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The Writer's Journey: In the Footsteps of the Literary Greats
Follow in the footsteps of some of the world’s most famous authors on the journeys which inspired their greatest works in this beautiful illustrated atlas.
Some truly remarkable works of literature have been inspired by writers spending time away from their typical surroundings. From epic road trips and arduous treks into remote territories to cultural tours and sojourns in the finest hotels, this book explores 35 influential journeys taken by literary greats and reveals the repercussions of those travels on the authors’ personal lives and the broader literary landscape.
Award-winning author Travis Elborough brings each of these trips to life with fascinating insights into the stories behind the creation of some of the world’s most famous literary creations , including Dracula , Moby Dick , Murder on the Orient Express , Madame Bovary , The Talented Mr Ripley, and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone .
From Herman Melville’s first whaling voyage in 1841, from New York to Liverpool, to Jack Kerouac’s on-the-road Odyssey , which is now an iconic drive, discover how these journeys imprinted themselves on some of the greatest literary minds of all time.
Complete with navigational notes, color photographs, and commissioned maps, the fresh insights within tell readers something new about the places, work, and personalities of some of the world’s greatest minds.
Some truly remarkable works of literature have been inspired by writers spending time away from their typical surroundings. From epic road trips and arduous treks into remote territories to cultural tours and sojourns in the finest hotels, this book explores 35 influential journeys taken by literary greats and reveals the repercussions of those travels on the authors’ personal lives and the broader literary landscape.
Award-winning author Travis Elborough brings each of these trips to life with fascinating insights into the stories behind the creation of some of the world’s most famous literary creations , including Dracula , Moby Dick , Murder on the Orient Express , Madame Bovary , The Talented Mr Ripley, and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone .
From Herman Melville’s first whaling voyage in 1841, from New York to Liverpool, to Jack Kerouac’s on-the-road Odyssey , which is now an iconic drive, discover how these journeys imprinted themselves on some of the greatest literary minds of all time.
Complete with navigational notes, color photographs, and commissioned maps, the fresh insights within tell readers something new about the places, work, and personalities of some of the world’s greatest minds.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2022
21 people are currently reading
356 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 9, 2024
L'idea di fondo di questa raccolta di itinerari letterari mi è parso subito intrigante e curiosa: tracciare le rotte, i paesaggi e gli incontri che hanno segnato e influenzato la vita di autori e autrici. Pensavo mi sarebbe piaciuto, ma non avrei mai creduto così tanto. Prima di tutto perché condensa in tre o quattro paginette dalla grafica accattivante sensazioni e curiosità non sempre note sui grandi autori. Poi perché invoglia a leggere opere non sempre scontate e autori che non tutti conoscono (io per lo meno non conoscevo Sam Selvon e l'avventurosa Mary Wollstonecraft, madre di Mary Shelley!). E, infine, perché riporta alla memoria opere già lette, magari decenni prima (penso soprattutto a Dracula e On the Road), riassumendole per sommi capi nell'esaminare le analogie con i luoghi del cuore dei loro scrittori.
Forse avrei scelto altri esempi o ampliato il ventaglio di nomi su cui concentrarmi, ma come partenza direi che non è affatto male, anzi, si tratta di un libro da leggere, rileggere e consultare all'occasione.
Forse avrei scelto altri esempi o ampliato il ventaglio di nomi su cui concentrarmi, ma come partenza direi che non è affatto male, anzi, si tratta di un libro da leggere, rileggere e consultare all'occasione.
December 22, 2024
muy interesante, te cuenta datos biografícos sobre pintores y sus viajes, algunos que conocía (Sorolla, van Gogh, monet) y otros no mucho (Turner, munch etc)
es increíble como antes ser pintor/artista era mucho más fácil y barato
Ojalá yo algún día 🥹
es increíble como antes ser pintor/artista era mucho más fácil y barato
Ojalá yo algún día 🥹
December 18, 2024
Readers who wonder about the whys of authors' writerly choices would do well to look at their journeys in life - and Travis Elborough does exactly that in his
The Writer's Journey: In the Footsteps of the Literary Greats
.
Thirty-five writers' journeys and Mr. Elborough's considerations on the effects of those footsteps spent on the subject writer / journey are provided for the reader's further study. These essay-ish offerings are accompanied by a simple styled illustration of the landmark points of the journey, and general photographs of the area visited. Few of these photos are specific to the writer being considered or the visit or even the time. However, many of these locations earned their popularity by the expectations of those who've read of them, enshrouded by time, invested capital and entrepreneurial locals who ensure a consistent presentation with pages published.
This book would be a good way for those beginning their literature studies to acquaint themselves with the subject writers.
