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Travel literature

(Redirected from Travelogue)

Travel literature is a record of the events, sights and personal feelings which a traveller experiences as they go from place to place. In some cases, it is the result of a prolonged stay in one city or area. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue.

The format of these travelogues can be at its simplest a diary listing events day by day. More usually, travelogues are combined into a more coherent narrative resembling a story, and possibly even mixing fiction and reality. The style of individual travelogues varies as much as the reasons for travelling do. They can be just a simple description of what was seen, an investigation into the reason behind these new sights or even an investigation into the authors' own beliefs and motivations for travel (e.g Laurence Sterne's "A Sentimental Journey through France and Italy ").

Some of the most important travelogues, and many of those that are considered as literature, are ones that recount exploration or conquests. These offer new, strange and sometimes voluntarily sensational accounts of completely alien cultures and civilizations which often become the standard texts on a region for many years afterwards or bring the region to the notice of a new generation of travellers. The Travels of Marco Polo, the travels of Ibn Battuta, the history of Alexander the Great by Callisthenes and the explorations of Richard Burton are a few examples of such works.

In later years, when travel to well-known and frequently visited areas became more akin to tourism, the style of the works changed accordingly. A good example of this is the Grand Tour European nobles would take of Europe to see the art and architecture of old civilizations. One tourism pioneer was Robert Louis Stevenson.

Contents

Popularity

Most major bookstores have a significant collection, showing its continuing popularity. Some of the most famous figures in English literature have made significant contributions to this field.

Origins

Some classics of travel literature when first published offered new, strange and sometimes sensationalized accounts of completely alien cultures and civilizations. These often became standard texts on a region for many years afterwards. Marco Polo's work comes to mind.

Later as more people visited the area and it became generally known, travel was akin to tourism and a new type of work emerged.

Travel Guides

Travel literature is not to be confused with with travel guides, usually a series put out by a publisher, each dealing with a particular country, city or region. These are good in themselves and useful for travellers, as they provide a wealth of information on hotels, restaurants, major sights, travel tips etc. The writers are often specialists who travel and write these books for a living.

As a Literary Type

The best of travel literature is read for the enjoyment of sharing the reactions of a cultured person to an interesting place. It is akin to hearing an interesting person tell a good story about their life experiences.Travel writers have a greater scope for their writing than most, as travel can be the occasion for humour, character sketches, an opportunity to compare cultures or religions or to reflect on history or the human condition. Persons of broad learning are at a significant advantage here and it is often done by a mature writer who may be somewhat "written out" in his or her customary field. But, younger writers tend to have more adventures.

Types of travelogues

Some great travel writers are specialists in the field. The Americans Paul Theroux, and William Least Heat-Moon, the Welsh author, Jan Morris, and the Englishman, Eric Newby, come to mind though Morris is also known as an historian and Theroux as a novelist. These are people who travel and make their livings by writing about it.

There is a point too where travel literature interesects with essay writing as in V. S. Naipaul's "India, A Wounded Civilization", when a trip becomes the occasion for extended observations on a nation and people. Rebecca West's work on Yugoslavia, "Black Lamb & Grey Falcon" is another example.

Travel and nature writing merge in many of the works of Gerald Durrell, Ivan T .Sanderson and Sally Carrighar. These authors are naturalists who write to support their great passion. Both Durrell and Sanderson have the gift of humour. Charles Darwin wrote his famous account of the journey of HMS Beagle at the intersection of science, natural history and travel.

Tales of exploration and conquest are where travel, biography and history come together. Julius Caesar, Marco Polo, Richard Francis Burton, Ibn Battuta and Ernest Shackleton are examples of writers in this sub type.

Adventure writing and travel literature come together in the works of such persons as Captain Joshua Slocum, Wilfred Thesiger and Laurens van der Post, though some would say that the latter two are among the last of the explorers.

Literary travel writing occurs when an author famous in another field travels and writes about his or her experiences. Examples of such writers are Samuel Johnson, Charles Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson, Hilaire Belloc, Rebecca West, D.H. Lawrence, Evelyn Waugh and John Steinbeck.

Examples of travel literature

  • Julius Caesar, "The Gallic Wars". A classic of conquest literature.
  • Samuel Johnson, " A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland". The lexicographer and his friend, James Boswell visit Scotland in 1773.
  • Captain Joshua Slocum, "Sailing Alone Around the World". A 53-year old Nova Scotia mariner is first to do this in 1895-98.
  • D.H. Lawrence, "The Sea and Sardinia".
  • Ernest Shackleton, "South" A classic of polar exploration.
  • Rebecca West, "Black Lamb & Grey Falcon". An 1,150 page look at Yugoslavia in 1937 by the pro-Serb West. Facinating, if less than objective, account of this land before the tragedies of World War Two and the 1990's wars.
  • Ivan T .Sanderson, "AnimalTreasure"and "Caribbean Treasure". During the 1930's, the jungles of Africa and a visit to the remaining wild spots along the Caribbean including Netherlands Guiana by a naturalist.
  • Patrick Leigh Fermor, "A Time Of Gifts". A journey by an 18 year old in 1933/4 overland from the Hook of Holland to Hungary. Rewritten from long lost notes when he was old.
  • Evelyn Waugh "When the Going Was Good". With Waugh around the Mediterranean, to Ethiopia, across Africa and through the jungles of South America, in the late 1920's and 1930's.
  • Wilfred Thesiger, "Arabian Sands". Another classic of adventure. Since he travelled so much, Thesiger's biography, "The Life of My Choice" also rates as a great travel book. Thesiger's travels took him to Ethiopia, Arabia, French West Africa and the Sudan. He was an explorer/adventurer, soldier and British colonial official.
  • Laurens van der Post, "The Lost World of the Kalahari". Auberon Waugh described van der Post as the person in whose company he'd most like to spend an evening. The book by this South African soldier/explorer/writer suggests why.
  • John Steinbeck, "Travels With Charley". A classic American road book (Charley is a poodle).
  • Gerald Durrell, "Fillets of Plaice". One of many combining natural observations, humour, storytelling and travel.
  • Sally Carrighar, "One Day at Teton Marsh", "Icebound Summer", "The Twilight Seas". People are not present in these stories of nature.
  • Eric Newby, "A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush". Popular English travel writer.
  • William Least Heat-Moon, "Blue Highways". An American Classic by an author well known for travel writing.
  • Robert Louis Stevenson, "Travels With A Donkey in the Cevennes". Another classic set in France.
  • Hilaire Belloc, "The Path To Rome". A ramble by foot from central France to Rome in 1902.
  • Jan Morris, "Trieste". Author of many works, especially about cities.
  • Gordon Sinclair, "Khyber Caravan". A somewhat curmudgeonly account of 1934 travels in British India by a later famous Canadian journalist and television personality.
  • Paul Theroux, "The Great Railway Bazar". Perhaps Theroux's most popular travel work.
  • Samuel Johnson, "A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland"'.
  • Charles Dickens, "American Notes", "Pictures of Italy ".
  • Jack Kerouac, "On The Road".
  • Charles Darwin, "The Voyage of the Beagle".


External links

  • latitude zero Websites where you can create your own travelogue
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