in, which was interesting.
Through her travels she meets and travels some legs with a number of interesting people. Her takes about the different cultures she is immersed in is really interesting - for example she had very little nice to say about the Chinese but adored the Japanese dearly.
Her trip and travel arrangements were sponsored by the newspaper she worked for and when she was delayed getting in to San Francisco a train was chartered to get her back to the east coast to keep her on schedule.
The ending was neat. She named all the locations visited on her route and even gave statistics about the trip like average miles per hour and time of her delays. She actually went through surprisingly few independent countries, once she got past Europe she visited various British colonies and territories. This was quite an achievement for a woman traveling alone in the late 19th century.
This is the story of Nellie Bly's trip around the world in 1889, starting in New York and using primarily steamships and railroads. She wanted to best the 80 day trip around the world portrayed in Jules Verne's famous novel. One of the neatest parts of her trip is that she went out of the way to visit Jules Verne and his wife in Northern France, and she recounts the meeting in detail.
She was understandably in a hurry for most of the trip so she didn't spend that much time in any given place, so her descriptions of the places she visited aren't usually deep. She does give details of the differences in the trains and ships she traveled in, which was interesting.
Through her travels she meets and travels some legs with a number of interesting people. Her takes about the different cultures she is immersed in is really interesting - for example she had very little nice to say about the Chinese but adored the Japanese dearly.
Her trip and travel arrangements were sponsored by the newspaper she worked for and when she was delayed getting in to San Francisco a train was chartered to get her back to the east coast to keep her on schedule.
The ending was neat. She named all the locations visited on her route and even gave statistics about the trip like average miles per hour and time of her delays. She actually went through surprisingly few independent countries, once she got past Europe she visited various British colonies and territories. This was quite an achievement for a woman traveling alone in the late 19th century.
Read
December 10, 2023مش هديله تقييم لأني مش قادره اكمله الحقيقة
للاسف الكتاب اللي استعارته ف مقالات تانيه + كتاب حول العالم ف ٧٢ يوم ف بدأت بيهم ومأخدتش بالي ف اتأفلت من الكتاب كله
الخط صغير كمان حاسه الكلام قديم وف بطىء
يلا معلش 🤭
اللي بعده 🏃♀️
للاسف الكتاب اللي استعارته ف مقالات تانيه + كتاب حول العالم ف ٧٢ يوم ف بدأت بيهم ومأخدتش بالي ف اتأفلت من الكتاب كله
الخط صغير كمان حاسه الكلام قديم وف بطىء
يلا معلش 🤭
اللي بعده 🏃♀️
August 17, 2020
The greatest value of this is in being able to read about how Americans in the late 19th century thought about technology, other cultures, and feminism. It was interesting to see what has changed and what remains similar.
September 14, 2016
I really wish the editor had added illustrations and photos to this printing. There are so many antiquated and/or foreign boats, carriages, etc. mentioned that it would be greatly beneficial to have pictures (rather than having to put the book down every half page and google something). As it is an around-the-world travel account from the turn of the last century, it would have been all the more engrossing to have map depictions of her path and the places she stopped along the way, photographs of cultural dress and countrysides, vehicular illustrations, etc. to go along with Miss Bly's descriptions. The time and geographical gap makes it difficult to picture everything, but it would be a very rich account with the addition of visual aids; Miss Bly says herself in the book that her biggest regret was not purchasing a Kodak to take with her on the trip. Her writing alternates from nonlinear and difficult to follow accounts to absolutely beautiful prose. There is certainly language that makes the modern, PC-minded reader cringe, but we have to bear in mind the time period in which this was written, and I felt that Miss Bly's candid observations were rarely ethnocentric. If nothing else, it's worth reading the last two (short) chapters, 'Across the Continent' and 'The Record' which detail her whirlwind train trip across the continent, and the wonderful way that the country showed out to congratulate and cheer her on, and all of the records that she broke, the miles that she travelled, etc.