*A sincere thank you to Travis Elborough, Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #WritersJourneysThatShapedOurWorld #NetGalley
Thirty-five writers' journeys and Mr. Elborough's considerations on the effects of those footsteps spent on the subject writer / journey are provided for the reader's further study. These essay-ish offerings are accompanied by a simple styled illustration of the landmark points of the journey, and general photographs of the area visited. Few of these photos are specific to the writer being considered or the visit or even the time. However, many of these locations earned their popularity by the expectations of those who've read of them, enshrouded by time, invested capital and entrepreneurial locals who ensure a consistent presentation with pages published.
This book would be a good way for those beginning their literature studies to acquaint themselves with the subject writers.
*A sincere thank you to Travis Elborough, Quarto Publishing Group - White Lion, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #WritersJourneysThatShapedOurWorld #NetGalley
December 16, 2022
The Writer's Journey by Travis Elborough is a fun look at a wide range of writers and the role travel played in their writing and life.
Maybe some "deep dive" people thought this might be 35 "deep dives" in just over 200 pages, but realistic minds understand that this was never meant to be a bunch of separate "deep dives." The point of the book is how travel has influenced so many writers, so going into great detail on any of them would have moved the book away from its unifying theme and into the realm of a biographical encyclopedia. Not really that hard to figure out, but those who have to announce their "deep dive" tendencies are compensating for their weaknesses, so leave them alone and just nod.
As a fun look at the role of traveling and/or living in a different place for a period of time in how and what writers then write about, this is a fascinating look. Many of the stories may well be familiar to you, many probably not. Either way, it is fun to be reminded of authors and books.
This is ideal as a book to have handy for those times you don't have time to get back into one of your longer reads but still have a little bit of time to read. Kinda like collections of short stories or essays.
Recommended for readers who like knowing a little about why some of their favorite writers wrote about certain places or in certain ways. Not every big-name writer is included (not a big surprise, this isn't an encyclopedia) but most of the ones for whom personal travel played a role in their writing are included.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
Maybe some "deep dive" people thought this might be 35 "deep dives" in just over 200 pages, but realistic minds understand that this was never meant to be a bunch of separate "deep dives." The point of the book is how travel has influenced so many writers, so going into great detail on any of them would have moved the book away from its unifying theme and into the realm of a biographical encyclopedia. Not really that hard to figure out, but those who have to announce their "deep dive" tendencies are compensating for their weaknesses, so leave them alone and just nod.
As a fun look at the role of traveling and/or living in a different place for a period of time in how and what writers then write about, this is a fascinating look. Many of the stories may well be familiar to you, many probably not. Either way, it is fun to be reminded of authors and books.
This is ideal as a book to have handy for those times you don't have time to get back into one of your longer reads but still have a little bit of time to read. Kinda like collections of short stories or essays.
Recommended for readers who like knowing a little about why some of their favorite writers wrote about certain places or in certain ways. Not every big-name writer is included (not a big surprise, this isn't an encyclopedia) but most of the ones for whom personal travel played a role in their writing are included.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
February 8, 2025
Check out my other reviews at: https://cynthology.blogspot.com/searc...
I loved the premise of this book. The role of the journey and its potential for amassing research about character, description and settings alike as well as its potential for offering a fresh perspective.
Many of the writers included in these pages have uncovered a new story or book, or even a new career as a writer, from their journeys.
Of course, it’s written from a Western lens, so the author tells us about the dangers of dying of dysentery, cholera etc. Also, most of the writers are either American or European.
Incidentally, JK Rowling, the only living author, among deceased writers, most of whom lived in earlier centuries, was out of place. The criteria for choosing authors to feature in the book remains unclear.
The layout of the book is designed like a tabloid, with a long headline, mostly alliterative, and a sketch of the writer’s face in monochrome. Below this masthead are small icons of the mode of transportation employed by the writer, followed by the text in double column. The text is interspersed with maps, aerial photos of the location etc.
The writers are included in alphabetical order, which led to a sense of disconnect between the chapters.
The purpose behind each writer’s journey is varied:
Holiday/Outing: Hans Christian Andersen, Bram Stoker, Virginia Woolf
Son’s education: Maya Angelou
Sent by a publication: WH Auden and Christopher Isherwood, Zora Neale Hurston
Research: Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens
Write a travel book: Graham Greene
Work: Joseph Conrad, Herman Melville, JK Rowling
Recuperation: Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bishop, Gustave Flaubert, Federico Garcia Lorca
Escaping from danger: James Baldwin
To improve his character: Charles Baudelaire
Travel and adventure: Basho aka Matsuo Kinsaku, Jack Kerouac, Katherine Mansfield
The reasons I found most interesting were those of:
Lewis Carroll: went to Russia to build bridges with the Eastern Orthodox Church
Arthur Conan Doyle: went to Switzerland to get an idea for killing the character of Sherlock Holmes.
F Scott Fitzgerald: went to Paris because the cost of living was cheaper there than in the US.
Jack London: went to the Yukon to take advantage of the Gold rush.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery: took on the Transcontinental Flying Race.
Sam Selvon: went to London to fulfil his literary ambitions.
