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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.
About the author
Jennifer Frost is an Associate Professor in the Department of Management, Sport and Tourism at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. Her research interests include travel narratives; the role of events in society; rural and regional regeneration through tourism and events; and health and wellness tourism. Her most recent co-authored research book is Royal Events: Rituals, Innovations, Meanings (Routledge, 2018). Jennifer is a co-editor of the Routledge Advances in Events Research series and was recognised in 2017 as an Emerging Scholar of Distinction by the International Academy for the Study of Tourism.
Summary
The role of books in framing travel imaginings is an important social and cultural phenomenon. This book explores how reading books influences the way in which we understand travel and the tourist experience. It covers a variety of genres of books, from children’s books and historical fiction, to westerns, science fiction and crime fiction.
