The Company: A Novel of the CIA

Written by Robert Littell

Narrated by Scott Brick

Crisis constantly lurks around the corner, monitored by spies who are always with us. In this breathtaking thriller, a spectacular mole hunt is under way, one that involves not just the CIA—"The Company" to insiders—but Mossad, MI6, and the KGB as well.

Robert Littell, master of the espionage novel, has crafted an exciting story of agents imprisoned in double lives, fighting an enemy that is amoral, elusive, and formidable. The Company also lays bare a warfare within the CIA itself, adding another dimension to the spy vs. spy game.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Phoenix Books, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 1, 2007
• ISBN: 9781597779630

Robert Littell

Connoisseurs of the literary spy thriller have elevated Robert Littell to the genre's highest ranks - along with John le Carre, Len Deighton and Graham Greene. Littell's novels include The Defection of A.J. Lewinter, The October Circle, Mother Russia, The Amateur (which was made into a feature film), The Company, An Agent in Place and Walking Back the Cat. A former Newsweek journalist, Robert Littell is American, currently living in France.

Reviews for The Company

[rebecca790 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this book awhile ago so this review is not going to go into to much detail about what I liked and what I didn't like. However there is nothing about this book that I remember disliking.

I loved it. I stayed up all night reading it- it helped that I have never seen any of the movies or met anyone else that has read this book (OK I don't actually know if that is true I guess some of my teachers had probably read this book but I haven't spoken about this book with anyone else who read it.) and, because of that, I had no idea what was going to happen in the end or even during the book. I thought it was all very entertaining- it was one of the first classics I read without being told to.

When I finished it I said to myself, "Wow that was a good book." I love reading but that doesn't happen often for me (I can only think of two other books that have had that effect on me).

I recommend this book to everyone but especially people who like adventure stories or classics.

[deaflower · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My very first read of a Jules Verne classic, and I found it quite enjoyable. Very light hearted, and totally adventurous. Phineas Fogg was one of the main characters, and very determined, in wanting to get around the world in just 80 days. And I found his loyal servant Passpartout quite captivating. Many occurrences happened along the way, and it was interesting to see how they wrangled themselves out of each situation.

[zoes_human · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

DNF @ 36%. Good writing and description, but super colonialist and predictable.

[Mark Blomquist · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Maybe it is me. Not you. But me. This book seemed to walk down a path in my own but also in my country national's history. It was excellent and dark.

[juva_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A charming story about a stoic Englishman who is known for his punctuality. When the question arises at his club about the time it would take a man to traverse the globe, his answer of 80 days is so confident that he provokes a gentleman's bet. Promptly he departs, taking his newly hired, and completely befuddled French manservant. On the trip the pair encounter countless adventures and surmount numerous obstacles. Returning to England they believe the have arrived just a few moments short of their goal but really they are one day early because of the time change. In the end the protagonist wins the bet, saves his fortune and marries a beautiful woman he met along the way. Very enjoyable read.

[zeborah · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Having watched the miniseries with David Tennant for the third time, I thought I ought really to read the original in order to better understand how many liberties the adaptation took.The answer is "All of them - and good on it for that."I had known about the whole sati episode, so I was prepared for some racism. I wasn't however prepared for so much racism. Aouda is an acceptable heroine only because as a Parsee she is of the "highest of the native races of India", and "received a thoroughly English education [...], and, from her manners and intelligence, would be thought an European", and "spoke English with great purity", and her relative had made enough money to be made a baronet somehow. Meanwhile "the savage Papuans [...] are in the lowest scale of humanity, but are not, as has been asserted, cannibals," um. Um. I guess you're trying to be even-handed, Jules, but no, please just stop talking about people. Sadly there's more of this, so much more, and it's deeply embedded in the plot - so the miniseries had the best idea to just burn it down and start from scratch as a "vaguely inspired by distant recollections of".Aouda does get to make a pretty fantastic marriage proposal. It's a pity: she could do a lot better than some rich dude who proves that it's possible to travel around the world in 80 days if you have (in 2022 money) millions of pounds to throw at every obstacle in your path and don't mind occasionally skipping bail and fomenting mutiny.