The book doesn’t really spell out how the location led to the writing, just that here’s place A which was written about in book B. I would have liked something more detailed.
(I got a free copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review. Thanks to the author and publisher.)
I loved the premise of this book. The role of the journey and its potential for amassing research about character, description and settings alike as well as its potential for offering a fresh perspective.
Many of the writers included in these pages have uncovered a new story or book, or even a new career as a writer, from their journeys.
Of course, it’s written from a Western lens, so the author tells us about the dangers of dying of dysentery, cholera etc. Also, most of the writers are either American or European.
Incidentally, JK Rowling, the only living author, among deceased writers, most of whom lived in earlier centuries, was out of place. The criteria for choosing authors to feature in the book remains unclear.
The layout of the book is designed like a tabloid, with a long headline, mostly alliterative, and a sketch of the writer’s face in monochrome. Below this masthead are small icons of the mode of transportation employed by the writer, followed by the text in double column. The text is interspersed with maps, aerial photos of the location etc.
The writers are included in alphabetical order, which led to a sense of disconnect between the chapters.
The purpose behind each writer’s journey is varied:
Holiday/Outing: Hans Christian Andersen, Bram Stoker, Virginia Woolf
Son’s education: Maya Angelou
Sent by a publication: WH Auden and Christopher Isherwood, Zora Neale Hurston
Research: Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens
Write a travel book: Graham Greene
Work: Joseph Conrad, Herman Melville, JK Rowling
Recuperation: Jane Austen, Elizabeth Bishop, Gustave Flaubert, Federico Garcia Lorca
Escaping from danger: James Baldwin
To improve his character: Charles Baudelaire
Travel and adventure: Basho aka Matsuo Kinsaku, Jack Kerouac, Katherine Mansfield
The reasons I found most interesting were those of:
Lewis Carroll: went to Russia to build bridges with the Eastern Orthodox Church
Arthur Conan Doyle: went to Switzerland to get an idea for killing the character of Sherlock Holmes.
F Scott Fitzgerald: went to Paris because the cost of living was cheaper there than in the US.
Jack London: went to the Yukon to take advantage of the Gold rush.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery: took on the Transcontinental Flying Race.
Sam Selvon: went to London to fulfil his literary ambitions.
The book doesn’t really spell out how the location led to the writing, just that here’s place A which was written about in book B. I would have liked something more detailed.
(I got a free copy of this book for the purpose of writing a review. Thanks to the author and publisher.)
October 26, 2024
Edited to add: I am reviewing a new edition of a book originally published in November, 2022. It’s not clear in the publisher’s description what, if anything, has been updated. Release date: November 2024
The premise of this book is fascinating: a collection of short essays by beloved writers about their pivotal travel experiences, accompanied by maps illustrated just for this book and photographs of some of the locations being described. Unfortunately, for me the book failed to live up to its promise. Each of the essays is short (3-4 page), and describe the writers’ travels in some detail without spending too much time digging more deeply into the ways that travel affected their writing. An example is the essay on Arthur Conan Doyle. We learn that Doyle was ready to move on from Sherlock Holmes and traveled to Switzerland to try to rid himself of the pressure to create more Holmes stories. What he found instead was a convenient way to kill off Holmes (dropping him off a mountain). After his return to England he gave in to the pressure and wrote more Homes stories. The end. I was dying to hear more. What about Holmes so irritated the author that he went to such lengths to kill him off? Why did he relent and bring him back? Did the stories change after his Alpine journey? Did the author change? What could we take away from this essay that would enhance our reading?
As noted above, each essay was accompanied by a map and pictures. The majority of the pictures were just standard photos of (for example) downtown Paris or the Saharan desert, not necessarily images of sites that were meaningful to the author’s stories. And the maps were very confusing. On most of the maps, we see a blob of yellow outlining the general area of the writer’s travels, but the only points marked on the map are the places the author visited - other landmarks, borders, street names, surrounding cities and natural features like rivers are simply missing.
I did enjoy reading many of the excerpts. I do wish the author had made a more compelling case for the book. Thanks to Quarto/White Lion and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
The premise of this book is fascinating: a collection of short essays by beloved writers about their pivotal travel experiences, accompanied by maps illustrated just for this book and photographs of some of the locations being described. Unfortunately, for me the book failed to live up to its promise. Each of the essays is short (3-4 page), and describe the writers’ travels in some detail without spending too much time digging more deeply into the ways that travel affected their writing. An example is the essay on Arthur Conan Doyle. We learn that Doyle was ready to move on from Sherlock Holmes and traveled to Switzerland to try to rid himself of the pressure to create more Holmes stories. What he found instead was a convenient way to kill off Holmes (dropping him off a mountain). After his return to England he gave in to the pressure and wrote more Homes stories. The end. I was dying to hear more. What about Holmes so irritated the author that he went to such lengths to kill him off? Why did he relent and bring him back? Did the stories change after his Alpine journey? Did the author change? What could we take away from this essay that would enhance our reading?
