Reviews

Around the World in Seventy-Two Days: And Other Writings by Nellie Bly

tombuoni's review against another edition

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Investigative Journalist Nellie Bly’s 1890 real-life account of her solo trip around the world - in 72 days! 8 days quicker than Phileas Fogg’s more famous fictional account, eighteen years prior. Nellie starts off in New York, takes a steamer to London, goes to Paris, meets Jules Verne and his elegant wife, takes a train across Europe, takes some more steamships across the Mediterranean to Egypt, goes through the new Suez Canal, and onto Sri Lanka, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and back to San Francisco for a cross-continental train trip back to good ol’ NYC. Along the way, she generally stays within the colonial reach of the still alive-and-well British empire, but plucky Nellie has a good time at it - she gets a pet monkey, has amusing encounters with fellow passengers, unfortunate asides about the locals (she loves Japan, doesn’t like China), some close calls with some sketchy male travelers, and otherwise lots of complaints about her travel accommodations. Her only regret was that she forgot her Kodak at home! It’s a fun account overall, and easy read. I discovered Nellie Bly from Alexandra Petri’s history parody, and glad I learned about this Victorian reporter who made it around the world, and lived to tell the tale!

p2rdik's review against another edition

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4.0

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.

illyanadallas222's review against another edition

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4.0

Through Bly's journalism during the Gilded age (before women were allowed to vote) was ground breaking. She went places and did things that women had never done before. Her record-breaking trip around the world in 72 days with one dress on her person and one luggage was one of her most well known exploits. Her most daring undertaking was purposefully exposing the monstrosities that happen to women in Mental Institutions. Thus she got herself committed to a women's insane asylum for ten days in order to write a startling eposé of the abuses of the system. Bly also risked imprisonment in Mexico for writing critical pieces on the authoritarian government.

What Nelly Bly pioneered, is that facts alone don't change the world through journalism, but rather stories are what moves readers. So make your story as great as possible. Make your facts as enticing as possible. And little by little, you can change perspective's around the world.

scarletohhara's review against another edition

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4.0

The four stars are for the person Nellie Bly, the book itself which is her writing would be a 3 star, IMO. Great set of experiences!

kittymamers's review against another edition

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5.0

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.

kumipaul's review against another edition

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3.0

Absolutely totally different from Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 days. In that one, it was the bet and the tension of success vs. failure. However Nellie Bly's version is all about the people and the culture. No tension at all, so it was more of a travelogue. Since it was written in the late 1800's before the age of sensitivity, there are plenty of racist, sexist references and lots of cultural insensitivity, but Nellie herself proved to be tough, independent and incredulous at others who would doubt her. A worthwhile read for me.

libkatem's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging fast-paced
I only read Around the World. I liked her writing style, but there is a lot of period racism that was not surprising, but hard to read nonetheless. 

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ladynavalon's review against another edition

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5.0

Un libro que hay que leer sí o sí sobrr una mujer excepcional. Era un poco influencer de la época, pero hizo muchísimo que dar la vuelta al mundo. Su periodismo estaba dirigido a ayudar a la gente (mejorar condiciones de enfermos o trabajadores, por ejemplo) e incluso consiguió familias adoptivas para muchos huérfanos. Además, tiene una forma encantadora de contar las cosas o al menos así lo transmite la magnífica traducción de Silvia Moreno.

wingedwalls's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0


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graceburke's review against another edition

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3.0

the first half was so interesting and compelling and well written and the second half simply was not rip