A Novel Journey: Masterclass in Pacing
Rereading Around the World in 80 Days reminded me that great pacing isn’t about speed—it’s about control. Verne moves the story forward with the precision of a railway schedule, each chapter a carefully timed stop. The result is a narrative that never idles, never rushes, and never loses its way.
Pacing a narrative has always challenged me. You must provide enough detail to immerse the reader in the world you’re building—but not so much that the scene overtakes the story. As I work on my novel, I’ve come to appreciate how fine the line is between the immersive and the excessive.
After rereading Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, I found myself inspired. The novel is a brilliant example of masterful pacing, blending urgency, structure, and variation with literary precision.
My appreciation for Verne’s craft only deepened as I began to analyze why the story’s rhythm feels so satisfying. He employs a number of techniques to maintain a compelling tempo without sacrificing clarity or engagement.
The central conceit—a wager requiring the protagonist to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days—creates a built-in momentum the narrative must obey. This ticking clock forces forward motion and prevents stagnation. Every delay tightens the tension. Every success is a temporary reprieve.
Each chapter or location serves as a self-contained vignette with a compact narrative arc. These episodes are complete enough to feel substantial but brief enough to avoid lingering. Together, they create a steady rhythm that carries the reader effortlessly through the story.
Yet within that rhythm, Verne finds variation. He introduces setbacks at just the right moments, shifts narrative focus between characters, and balances the calm precision of Phileas Fogg with the exuberant energy of Passepartout. The result is a story that feels in constant motion, yet never chaotic.
Verne’s prose itself is remarkably economical. Each sentence delivers just enough detail to spark the imagination—vivid, but never indulgent. He sketches scenes in bold, efficient strokes. In this way, he is as disciplined with language as Fogg is with emotion.
As the journey nears its end, the tempo quickens. Events unfold with increasing urgency, mirroring the dwindling days of the wager. The novel’s final chapters pulse with energy, culminating in a resolution that lands with precision and satisfaction.
Around the World in 80 Days is a masterclass in pacing because every narrative choice serves the larger momentum of the story. It’s a travel novel that never drifts—precise, efficient, and unrelentingly forward-moving. Much like Fogg himself.