[kslade-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good adventure story, but I was a bit surprised by the Mormon preacher in Utah--he was a crazy fanatic! This is a classic for anyone.

[funstm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Phileas Fogg is an English gentleman with a propensity for whist and punctuality. When the Bank of England is robbed of twenty thousand pounds, his friends discuss whether or not a robber could escape. Upon hearing that the world is small, Fogg concurs, explaining that one can travel around the world in eighty days. His companions agree in theory but argue that eighty days does not take into account bad weather, mechanical faults, timetable errors, etc and that it simply cannot be done. Fogg declares any and all delays are included in his reasoning and upon being told his friend would "like to see you do it." He responds, "It depends on you. Shall we go?". A wager is made, Fogg finishes his game of whist and proceeds to leave that night on an eighty day trip around the world.

With him, he takes only a few changes of clothes and money and his newly hired (as in literally that day because the other servant didn't heat his water properly) domicile, Jean Passepartout. At the same time, Detective Fix is sent abroad to look for the bank robber. When Passepartout and Fix cross paths, Fix is suspicious. Afterall how likely is it that an English gentleman leaves London in a bid to win a wager that he can travel around the world in eighty days? Much more likely he's the robber! And so, Fix follows along, hoping at each stop to obtain his arrest warrant and arrest the suspect. Only it doesn't go so well...

Passepartout and Fix are hilarious. Between one trying to stop Fogg, the other accidentally managing to stop him to them both trying to help, they provide much needed comic relief. Fogg for his part is unflappable. But although he is unmoved by panic or prone to the fits that plague Fix or Passepartout, he is not unfeeling. He may not care about delays but he is generous with his time and money. In one such venture he meets the lovely Aouda, an Indian woman he rescues from being burned alive. Aouda is grateful and ends up continuing to journey with Fogg for the rest of his journey. The romance between them is hinted at throughout, although remains unconfirmed until the end. The ending is amusing and had me laughing. Almost being late when they arrive a day early. All the more amusing because of the constant references to time. Overall I enjoyed this. It's not a perfect book but it's entertaining. 3 stars.

[hhornblower_3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I haven't read this in years, but still know the story fairly well (I certainly know how it ends) and yet my heart was still racing at the very end.

[jazz1987-395186 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne was a very quick but enjoyable read. One has to keep in mind, though, that it was written in the 1870's and had some pro-colonialism to the novel. Two things struck me while reading the story; first, was the Verne made his main character, Phileas Fogg, an Englishman and Jean Passepartout, Fogg's valet, a Frenchman who Verne was as well; secondly, there was a whole chapter dedicated to inform the reader on some Latter -day Saint (or Mormon) history that wasn't negative towards the religion (keep in mind at the time this book was written Utah was not a state thus polygamy wasn't outlawed.

The best parts, to me, were the descriptions of the geography and how ahead of time the novel was when it came to international travel. Nowadays, one can fly around the world in less than eighty days when, during the time, planes weren't even invented yet.

[ladycato · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's easy to see why it's a classic book; the framework of Around the World in 80 Days is great, a rousing adventure that shows various distinct places in the world in 1872, with an added police pursuit for complication. It's also easy to see why it is significantly modified in more modern filmed versions, as it is steeped in colonialism with an absolutely vapid main character and one major female character who is there to be rescued and adore the vapid main character. That said, after the first few chapters of info dump, it's a very fast read because of the pace of the action.

[astonishingchristina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Lively translation, although Butcher's notes are less helpful than they could be.

