4 minute read
Travels by Steven: Books That Inspire
TRAVELS
BY STEVEN
by Steven Eidelberg Books That Inspire
Top: Aiguines Castle, Provence, France Center: The Shakespeare and Co. bookstore, Paris, France Bottom: New Orleans, USA
Last month I focused on some of the movies that have inspired travel, and this month the focus will be on books. Books are often more of an inspiration to me than movies when written by authors who know how to describe a sense of place. A good travel book tells you where to go; a great travel book lets you imagine you are there!
A Year in Provence – The first in a series of entertaining, funny and fast reads by Peter Mayle. His books take you through the trials and tribulations of moving to Provence, France, and then once settled, of the gastronomic wonders and quirkiness of this wonderful area of the world. From truffle hunting to frogs’ legs festivals and of course wine, these books made me fall in love with Provence and southern France before I ever set foot there. Leave Paris behind, and discover the area’s wonders.
A Movable Feast – Speaking of Paris, my desire to travel to the City of Lights began once I read this fantastic Ernest Hemingway memoir. Centered around his friends and acquaintances who frequented the now-gone original bookstore Shakespeare & Co., the author’s expert prose makes you want to travel to a Paris where glimpses of that fascinating period between the wars existed (a second Shakespeare & Co. became a bohemian hangout in the 50’s and is still there).
A Confederacy of Dunces – Pulitzer Prize winning novel by John Kennedy Toole which takes place in New Orleans. It focuses on odd characters which are lovable at times and despicable at times, but paint the true color of the city. Having lived there and returned numerous times (read an article I wrote in an earlier issue), the way to truly know the city is to get into the mind of the residents, and this hilarious romp through the French Quarter will do that.
At my birthday dinner with Geisha.
Red Torii gates in Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto, Japan
Castle ruins in Surry, England
On the Road – A classic by Jack Kerouac, this novel defined the “Beat” generation. While I was just born when beatniks were fading out and hippies were fading in, my love of Greenwich Village as a teenager in New York City began with this novel and developed to my passion for road trips to this day. Criss-crossing the country to San Francisco and down to Mexico City with stops in Denver and elsewhere, Kerouac illuminates an interesting slice of Ameri- can life during this most interesting time post-war.
Memoirs of a Geisha – a novel by Arthur Golden so compelling it draws the reader in from the very beginning and gives interesting insight into the mostly misunderstood life of a Geisha. When in Tokyo a few years ago, I made a point to take the bullet train to Kyoto, stayed in a traditional Ryokan, and with my friends had a celebratory birthday evening entertained by a Geisha which I will never forget. A must-read for those interested in a trip to Japan, taking the reader from post-war until modern day.
A Room with a View – E.M. Fos- ter’s classic novel takes place between the magical city of Florence, Italy and Surrey, my favorite area of Southern England. It’s an insight into how far we have come as a society with our mores and values, taking place at the turn of the century. The plot twists and turns and is interwoven with wonderful descriptions of the area surrounding the chaos. Definite- ly a novel for those who love travel as a way to head back in time. Each visit to Florence and Tuscany as well as to Surrey, only an hour or so from London, transports me to a time gone by because of this book…and that is the definition of a truly great romantic novel.
These suggestions will give you a taste of what inspired my passion for travel to these wonderful places. I always find it fascinating to visit some- where for the first time, yet have a feeling of “déjà vu” simply because I have immersed myself in a novel or memoir having taken place in the same destination. Hopeful- ly this short reading list will inspire you as well. Enjoy!
