Book Settings

[papayahed]

OK, I stole this from another non-literary website but thought it was a pretty good question if we haven't covered this already.

Which book have you read that makes you want to go live in that place or at least visit there?

[Idril]

Independent People made me, very badly, want to go to Iceland, And Quiet Flows the Don makes me want to go to Russia and see the Don river...there are many places in Russia I want to see because of the books I've read, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Saratov...the list is endless really. Reading Gunter Grass has made me even more anxious to visit Germany, a place that has been on my travel list for awhile...although I guess the places he inspires me to visit are actually Poland now.

[dfloyd]

I wouldn't want to live there: Ad Inferno by Dante.

[Lynne50]

One of my favorites, Death Comes to the Archbishop by Willa Cather. I wanted to pick up and explore New Mexico and the southwest. And also
The 351 Books of Irma Arcuri by David Bajo. This book really made me want to visit Barcelona.

[Lokasenna]

The wonderful world of ancient, mythical Scandinavia - I would love to experience such a wonderous, unique place... though quite what those warriors would make of a bookish, 20th century scholar wandering around in a greatcoat and fedora with an inane grin plastered all over his face, I have no idea. They'd either assume I was Odin, or an idiot.

Hmm... Middle-Earth too, for much the same reasons...

[kiki1982]

ahhh, Russia for Pushkin (I should learn Russian first), Marseille and the Château d'Îf for Monte Cristo, the castle of Vaux-le-Vicomte for the setting of the lavish court of Louis XIV (partly) by Dumas too, Paris a little bit better for Hugo, the nature in Northern England for the Brontës, the south for Hardy and the middel for Scott,Scotland for Rabbie Burns... Oh, yes, Canada and more to the point Prince Edward Island for L M Montgomery (the tv-show Road to Avonlea), it must be absolutely stunning over there). Scandinavia and Iceland too for their vast and open feeling.

:eek:

I think I better do not read anything anymore that takes me too far :rolleyes:.

Only visit, though, I would have to move about too much...

[Veva]

Every time I read something by Jane Austen. But I feel rather puzzled, beauce in one way I want to live on the farm in English countryside, when there were so many gentlemen still around.
But on the other hand, I would prefer greater women's emancipation. :wave:

[bluevictim]

I've read many accounts of mountaineering in South America, but nothing makes me want to visit the mountains of Patagonia or the Andes as much as Antoine de Saint Exupery's Night Flight and Wind, Sand and Stars.

[kiki1982]

Every time I read something by Jane Austen. But I feel rather puzzled, beauce in one way I want to live on the farm in English countryside, when there were so many gentlemen still around.
But on the other hand, I would prefer greater women's emancipation. :wave:

Yes, not to speak about the stink that was around then. Imagine, no toothpaste and no deodorant... That must have been a stink!
I suppose emancipation was not really a huge problem if your husband loved you and respected you, but imagine having one that does not take notice of you...
And the boredom! No TV, no music unless you play yourself, no news paper. Only the books you have at home and what does one talk about having spent all day together and the whole of their lives together? Man, that must have been very interesting! :rolleyes:

[kasie]

Every time I read something by Jane Austen. But I feel rather puzzled, beauce in one way I want to live on the farm in English countryside, when there were so many gentlemen still around.
But on the other hand, I would prefer greater women's emancipation. :wave:

Veva, you could always walk in JA's footsteps - her house in Chawton is open to the public and has a lovely atmosphere. The garden is planted only with plants that were known to be grown in UK in the early nineteenth century: every plant has discreet little label giving the name and the date it was first introduced. I had a long chat with the extremely knowledgable lady who maintains the garden on a voluntary basis - and stopped her getting on with her work which I'm sure she didn't altogether appreciate, but she was so charming and so happy to pass on her expertise. Then you could go on a lovely drive around Hampshire and enjoy this still rural part of Britain.