[etxgardener · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Having never read this book, I downloaded a free audiobook to see just how far from the original text the Masterpiece Theater mini-series is from the original source material. The answer to that is A LOT – so much so that the TV series would seem to be a wholly different story. As to the book, Verne wrote what could be called a “ripping yarn” with Phileas Fogg as the savant who can solve all problems on the trip around the globe, Fixx is the bumbling detective who is pursuing Fogg convinced that he has robbed the Bank of England of 50,000 pounds, Passerpartout provides comic relief, and the beautiful Indian widow Aouda provides the love interest. The “surprise” at the end of the novel will be no surprise to anyone who has traveled to the far east, but then in 1872 I’m assuming people weren’t as familiar with the International Date Line as they are today. My big quibble with the novel, is why Fogg hadn’t figured this out.

[ghr4 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days is an absolute joy. This gleeful romp, wherein Phileas Fogg places a bet with some associates at the Reform Club that he can indeed perform the titular feat in that prescribed timeframe. Verne is at his wittiest, with a wonderful cast of characters: Fogg, one of literature’s great eccentrics; his loyal and resourceful servant Passepartout; and the comically inept Detective Fix, in hot pursuit of Fogg who has become a suspect in a recent bank robbery. Along the way Verne provides panoramic travelogue summaries for each new locale, which colorfully set the scenes. The story flows like a giddy Wes Anderson screenplay - and, in my view, that’s a compliment to both Anderson and Verne.

[kevn57-163679 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved this book and can't believe I waited so long to read it, back in grammar school and high school I read most of Verne's SF but skipped this because it wasn't SF, big mistake. I'd recommend this fans of Verne, steampunk or adventure travel lovers.

[forsanolim · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I may have read an abridged version of this when I was very young, but I didn't remember the story at all, so reading this book was a fun experience. Phileas Fogg, accompanied by his servant Passepartout, sets out on a journey around the world aiming to win a bet. The two head east from London, using many different means of transportation and encountering assorted obstacles that threaten to slow them down.I'm definitely happy that I read it (I listened to it as an audiobook on a drive) and thought that it was cute, though I don't think that this will be an especially memorable book for me.

[ldvoorberg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Why is there a hot air balloon on the cover? Why is that image so closely associated with this book?
Spoiler: they never take a balloon. Huh.

Very much a book of its time, I think, though hard for me to judge if the author was sincere in his stereotypes that are often racist (by today's standards) or if he's offering social commentary through sarcasm or tongue-in-cheek descriptions. Those nuances are lost in time, though I suppose I could read literary criticism to find out what the academics say. He does caricature the Americans in a comical way, though. That, and his portrayal of French, Indian, British, and a few other nationalities, it is a bit of a world whirlwind tour of the stereotypes in the major world stage players. Maybe that's the symbolism of the hot air balloon?
This audiobook is very entertaining, with many sound effects and great accents and voices. Would captivate even a younger audience (8 maybe).

[brokentune · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

"A true Englishman doesn't joke when he is talking about so serious a thing as a wager," replied Phileas Fogg, solemnly.With this we're off to the one of the best adventure stories... And no matter how often I read this book, I still get excited about whether they will make it back to the Reform Club in time. Anyway, while Phileas Fogg is of course the originator of the bet and the driving force behind the trip. Having meticulously planned the route and conveyances that would allow him to circumnavigate the world, of course nothing goes to plan...Verne's writing is fantastic in this one, because it is both funny, sensitive, and informative, and you just want to be on that trip.But the absolute best part of the book is Fogg's man Passepartout. Passepartout was by no means one of those pert dunces depicted by Moliere with a bold gaze and a nose held high in the air; he was an honest fellow, with a pleasant face, lips a trifle protruding, soft-mannered and serviceable, with a good round head, such as one likes to see on the shoulders of a friend.He is the absolute hero of the story even though the original meeting between Fogg and Passepartou indicates that he had other plans for his time in Fogg's employment:"You are a Frenchman, I believe," asked Phileas Fogg, "and your name is John?" "Jean, if monsieur pleases," replied the newcomer, "Jean Passepartout, a surname which has clung to me because I have a natural aptness for going out of one business into another. I believe I'm honest, monsieur, but, to be outspoken, I've had several trades. I've been an itinerant singer, a circus-rider, when I used to vault like Leotard, and dance on a rope like Blondin. Then I got to be a professor of gymnastics, so as to make better use of my talents; and then I was a sergeant fireman at Paris, and assisted at many a big fire. But I quitted France five years ago, and, wishing to taste the sweets of domestic life, took service as a valet here in England. Finding myself out of place, and hearing that Monsieur Phileas Fogg was the most exact and settled gentleman in the United Kingdom, I have come to monsieur in the hope of living with him a tranquil life, and forgetting even the name of Passepartout."Such a great read.