I'm checking off the following for the this book:
-A book with a number in the title
-A book by a female author
-A nonfiction book
-A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet
-A book more than 100 years old
I'm checking off the following for the this book:
-A book with a number in the title
-A book by a female author
-A nonfiction book
-A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet
-A book more than 100 years old
January 26, 2022
So, the beginning of this book was fun and interesting, when a young woman who has never left the US (or New York?) gets to travel around the world to many foreign countries on a quest to break the record of 80 days. She has the money (from her newspaper) to pay for first class tickets, chartered trains, etc. The book should definitely be read as a document of the times (late 1800s) when it comes to views of foreign cultures, gender roles, and acceptance and non-acceptance of such. As the book goes along more and more started to irk me. If this was written for the public to be published in a newspaper as a series, then why such long descriptions of certain things and big gaps in others? Why the focus on filthy people without the understanding of poverty? Why go to a execution place of criminals in China and seeing a cremation in Japan without putting it into some kind of larger context? It is like she is a reporter without any background knowledge of the cultures and colonization and trade. It surprised me greatly, but maybe shouldn't have. After all she did the journey when she was young and inexperienced, and she was a product of that time and the US society. She certainly is frank and opinionated just like an American :) (Yes, I am generalizing, but so does she in this book, in an awfully frequent way.). I learned some geography by reading this (Brindisi, Aden) and don't at all regret reading it. It was an experience (and worth more than 2 stars), but the book content itself is not worth more than 2 stars today. It was an easy read too.
February 19, 2018
Impossible de donner plus de 3 étoiles. Le livre est trop problématique, malgré sa grande valeur historique. Aucun doute sur le fait que Nellie Bly est un personnage incontournable de l'histoire de l'émancipation des femmes, c'est pour ça que les jeunes américain(e)s en entende beaucoup parler. Mais, comme bien d'autres sujets historiques, son discours a très mal vieilli. On parle donc d'elle dans les écoles, de sa personnalité de "daredevil", mais on ne la fait pas lire. Comment pourrait-il en être autrement, alors qu'il faudrait toujours remettre en contexte de nombreux passages comme: "The Chinese are not pleasing appearing people"? Le reportage qui l'a rendue célèbre, Around the World in Seventy-Two Days, est un cas d'espèce de ce paradoxe: à la fois un document fascinant sur la liberté féminine qui refuse de considérer les obstacles à une époque où le monde était totalement dirigé par des hommes, et le récit en direct des préjugés d'une jeune américaine et des affres de l'impérialisme (ici surtout britannique). En effet, quel projet magnifique et absurde simultanément que de faire le tour du monde le plus rapidement possible? Et Bly a réussi son défi: elle nous a montré à quel point les humains pouvaient maintenant (en 1889) courser contre le soleil lui-même tout en nous démontrant (dans ses angles morts) à quel point parler du monde quand on le traverse en trombes confine aux platitudes, à la condescendance et au racisme.
June 10, 2016
Trail-blazing woman in a time of progress. I was born at the tail end of era of progress. So I can understand the energy and excitement tthat Bly and her readers experienced. I understand that Bly engaged in unconventional and risqué behaviors in just pursuing the goal of going around the world and surpassing her goal of 75 days. I just don't know what revelance this story has for us today. I can see this story possibly firing a young girl's imagination, maybe. I enjoyed the story and found nothing surprising.
June 27, 2016
The book was very well organized and annotated. While I enjoyed many of the articles, the primary work, "Around the World in Seventy-Two Days" was...well...boring. Setting aside the widely inappropriate racist comments as a product of the time period, the whole piece was self-serving and flat. I would have expected a young woman seeing the color, smells and sights of the wide-world to be a bit more curious and enthusiastic but that was not the case.
Nellie Bly was more interested in describing the condition of the roads at each port stop than she was the food, culture or people!
Nellie Bly was more interested in describing the condition of the roads at each port stop than she was the food, culture or people!
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