As noted above, each essay was accompanied by a map and pictures. The majority of the pictures were just standard photos of (for example) downtown Paris or the Saharan desert, not necessarily images of sites that were meaningful to the author’s stories. And the maps were very confusing. On most of the maps, we see a blob of yellow outlining the general area of the writer’s travels, but the only points marked on the map are the places the author visited - other landmarks, borders, street names, surrounding cities and natural features like rivers are simply missing.
I did enjoy reading many of the excerpts. I do wish the author had made a more compelling case for the book. Thanks to Quarto/White Lion and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 29, 2023
A very fine browse for the smallest room, this flirts with multiple authors and their travels, and gives us the bare bones of what we need to know. It doesn't tell us too much about the places, it doesn't fully go into studying any literary output for firm evidence of the journey's influence, but it does show who was who and where they were going and probably why. So Jack London is seeking Yukon gold, Lorca is being told off in one respect courtesy a trip to New York, and Agatha Christie rides a certain train – as did Victoria Woolf and then Graham Greene, in fiction at least, but he ends up scouring round rural west Africa. The chapters come at you thick and fast, giving a one- or two-page map of the journey to fix it in your mind's eye (I don't think this has the power to inspire any copycat trips, whatever Calvino said and however much I'd love to return to the Crimea in peace and see it for more times than Pushkin did), and around the writing we get pictures of a general agelessness, and some verifiably vintage prints of the locales.
It is a wilfully broad church here, of both authors and trips – JK Rowling follows Pushkin, and, er, sits on a train for a bit due to a long-distance relationship, while Saint-Exupery follows her, trying to break the Paris-Vietnam flying record, and getting lost sans radio, only to crash into a random dune somewhere. Still, that wide-ranging scope allows for authors you'll never have heard of, and trips you'll never have been aware of, to places unsullied by your footsteps. The porcelain throne has had far worse examples of armchair travel.
It is a wilfully broad church here, of both authors and trips – JK Rowling follows Pushkin, and, er, sits on a train for a bit due to a long-distance relationship, while Saint-Exupery follows her, trying to break the Paris-Vietnam flying record, and getting lost sans radio, only to crash into a random dune somewhere. Still, that wide-ranging scope allows for authors you'll never have heard of, and trips you'll never have been aware of, to places unsullied by your footsteps. The porcelain throne has had far worse examples of armchair travel.
December 14, 2023
It was ok (hence the 2 star rating). I was mostly interested in the writers I've read before or already found interesting, and not particularly invested in the other chapters. Some of them felt seriously boring but it's hard to get into a short biography of someone you've never heard of. Despite this I did really enjoy the section on Maya Angelou although I haven't read any of her work and only had a vague understanding of who she was. I'd never heard of Basho or Elizabeth Bishop either but now I'd really like to have a look at their work. The section on Gustave Flaubert was quite disappointing for me as a diehard "The Temptation of Saint Anthony" fan. There was a little discussion of the book but as the chapter on Flaubert was about his time visiting Egypt I would've expected more to do with the versions of "Temptation" completed after his trip as I'm sure it influenced them.
I found it very funny to describe the ocean as not being "aesthetically sublime" and wondrous to look at until the romantics made it so, as if pre-romantic humans didn't have the mental capacity to enjoy nature lol. There were just a few instances like that where the author used phrasing I didn't like which subtly changed the meaning/just didn't really work. Because of this I think the book could have used some more thorough editing, I also found a sentence or two with a missing word, and an incorrect conversion (1.75m is SO not 6 feet tall, that's definitely boy math). These things aren't the biggest deal, but small mistakes like this made me question the veracity of the information in the book a little bit, to be honest.
Overall it was a short easy read which left me a little bit inspired and a little bit more knowledgeable.
I found it very funny to describe the ocean as not being "aesthetically sublime" and wondrous to look at until the romantics made it so, as if pre-romantic humans didn't have the mental capacity to enjoy nature lol. There were just a few instances like that where the author used phrasing I didn't like which subtly changed the meaning/just didn't really work. Because of this I think the book could have used some more thorough editing, I also found a sentence or two with a missing word, and an incorrect conversion (1.75m is SO not 6 feet tall, that's definitely boy math). These things aren't the biggest deal, but small mistakes like this made me question the veracity of the information in the book a little bit, to be honest.
Overall it was a short easy read which left me a little bit inspired and a little bit more knowledgeable.
November 26, 2022
An interesting if brief account of how a variety of writers were influenced by travel to produce some of their most famous works.
Each writer is given three or four pages - a manageable amount for dipping in and out of, especially given that much of the space was filled by photographs and maps. Personally, I wasn't the biggest fan of the maps, but this is probably down to the quality of the digital proof copy that I received - I'm sure they will look much better in print.