Parts of Bath have not changed much either and you can get books that take you on guided walks round the city to parts known to be associated with JA, either in her life or in her books. Lyme Regis has not changed much, either.

[Scheherazade]

Veva, you could always walk in JA's footsteps - her house in Chawton is open to the public and has a lovely atmosphere. The garden is planted only with plants that were known to be grown in UK in the early nineteenth century: every plant has discreet little label giving the name and the date it was first introduced. I had a long chat with the extremely knowledgable lady who maintains the garden on a voluntary basis - and stopped her getting on with her work which I'm sure she didn't altogether appreciate, but she was so charming and so happy to pass on her expertise. Then you could go on a lovely drive around Hampshire and enjoy this still rural part of Britain.Been there as well and couldn't agree more with Kasie. :)

I have always wanted to visit Bath because of Austen's books and Yarmouth (Great Expectations).

[Emil Miller]

An interesting question. Most of my reading has concerned Europe and I have been fortunate enough to have visited many of the places mentioned in the books I have read. One of the places I haven't been to is the Bordelais region in France which features so prominently in the novels of Francois Mauriac. His description of the countryside with its famous vineyards and wonderful climate is very appealing. I think it would be well worth seeing and not just for the wine.
Another place would be the Long Island setting of The Great Gatsby although it may look very different to what it was in 1925. For some years a friend has been urging me to visit her in New York: perhaps I should take up the offer.

[mona amon]

I'd love to live in Blandings Castle! :)

[Veva]

Thanks I had no idea that her house was open to public, Hampshire is a long way, but next year I will definitely go there. :banana:

[Return Journey]

Places I'd like to be at any given time would be Wordsworth's Lake District or Stevenson's Scotland.
And wouldn't it be great to step through the wardrobe into Narnia.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Places I'd like to be at any given time would be Wordsworth's Lake District or Stevenson's Scotland.
And wouldn't it be great to step through the wardrobe into Narnia.

Love the Lakes, more visits definitely needed.


Been there as well and couldn't agree more with Kasie. :)

I have always wanted to visit Bath because of Austen's books and Yarmouth (Great Expectations).

Forget Yarmouth, places around it are OK, but Yarmouth itself is not much fun, think Blackpool but on a smaller scale.

For me continental Europe, parts of Italy, France, Belgium, Spain and Greece. There's no particular book which gives me this longing (pos Hemingway?) just a general feeling. Cornwall in the UK, and some other places too.

[Scheherazade]

Forget Yarmouth, places around it are OK, but Yarmouth itself is not much fun, think Blackpool but on a smaller scale. *forgets Yarmouth*

Phew! Thank you, Neely. I was waiting for someone to come and say that.

I haven't been to Blackpool either so the comparison is lost on me.

[Veva]

Hey, I saw a trailer for Bright Star - a story about John Keats's love affair and when I saw the settings, I thought that was the place to be.... :rolleyes:

[komali 2]

Harry Potter. Rowling created a beautiful world in her series.

[Paulclem]

*forgets Yarmouth*

Phew! Thank you, Neely. I was waiting for someone to come and say that.

I haven't been to Blackpool either so the comparison is lost on me.

Blackpool, Skegness, Mabelthorpe = you don't know what living is without a visit.

Bram Stoker's Whitby is a better option. If you time it carefully you can catch the annual Goth Gathering that takes place there. I've not seen it myself, but I have heard tell...

Anyway, Whitby is very atmospheric.

[Scheherazade]

Blackpool, Skegness, Mabelthorpe = you don't know what living is without a visit. I hadn't even heard of Mabelthorpe till you mentioned... :rolleyes:

Is there an age restriction for those places? How about Zimmer frames? Are they allowed?

[Frankie Anne]

I, too, have always wanted to visit Bath because of Austen's novels. I'll probably make it someday, too, as I have a friend who lives in Bristol - not far from there! (Fingers crossed.)

I've always wanted to see Thomas Hardy's Wessex as well.

