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The books that we read, whether travel-focused or not, may influence the way in which we understand the process or experience of travel. This multidisciplinary work provides a critical analysis of the inspirational and transformational role that books play in travel imaginings. Does reading a book encourage us to think of travel as exotic, adventurous, transformative, dangerous or educative? Do different genres of books influence a reader's view of travel in multifarious ways? These questions are explored through a literary analysis of an eclectic selection of books spanning the period from the eighteenth century to the present day. Genres covered include historical fiction, children's books, westerns, science-fiction and crime fiction.
I have read this book with great pleasure. Laing and Frost make a valuable contribution to a fascinating, fast-growing research domain. Based on a textual analysis of a wide range of literary genres, they show how literature – more than any other medium – stimulates the imagination and creates wanderlust among its readers. I can recommend this work to all scholars interested in the relationship between literature and travel.
Jennifer Laing is a Senior Lecturer in Tourism and Events at Monash University and Warwick Frost is an Associate Professor in Tourism and coordinator of the Events programs at La Trobe University. Their joint research interests include heritage, events, travel narratives, and the interaction between media, popular culture and tourism. They are co-convenors of the biennial International Tourism and Media Conferences.
Chapter 1 - Introduction: Extraordinary Journeys
Chapter 2 - The Gift Shop at 221B Baker Street
Chapter 3 - A Misspent Youth (Children’s Fiction and Travel)
Chapter 4 - Murder They Wrote
Chapter 5 - The Past is a Foreign Country
Chapter 6 - No Country for Old Men
Chapter 7 - Once Upon a Time in the West
Chapter 8 - The Explorer’s Quest
Chapter 9 - Re-enacting the Past
Chapter 10 - Fantastic Journeys
Chapter 11 - Transformations
Chapter 12 - They All Lived Happily Ever After
Chapter 13 - Conclusion