[patsymurray · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The great strength of this novel is its call to adventure, ending with the line, "Truly, would you not for less than that make the tour around the world?" Its great weakness is that the reward Mr. Fogg has received for his trip is not financial, but "a charming woman, who, strange as it may appear, made him the happiest of men!" While this might be interpreted as love winning out over money, given the casual racism of the narrator, where everyone who is not an Englishman (including Mr. Fogg's loyal servant, Passepartout, a Frenchman), it is hard to know if what is strange about Mr. Fogg's happiness is that he prefers love over money, or that the object of his love is an Indian woman. This book is best read as a relic of its time (published as a newspaper serial in 1872), and in the context of other travel stories of roughly the same period, more than one of which was written by women who actually took the journeys they describe and which, generally, avoid the casual racist dismissal of all natives encountered for far more interesting portrayals of individuals. Examples that spring to mind are narratives by Mary Kingsolver, Isabella Bird, and especially Juanita Harrison, who as a young woman of color traveling alone sees nearly everyone she meets, whether they are in France, Egypt or India, as simply the loveliest and most interesting of individuals. Nevertheless, Around the World in Eighty Days is a classic and can be read as an amusing tale of adventure, not the least because of the absurd attitudes our adventurers exhibit towards those they meet.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Digital audiobook performed by Frederick Davidson One of the books in Verne’s series of “Extraordinary Voyages” begins when Phileas Fogg accepts a wager at his gentleman’s club. He’s certain that he will be able to circumnavigate the world in eighty days. Taking a significant amount of cash and his trusty servant Passepartout, and chased by Detective Fix who is certain Fogg is a bank robber, they set out on a grand adventure.I’d seen more than one movie adaptation but had never read the book until now. What a delight! (Although, of course, there are some racial stereotypes that grate on the modern reader’s sensibilities.)I marveled at how cool and collected – almost uninterested – Fogg remained throughout. He is never upset or even particularly inconvenienced. He moves with the certainty that he is correct in assuming that he can achieve this great task. Passepartout on the other hand is in a dither frequently, and he is a wonderful foil for Fogg … and for Detective Fix. Great fun!One quibble re cover art. SO many covers (as well as the movies) show the iconic hot-air balloon … which is NEVER used in the book! Frederick Davidson does a marvelous job narrating the audiobook. He sets a good pace and I loved the way he interpreted the characters. I was happy also to have a text copy available, which included a handful of full-color illustrations, as well as a small drawing of the mode of travel for each of the chapters.

[sprainedbrain · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fast-paced adventure dripped with cliches and humor - I listened to the audio read by Jim Dale and it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

[whitewavedarling · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There's something rather charming and fantastic about this work, and in the way that Verne manages to bring to life characters in even such a fast-paced and simply told tale as this one. Certainly, the language is as dated as the narrative and the modes of transportation involved in Fogg's journey, but in an odd way, that feels to make it all the more fantastic and believable. Strange as that might be.I don't think I would have had the patience for this tale when I was younger, so I'm glad to have finally gotten around to it now. Certainly, I'd recommend it.

[borrows0n0wants · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a very suspenseful, exciting book! This was the first Verne book I've ever read, and he is very good at keeping readers gnawing on their nails at the edge of their seats. The story has humor sprinkled throughout it that had me laughing out loud. I loved it; I know I say this about nearly everything I read, but this truly was a wonderful book!

[jerry.yoakum · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Delightful book. Passepartout is the real hero; saving lives all over the globe.

