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7th out of 12 books
—
20 voters
Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks From Jane Austen's Bath to Ernest Hemingway's Key West
It’s often said that a good book takes us somewhere we’ve never been before, and here’s the proof: a book-lover’s Baedeker to more than 500 literary locales across the United States and Europe. Novel Destinations invites readers to follow in the footsteps of much-loved authors, discover the scenes that sparked their imaginations, glimpse the lives they led, and share a bit...more
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published
May 20th 2008
by National Geographic
(first published 2008)
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Aug 27, 2008
Kathryn
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
traveling book lovers!
Shelves:
non-fiction,
travel
*Review based on skimming through to points of interest:
Found at the library, joy of joys! Not that I'll be reading through every single page (I doubt) but enough skimming to do a bit of armchair travel! ;-> Delightful!!! As the cover suggests, it's "a book-lover's Baedeker" featuring more than 500 literary locales from the US and Europe. Of course, there's the obvious and obligatory "Shakespeare's Birthplace" type entry, but also a lot of really nifty lesser-known sites of literary interest...more
Found at the library, joy of joys! Not that I'll be reading through every single page (I doubt) but enough skimming to do a bit of armchair travel! ;-> Delightful!!! As the cover suggests, it's "a book-lover's Baedeker" featuring more than 500 literary locales from the US and Europe. Of course, there's the obvious and obligatory "Shakespeare's Birthplace" type entry, but also a lot of really nifty lesser-known sites of literary interest...more
The Literary Detectives found this book to have great prompts for our literary excursions to Austen-related places. Even the smallest ones, such as Steventon, and the ones she spent least time in, such as Lyme Regis, are covered, if briefly. Especially the chapter on Jane Austen's Bath was invaluable, pointing the reader/traveller towards the must-sees such as the Jane Austen Centre, as well as more off-the-beaten-track spots for the bigger fans, such as the home of Jane's aunt and uncle, the Le...more
Literary-minded travelers rejoice! As I really can’t see myself ever jumping out of a plane like they did in the movie, “The Bucket List,” this book instantly became my bibliophile “bucket list.” Numerous destinations based on the wanderings and residences of my favorite authors as well as their most memorable settings and characters are presented here alongside practical travel information, fascinating facts, literary gossip, and great reading suggestions. My first literary-minded trip centered...more
Kerja keras dan tersusun oleh dua penggila sastera ini bukan sahaja membawa kita mengenali tempat asal dan tempat berkarya penulis-penulis besar dunia, tetapi juga menjenguk tinggalan serta warisan zaman setiap pengarang ini tidak kiralah melalui muzium, restoran yang dikerapi, mahu pun hotel yang pernah ditumpangi.
Selain itu, kita juga diperkenalkan dengan tempat-tempat sebenar yang diangkat senagai inspirasi mahupun latar novel-novel terkenal dalam sastera Inggeris. Bath, yang sebetulnya diben...more
Selain itu, kita juga diperkenalkan dengan tempat-tempat sebenar yang diangkat senagai inspirasi mahupun latar novel-novel terkenal dalam sastera Inggeris. Bath, yang sebetulnya diben...more
1 like · like · see review
Although there were features on authors that I am not interested in, I did fantasize about a few vacations while reading this book. I am not a big Agatha Christie fan, but I would love a trip organized around the settings of her books. What's not to like about the Orient Express?
Honestly, I am still in the process of reading this book.
However, because it is a guide book it is probably best read by skimming for what you find interesting. This is a process that the authors do NOT make easy. My only critique about the book is that the literary places are not categorized in a very organized way. This method makes the book lose its excitement until a "place" interests the reader. If it were organized it would not be such a pain to read.
That being said I do love most of the...more
However, because it is a guide book it is probably best read by skimming for what you find interesting. This is a process that the authors do NOT make easy. My only critique about the book is that the literary places are not categorized in a very organized way. This method makes the book lose its excitement until a "place" interests the reader. If it were organized it would not be such a pain to read.
That being said I do love most of the...more
This isn't really a book to be read cover to cover but it is fun to see all the literary related places of interest to visit both home and abroad. I would have given this book more stars but there were some omissions which annoyed me. There is a whole chapter on Russian literature, which I will most likely never have the opportunity to visit but did enjoy reading of. But no mention of Prince Edward Island, Anne of Green Gables territory? That omission alone had I seen this book in a store, would...more
A book to skim for me.
From the intro: “We realized in our travels near and far, we’ve not only looked to novels to provide a new dimension to our travel experiences, but equally, we’ve sought out the literary places in our travels that will give us a deeper perspective on the books we cherish.”
The first half is a directory-like listing of place, festivals, etc.
The second half focuses on 10 places made famous by novelists: Bath and London. Paris. Dublin. Prague. Concord and Salem MA. Key West...more
From the intro: “We realized in our travels near and far, we’ve not only looked to novels to provide a new dimension to our travel experiences, but equally, we’ve sought out the literary places in our travels that will give us a deeper perspective on the books we cherish.”
The first half is a directory-like listing of place, festivals, etc.
The second half focuses on 10 places made famous by novelists: Bath and London. Paris. Dublin. Prague. Concord and Salem MA. Key West...more
This is a book I've wanted to write for years. I have always sought out literary sites when I travel (fictional ones are my favorites). I keep a running list (which I couldn't find when writing this review) of such sites.