Each 'journey' is given a bit of context so you are not only enlightened as to how the writer was influenced by travel, but also why they wanted to go on the journey in the first place. Even with the stories I had heard before (e.g. Bram Stoker's Whitby, JK Rowling's train journey) there were still bits and pieces that I hadn't came across, and the length of the short essays mean that this is a prefect book for dipping back into over time.
The only thing I would say is that those who are interested in only one or two of the writers in this book (and there are a lot to choose from!) might be better off looking for a more informative book about those writers in particular. That being said, there is also a fairly detailed bibliography at the back, so this is a perfect place to dive off into some deeper reading!
Thank you to NetGalley and White Lion Publishing for allowing me to review an early access digital copy of this book.
Each writer is given three or four pages - a manageable amount for dipping in and out of, especially given that much of the space was filled by photographs and maps. Personally, I wasn't the biggest fan of the maps, but this is probably down to the quality of the digital proof copy that I received - I'm sure they will look much better in print.
Each 'journey' is given a bit of context so you are not only enlightened as to how the writer was influenced by travel, but also why they wanted to go on the journey in the first place. Even with the stories I had heard before (e.g. Bram Stoker's Whitby, JK Rowling's train journey) there were still bits and pieces that I hadn't came across, and the length of the short essays mean that this is a prefect book for dipping back into over time.
The only thing I would say is that those who are interested in only one or two of the writers in this book (and there are a lot to choose from!) might be better off looking for a more informative book about those writers in particular. That being said, there is also a fairly detailed bibliography at the back, so this is a perfect place to dive off into some deeper reading!
Thank you to NetGalley and White Lion Publishing for allowing me to review an early access digital copy of this book.
September 20, 2023
In diesem wunderschönen Buch geht es um Reisen bekannter Schriftsteller. Travis Elborough, bekannt für seine außergewöhnlichen Reisereportagen („Atlas der verschwundenen Orte“), untersucht hier, inwieweit Werk und Leben durch Reiseeindrücke beeinflusst und verändert wurden. Ihm ist ein faszinierendes Kompendium gelungen, üppig ausgestattet mit Fotos, Karten, Bildern, wächst die Lust am Blättern, Lesen, Mitreisen:
So gehen wir mit Herman Melville aufs Schiff, mit Agatha Christie in den Zug, mit Katherine Mansfield zur Kur in Bad Wörishofen, wir bereisen Ghana mit Maya Angelou, mit Alexander Puschkin geht’s in den Kaukasus, wir schwelgen mit Patricia Highsmith im pittoreskem Positano und verlieben uns mit James Baldwin in Paris.
Insgesamt finden sich 35 Reisebeschreibungen, von denen einige recht bekannt sind (Arthur Canon Doyle in der Schweiz, Goethe in Italien) andere hingegen zeigen mir ganz neue Perspektiven in Bezug auf Lieblingsautoren / Lieblingswerke auf. Dabei muss das Buch keinesfalls kontinuierlich, Seite für Seite, durchgearbeitet werden, es kann immer mal wieder zur Hand genommen werden, sei es zur Planung einer eigenen Reise oder für Hintergrundwissen zu einem der Autoren, stets findet man hier unterhaltsam-inspirierende Lektüre.
Dieses ungewöhnliche Reisebuch ist besonders für Literaturinteressierte und Reisefans geeignet, es ist ein ideales Geschenk, das mit interessantem Inhalt und ganz besonderer Ausstattung überzeugt.
July 27, 2024
4.5/5
The Writer’s Journey is just that. A brief look into the lives of great authors and the places that inspired them.
I wasn’t expecting much of a deep dive into their lives, seeing as how the book is short and covers a lot of different authors, but I didn’t expect the direction it took in illustrating these lives. It feels more like a travel journal than anything. Which, I guess, makes the title make sense. Elborough captures the lives of these 35 authors in short, punchy, essay-like chapters that give us a broader idea of these authors’ travels and a small sneak peek into their daily lives.
Personally, I would have liked the chapters to be longer. To focus a little tiny bit more on the relationship between their travels and their writings instead of the chapters all feeling like broad summaries, but again, the book would have been a monstrous size if Elborough would have done so, which might be a turn-off for some readers. (Personally, I don’t mind long books.)
Overall, The Writer’s Journey is a nice, quick read, and a great companion to both your reading and travelling excursions. Perfect for casual readers who are looking for bite-sized information.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes only. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Writer’s Journey is just that. A brief look into the lives of great authors and the places that inspired them.
I wasn’t expecting much of a deep dive into their lives, seeing as how the book is short and covers a lot of different authors, but I didn’t expect the direction it took in illustrating these lives. It feels more like a travel journal than anything. Which, I guess, makes the title make sense. Elborough captures the lives of these 35 authors in short, punchy, essay-like chapters that give us a broader idea of these authors’ travels and a small sneak peek into their daily lives.