[mbmackay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An old book that has dated well. It is a good tale, well told. of two Londoner's travel around the world to win a wager. While the errors in detail in some places helps us understand how hard fact checking was in a pre-Google world, there is enough got right to make the reading enjoyable. In particular, the twist in the plot based on the travellers maintaining London time for the whole journey leading to them miscounting the number of days away from London, is a little gem.

[bookwyrmm_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Interesting story from a historical perspective. Definitely not something that could be written today.

[iansales_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have no idea if I’ve read this before – I don’t think so, but it’s hard to tell since I’ve seen versions of the films enough times over the decades to know the story. Except, well, they’re not the story. I don’t think any of the movies I’ve seen – I can think of two, off the top of my head, one starring David Niven and the other Steve Coogan – are at all faithful to the book. Yes, Phineas Fogg accepts a challenge to travel around the world in eighty days. Yes, he thinks he’s failed, only to discover that by travelling east he has gained a day. Yes, he has adventures along the way, and even rescues a young woman who becomes his wife at the end of the book. But in the novel, he meets her in India, when he rescues her from suttee. And I don’t recall a Scotland Yard detective on Fogg’s trail for much of his travels – he believes Fogg stole £50,000 shortly before leaving London. And the final section, in which a desperate Fogg, Passepartout, Fix and Aouda race across the USA to catch a ship to Liverpool… the big set-piece is driving a train over a damaged bridge at high speed so the bridge doesn’t collapse under it. Much of the prose is larded with geography lessons, and while Verne’s didactism is one of the more charming aspects of his novels, here it seems overdone. True, I’m coming at the book more than a century later, as a member of a society considerably better-informed about world geography, and a highly-educated member of that society with an interest in other countries… So much of the exposition was superfluous as far as I was concerned. Further, Fogg’s characterisation as unemotional and po-faced hardly made him a sympathetic protagonist. Perhaps Verne intended this so the reader would indeed think Fogg was the bank robber, but it only made him feel like he had zero depth. Unfortunately, I’m not convinced, from what I remember, that the film adaptations are especially superior. The book is, I suspect, the best version of the story. Which is a bit of a shame.

[jjmcgaffey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Finally read this - I think I read it before, many many years ago, but the only thing I remember was the end, not any of their travels. It's mildly interesting, but not much to it - actually, the most interesting part is that the "hero" is not the POV character. We get scenes from Passepartout, a few from Fix, a few from Aouda - but Phileas Fogg is seen only from the outside. The closest we come to knowing what's going on with him is a few scenes where the author "watches" him, recounting what he's doing, and speculating on what he's thinking and feeling - and we never get any idea why he'd make the bet in the first place. A very odd twist. But overall, it reads like the world's longest shaggy dog story - chapter after chapter after chapter just to say "and he didn't know he'd lost a day!" Of course, in reality, he would have noticed the day change as soon as the liner landed in America and he was taking a train. And given they missed the liner from the East Coast by less than a day...the whole last section with burning the ship may have been utterly unnecessary. It's an amusing story, I'm glad I've finally read it, and I see no need to ever read it again.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My most recent installment book was Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne which was originally published in 1873 and I think it has definitely aged well. The story is told in a simple straightforward style, and the various global adventures move the story along at a rapid pace. The plot is a little silly yet the book comes together nicely and before too long the reader finds himself involved in the story and rooting for the participants. The characters are distinct and well developed from the routine-obsessed, uptight yet cool main character who travels around the world based on a bet from some of the gentlemen at his club, to the sympathetic French manservant who is loyal, smart and a very good gymnast. Even the lesser developed characters of Aouda, the Indian lady, to Fix, the stalking policeman, are colourful and add to the story. Around the World in Eighty Days is light, fun and makes for great escape reading. A little dated, to be sure, but overall a very good read.

[philsyphe · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

My high hopes for “Around the World in Eighty Days” were dashed in eight chapters or so.Having seen a film of this as a child, I expected a similar amount of fun and adventure, but instead I endured a tedious plot and unappealing characters.