[Lokasenna]

Blackpool, Skegness, Mabelthorpe = you don't know what living is without a visit.

Bram Stoker's Whitby is a better option. If you time it carefully you can catch the annual Goth Gathering that takes place there. I've not seen it myself, but I have heard tell...

Anyway, Whitby is very atmospheric.

I'm currently living not too far from Whitby - it really is a lovely town at any time of the year.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Blackpool, Skegness, Mabelthorpe = you don't know what living is without a visit.

I see you those and raise you - Ingoldmells, Skegness's ugly sister!


Bram Stoker's Whitby is a better option. If you time it carefully you can catch the annual Goth Gathering that takes place there. I've not seen it myself, but I have heard tell...

Anyway, Whitby is very atmospheric.

Yes Whitby is cool and Scarborough is well worth it too.

[Madame X]

South Africa. Due to the combined influence of such writers as Lessing, Coetzee, among others who really like to understate, well, practically anything positive about the place :cool: - understandably so considering even its very recent history and the hairy hereafter. And yet, such a ferociously beautiful landscape. Always prefer grit to glamour, I do.

[The Comedian]

Settings I'd like to visit:

Middle Earth (impossible I know, save a lovely dream)

Ellesmere Island -- Barry Lopez's Arctic Dreams is on of my favorite works of non-fiction, and this place seems so remote as to be unreal.

That's about all that come to mine -- none of the cities in the US, Canada, Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa, and so on. . . really attract me that much. I'm a you've seen one city, you've seen 'em all kinda guy.

[Paulclem]

I hadn't even heard of Mabelthorpe till you mentioned... :rolleyes:

Is there an age restriction for those places? How about Zimmer frames? Are they allowed?

No age restriction - just take a big coat and a good book.

I see you those and raise you - Ingoldmells, Skegness's ugly sister!

I see you've tasted the delights of the East Coast. Scarborough is very good. Nice castle.

[LitNetIsGreat]

Yes, yes, it is within our radius of travel having young children and no car! Yes, I think the castle is very atmospheric.

[Paulclem]

When we were kids we used to think Bridlington the very height of holiday bliss - probably because we never stayed there, but used to travel through it on the way to disappointingly quiet beaches. There were WW2 bunkers though.

My brother now has a caravan near Skipsea.

We too have no car. Coventry is the furthest city from the sea apparently. We don't get to the coast much, and I can sympathise with the logistics of no car and kids. We liked Weymouth the best, but it is a little expensive.

[Scheherazade]

Which books were set in Blackpool, Skegness, Mabelthorpe, then?

:p

[Paulclem]

Which books were set in Blackpool, Skegness, Mabelthorpe, then?

:p

Didn't Dante do some research there whilst he was on a touring holiday? I think he based his colder regions on these places...

[LitNetIsGreat]

Which books were set in Blackpool, Skegness, Mabelthorpe, then?

:p

Horrible ones.

(Sorry if anybody lives there, though they would probably agree with me.)

I am sorry but Ingomells represents one of my worst childhood memories. Ingomells market:

http://s0.geograph.org.uk/photos/23/77/237793_225b99bf.jpg

Hell on earth.

I remember being dragged around there with my grandmother when I was just a wee chap, thinking that there must be more to life than this...

[Paulclem]

Skegness - The Prevailing Smell of Chips, or Wading Through fag Ends. Surely these are published books about deprived childhoods...

I think we passed Ingoldmells on a day trip from Mabelthorpe to Skegness. We returned hurridly to Mabelthorpe which is no costa.

[Scheherazade]

I remember being dragged around there with my grandmother when I was just a wee chap, thinking that there must be more to life than this...It must have been horrible... to grow up and realise that there isn't really!

:p

That looks like our local market...

[Paulclem]

A chicken andpork take-away, some plastic toys and new slacks from the virtually medieval Fayre Price Fashions. It doesn't get better, only less shiny...