Personally, I would have liked the chapters to be longer. To focus a little tiny bit more on the relationship between their travels and their writings instead of the chapters all feeling like broad summaries, but again, the book would have been a monstrous size if Elborough would have done so, which might be a turn-off for some readers. (Personally, I don’t mind long books.)
Overall, The Writer’s Journey is a nice, quick read, and a great companion to both your reading and travelling excursions. Perfect for casual readers who are looking for bite-sized information.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley for review purposes only. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
March 28, 2023
The title and the subtitle caught my attention, but I didn't read through the list of names on the front cover. The idea of learning about the journeys and the destinations which inspired great pieces of literature appealed to my greatly and was the primary reason I picked this one up. I liked the layout of the book, with shortish chapters accompanied by some beautiful photographs.
I especially enjoyed reading about Bram Stoker's trip to Whitby and how it inspired him to write Dracula. Herman Melville and Jack London's stories impressed me because they both wrote in context/settings with which they were very familiar from years of first experience. The former at sea and the latter in the North American wilderness.
Although, I didn't read the whole book because I have never heard of half the writers in it, I enjoyed what I read without being thrilled or particularly moved. I also found the inclusion of J.K. Rowling, with no offence to the creator of the legendary Harry Potter, a bit weird. She seemed out of place among all these mostly dead I believe literary greats. I didn't like the maps either as I don't think they added anything to the book.
Overall, pretty good.
I especially enjoyed reading about Bram Stoker's trip to Whitby and how it inspired him to write Dracula. Herman Melville and Jack London's stories impressed me because they both wrote in context/settings with which they were very familiar from years of first experience. The former at sea and the latter in the North American wilderness.
Although, I didn't read the whole book because I have never heard of half the writers in it, I enjoyed what I read without being thrilled or particularly moved. I also found the inclusion of J.K. Rowling, with no offence to the creator of the legendary Harry Potter, a bit weird. She seemed out of place among all these mostly dead I believe literary greats. I didn't like the maps either as I don't think they added anything to the book.
Overall, pretty good.
November 11, 2024
This book discusses important travel events in the lives of thirty-five prominent writers and poets. Some of these were long international travels and some entirely domestic, some aborted and others completed. All of these trips in some way influenced the subsequent works produced by these writers. In some cases, it was just for a scene, as with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's use of Reichenbach Falls to kill off his widely beloved (but personally soul-sucking) character, Sherlock Holmes. In others, the trip became the basis of a book, as with Joseph Conrad's travels on the Congo River. And in yet others, the trip would become the basis of multiple works, such as Jack London's travels in the Klondike. Of course, there were some travels that had more indirect influence on the writers' works by way of shifts in worldview and life experience.
The graphics for this book are excellent and include a simple route map for each trip as well as photos from key locations, as well as a few relevant historic artworks. The maps and pictures help to give one a feel for the appeal of these places, and -- in some cases -- to better understand literary works once read.
If you are a traveler, are interested in literary history, or are both, this book is well worth investigating.
The graphics for this book are excellent and include a simple route map for each trip as well as photos from key locations, as well as a few relevant historic artworks. The maps and pictures help to give one a feel for the appeal of these places, and -- in some cases -- to better understand literary works once read.
If you are a traveler, are interested in literary history, or are both, this book is well worth investigating.
December 7, 2022
The Writer's Journey
In the Footsteps of the Literary Greats
by Travis Elborough
Pub Date 15 Nov 2022
Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion, White Lion Publishing
Biographies & Memoirs
I am reviewing a copy of The Writers Journey through Quarto Publishing Group-White Lion and Netgalley:
This book will help you to follow the footsteps of some of the world’s most famous authors on the journeys which inspired their greatest works in this beautiful illustrated atlas.
Some of the truly remarkable works of literature have been inspired by writers spending time away from their typical surroundings. This includes epic road trips as well as arduous treks into territories that are remote and not visited by many, this includes cultural tours and sojourns in the finest hotels. This books includes thirty five of these journeys from Authors ranging from Mary Shelley to Maya Wollstonecraft to Maya Angelou from James Baldwin to Jane Austen and many others.
I give The Writer's Journey five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
In the Footsteps of the Literary Greats
by Travis Elborough
Pub Date 15 Nov 2022
Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion, White Lion Publishing
Biographies & Memoirs
I am reviewing a copy of The Writers Journey through Quarto Publishing Group-White Lion and Netgalley:
This book will help you to follow the footsteps of some of the world’s most famous authors on the journeys which inspired their greatest works in this beautiful illustrated atlas.
Some of the truly remarkable works of literature have been inspired by writers spending time away from their typical surroundings. This includes epic road trips as well as arduous treks into territories that are remote and not visited by many, this includes cultural tours and sojourns in the finest hotels. This books includes thirty five of these journeys from Authors ranging from Mary Shelley to Maya Wollstonecraft to Maya Angelou from James Baldwin to Jane Austen and many others.
I give The Writer's Journey five out of five stars!
Happy Reading!