So, naturally I was very excited to see that someone else has created a collection like this. The book is clearly only a piece of the pie. You realize instantly that there are so many places NOT included. And you realize that no one book could cover them all. But the authors hav...more
So, naturally I was very excited to see that someone else has created a collection like this. The book is clearly only a piece of the pie. You realize instantly that there are so many places NOT included. And you realize that no one book could cover them all. But the authors hav...more
I bought this book in the Rockefeller Center Anthropologie with my best friend, so I began this with a very positive attitude. Anyway, I spotted it on the shelf, read the title, and realized that this was the perfect book for me. I love traveling, and I love reading. An absolutely perfect combination. It was as if Bach's "Hallelujah" commenced as I picked it up and read the information about it and realized how perfect this was for me. So if you love traveling, and you love reading, this is an a...more
I really wanted to like this book, but it just was not that great. The major complaint that I have is that the destinations were grouped by type of author, like poets, novelists, etc. I wish they were instead grouped by location, or were at least searchable that way. Additionally, many of the descriptions read like someone describing some research they had done rather than describing a place they had actually been. Boring.
It took me longer than expected to read this. I guess guidebooks aren't usually cover to cover reading material.
I enjoyed the wide range of books, authors and places featured in this - though it is with much shame that I have not read many of the works talked about.
I have added some books to my wishlist from this book - both books I want to read and places I want to visit.
I have someone in mind to pass this on to though if they don't want it I know of some other people who may be interested.
I enjoyed the wide range of books, authors and places featured in this - though it is with much shame that I have not read many of the works talked about.
I have added some books to my wishlist from this book - both books I want to read and places I want to visit.
I have someone in mind to pass this on to though if they don't want it I know of some other people who may be interested.
As someone who has enjoyed many author pilgrimages in the past (L.M. Montgomery, J.K. Rowling, just about every deceased New England writer/poet), I really enjoyed this book. Now I'm dying to travel to Alabama to see Harper Lee's stomping grounds, as well as return to Bath and see the Jane Austen landmarks (should have done that while I was there instead of shopping...oops).
This was a very interesting book, one I would like to have on my book shelf for a reference. I particularly enjoyed the sections on Hemingway and Steinbeck. I am hopeful that at some point in my life I will have a Charles Dickens phase and then would love to be able to pull this book off my shelf and read his section.
I enjoy going to places where literary figures have stayed/lived/died or museums dedicated to those people in history. This book was fantastic in showing the places where book lovers can go and visit places dedicated to their favorite classic authors. It is well organized and has great info about each place related to that author
I have marked a lot of places within this book and have added a whole lot of places that I need to visit in My Bucket List
I have the urge to go backpacking across Europ...more
I have marked a lot of places within this book and have added a whole lot of places that I need to visit in My Bucket List
I have the urge to go backpacking across Europ...more
Dec 22, 2011
Nisah Haron
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
those who love to travel to literary places
Shelves:
travelogue
I wish I had this book before I travelled to U.K. But, this book creates more reasons for me to go back to UK and also explore literary places in the U.S. as well!
Used this on trips to England and NYC. Loved it as a reference, but also as a book I could open at random and read fascinating tidbits from.
This would be a good book if you had one of these destinations on your itinerary, but just as a book to read - no thanks.
Not what I expected as it was arranged by topics vs. locales. That said, I'm sure it will come in handy as I plan future trips.
http://www.massbook.org/litmap.html
The Collaborative Summer Reading theme for summer 2011 is "Novel Destinations."
paperback: A very fun read. Great book to leave sitting around...everyone finds something to comment upon!
This book is a great idea for a bibliophile like me. I wished it was organized by region instead of by idea.
I expected to enjoy this book much more than I did given that it combines two of my favorite things - books and travel. Unfortunately, the first part of the book is basically a catalog of places that are somehow related to novels or authors -very dry. The second part is more interesting as it provides more details and stories about places where various authors lived or settingls that they wrote about. I think I might take a look back at this book before traveling to one of the places discussed,...more
This was great! How fun to plan a literary trip!!!
a bit pretentious; to be read casually.
Apr 22, 2009
Meg
added it
early reviewer,travel
If the entire book had been like the last section, I would have given this book a higher rating. The last section concentrated on an author told something about their life and directed you to areas and tourist sites related to the author or his/her works. That was what I expected from the book. The rest was like a poorly organized travel guide. Not very helpful.
Literary travel. A travel guide for those who like to spend their holidays visiting the homes, hang-outs and haunts of many authors and the settings of their notable works.
I've enjoyed dipping into this book over the past couple of months but it's gone back to the library today.
I've enjoyed dipping into this book over the past couple of months but it's gone back to the library today.
Sadly I've only been to one place listed in this book. Red Cloud, NE which was home to Willa Cather. I was writing a paper on her so I drove up there. I'd like to visit a lot of the places mentioned in this book. I'll admit I just flipped through this book...I didn't thoroughly read it.
Excellent book if you read AND travel extensively. It catalogues many famous literary destinations (both real and imagined) from the US and Western Europe. (However, I personally think the authors missed the boat by skipping Prince Edward Island.)
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Shannon McKenna Schmidt's writing has appeared in National Geographic Traveler, New Jersey Monthly, and other publications, and she is a regular contributor to Self Awareness and ReadingGroupGuides.com. She lives in Hoboken, New Jersey.
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Aug 21, 2008 08:09am
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