December 15, 2022
What an amazing book. It’s a unique slant on so many things; individual titles, authors, travel and it’s just packed with information. It’s presented as a colourful hardback. Boards are bright and immediately appealing. Open it up and it’s a treasure trove of interest.
The author considers numerous authors;Melville, Patricia Highsmith, Conan Doyle, Kerouac etc. For each at the start there’s a pen portrait and the journey is mapped. That’s accompanied by detailed text and loads of colour photos. The presentation is amazing and the content is really informed and well researched giving an incredible insight into some of the most remarkable events in literature. What inspired the setting for the death of Moriarty? What was the route On the Road. Where might you find Moby Dick? The list is endless and includes so many literary greats and then some. It’s a book lovers delight and one that’s ideal for a gift with a difference. Quality printing, paper and colour, it’s a book I’ll treasure and return to.
The author considers numerous authors;Melville, Patricia Highsmith, Conan Doyle, Kerouac etc. For each at the start there’s a pen portrait and the journey is mapped. That’s accompanied by detailed text and loads of colour photos. The presentation is amazing and the content is really informed and well researched giving an incredible insight into some of the most remarkable events in literature. What inspired the setting for the death of Moriarty? What was the route On the Road. Where might you find Moby Dick? The list is endless and includes so many literary greats and then some. It’s a book lovers delight and one that’s ideal for a gift with a difference. Quality printing, paper and colour, it’s a book I’ll treasure and return to.
November 14, 2022
The Writer’s Journey is a guidebook of writers’ travels around the world and how their travel experiences shaped their writing and productivity while living away from their hometowns. As an author, I’m a firm believer of researching the writing process and experiences of other writers so I can implement some of their productivity in my work. One of the things I have not implemented is travel abroad and writing until completion.
The Writer’s Journey, such as the experience of James Baldwin, made me yearn to travel back to Paris and spend months writing a book while experiencing the culture and the people of that country. While I can’t do so presently, I will use this non-fiction book as inspiration to follow my goals of traveling to Paris and Turkey, among the other places that authors have spent time in.
Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Writer’s Journey, such as the experience of James Baldwin, made me yearn to travel back to Paris and spend months writing a book while experiencing the culture and the people of that country. While I can’t do so presently, I will use this non-fiction book as inspiration to follow my goals of traveling to Paris and Turkey, among the other places that authors have spent time in.
Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 20, 2023
Common biography through a geographical lens.
For some reason I was expecting this book to have either more advice for budding writers, unique insight into the lives of authors, or colorful anecdotes. Unfortunately, none of those things are true. The Writer's Journey takes biographical accounts of famous authors and loosely summarizes trips that clearly influenced their works.
Each chapter, though thoroughly researched and supplemented with photos reads more like high school essays. I wanted to find grand takeaways from this read but sadly found little more than tedium.
While I am sure there is a reader for every book, this might be best for a budding reader who is eager to learn more about influential authors and their backgrounds.
[Thank you to NetGalley and White Lion Publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
For some reason I was expecting this book to have either more advice for budding writers, unique insight into the lives of authors, or colorful anecdotes. Unfortunately, none of those things are true. The Writer's Journey takes biographical accounts of famous authors and loosely summarizes trips that clearly influenced their works.
Each chapter, though thoroughly researched and supplemented with photos reads more like high school essays. I wanted to find grand takeaways from this read but sadly found little more than tedium.
While I am sure there is a reader for every book, this might be best for a budding reader who is eager to learn more about influential authors and their backgrounds.
[Thank you to NetGalley and White Lion Publishing for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]
January 26, 2023
I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
This book covers different trips that notable authors took that ended up influencing their work. Each section covers a little bit about the author and their background, information about the trip, how the trip made one of their later works better, a map showing their trip, and a few photographs of where they were.
Unfortunately, the information about the trips ends up being like a list of facts, dates and stops, instead of something more engaging. Also, because the authors are arranged alphabetically, the time periods are intermixed. I think the book would be better served if the book were arranged by the dates that the trips were taken. Overall, the book ends up being dry and more like a textbook.
This is a good book for anyone who is interested in any of the authors or the writing process.
This book covers different trips that notable authors took that ended up influencing their work. Each section covers a little bit about the author and their background, information about the trip, how the trip made one of their later works better, a map showing their trip, and a few photographs of where they were.
Unfortunately, the information about the trips ends up being like a list of facts, dates and stops, instead of something more engaging. Also, because the authors are arranged alphabetically, the time periods are intermixed. I think the book would be better served if the book were arranged by the dates that the trips were taken. Overall, the book ends up being dry and more like a textbook.
This is a good book for anyone who is interested in any of the authors or the writing process.
Currently reading
February 12, 2023This book will appeal to a niche audience who’s a little nosy about the life of others and enjoys history. I don’t think I’m one of them.
It felt like an autobiography but centered around a location. While I was interested in some, I felt like I was dragged along a package tour that went on for too long. It was very hard to get into.
Then I reached the chapter about Baldwin in Paris, and then it became easier to follow. There were certainly highs and lows when it came to the chapters, depending on the readers’ interest of course. But it didn’t quite pique my interest in the way I hope it did, though, I highly commend the clever wordplay in the chapter titles.
*A review copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It felt like an autobiography but centered around a location. While I was interested in some, I felt like I was dragged along a package tour that went on for too long. It was very hard to get into.
Then I reached the chapter about Baldwin in Paris, and then it became easier to follow. There were certainly highs and lows when it came to the chapters, depending on the readers’ interest of course. But it didn’t quite pique my interest in the way I hope it did, though, I highly commend the clever wordplay in the chapter titles.
*A review copy was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2022
This book’s author chose an appealing and interesting topic. Where do writers go, do these places offer inspiration and what are their journeys like?
This book features beautiful photos and content about the travels of everyone from Maya Angelou to Jane Austen; from Lewis Carroll to Agatha Christie; from Fitzgerald to Flaubert and so many more, ending (alphabetically) with Virginia Woolf.
I think that this book would make a wonderful gift for the holiday season. I would like to buy the hardcover copy for myself. Read it in order or just move directly to a favorite author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
This book features beautiful photos and content about the travels of everyone from Maya Angelou to Jane Austen; from Lewis Carroll to Agatha Christie; from Fitzgerald to Flaubert and so many more, ending (alphabetically) with Virginia Woolf.
I think that this book would make a wonderful gift for the holiday season. I would like to buy the hardcover copy for myself. Read it in order or just move directly to a favorite author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
November 28, 2022
Generally, I do not consider the writer's life, travels, and experiences in writing their stories. That blithe perspective is forever transformed by Travis Elborough's excellent THE WRITER'S JOURNEY. Throughout this illustrated guide, Elborough discusses the impact that traveling had upon writers familiar to me and others I discovered through this useful guide. I particularly respected how the writers viewed their journeys and then transformed them to art. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.
December 2, 2022
Thanks to NetGalley for this early read! It was a quick one and for any lover of classic books it was quite fun to read how authors may (or may not) have found inspiration on their travels through new countries.
Surprisingly, I’ve read very few of the books mentioned which means my reading list has also grown.
Lots of photos included and you can easily jump around to your favorite author or find someone new to enjoy along the way.
Surprisingly, I’ve read very few of the books mentioned which means my reading list has also grown.
Lots of photos included and you can easily jump around to your favorite author or find someone new to enjoy along the way.
December 14, 2022
This is a fun little gift book for anyone in your life who loves little excerpts about writerly travels. I could imagine this book being a good waiting room book—there’s not enough here to read in one go (it would feel a little herky jerky) but little dips could be fun. I’m not the sort of audience for this kind of book—I like deep dives—but I do appreciate NetGalley for allowing me to explore this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2024
This book includes 35 short chapters on travels that influenced 37 different authors and how key trips influenced their later writing. Each chapter includes an easy to read graphic map of the travels and pictures of the author and the place, along with a two- to five-page chapter on the author and their travel. Most of the authors were British. While the book did not entice me to read any new writers, it did show how these changes in environment had profound influences on the later works of these authors.
October 3, 2023
I really liked this uncommon take on travel and writing. Instead of the usual nonfiction accounts of their travels (all well and good), this takes a look at how an author's travels influenced their fiction writing.
I also liked that it included a bibliography at the end. It is a good place to start, if wanted to learn more about any of the authors.
I also liked that it included a bibliography at the end. It is a good place to start, if wanted to learn more about any of the authors.
April 22, 2023
Writer's Journey is an excellent book that would make a perfect gift for readers and writers to treasure and motivate their own writing. An inspiring book with intriguing stories about the places that have inspired great writers. Well worth a read. Please to have and hold.
March 6, 2024
Quite enjoyable for a Geography, History and English teacher to read about journeys that have inspired authors.
Would be a good resource when studying travel fiction and biography.
Brought back delightful memories of my own travels and books read :) enjoyable read for a cozy day at home.
Would be a good resource when studying travel fiction and biography.
Brought back delightful memories of my own travels and books read :) enjoyable read for a cozy day at home.
March 27, 2025
Interesting to read of the way writers , some well known and others less so, were inspired to write from the experiences of journeys they took. A thoroughly enjoyable, ,informative book and gave an incite into how writers develop their craft through personal experiences.
September 8, 2025
Sinceramente mi ha molto deluso. La premessa era intrigante, ma per la maggior parte sono resoconti che gia' conoscevo e solo le mappe hanno aggiunto un quid in piu'. Ecco, e' esteticamente molto bello, ma povero di un contenuto piu' consistente.
November 27, 2022
A well researched beautifully illustrated book. The maps of the travel the author embarked on were fascinating.I was so interested in this book,will be buying copies as gifts.#netgalley #quarto
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