Library Notes


Rebecca Hyde – May 29, 2012


The word “armchair” first appeared in print around 1625-1635. Since then it has attached itself to expressions such as “armchair football coach,” “armchair strategist,” or armchair authority.” All are rather belittling with regard to the person’s secondhand experience. “Armchair traveler” is different. It describes a reading experience: who can deny the attraction of a comfortable chair (with arms) and a good book? It’s also a handy expression for those of us who will never travel with a donkey through France (“Travels with a Donkey through the Cevennes” by Robert Louis Stevenson), cross South America by train (“The Old Patagonian Express” by Paul Theroux), or journey through the Holy Land on horseback (“The Innocents Abroad” by Mark Twain).

The following books are not the standard, practical, and detailed guides to planning itineraries. They are “armchair” travel guides, offering background reading, the pleasure of good literature, and experience through daydreaming of places we may never be able, or really want to visit.

“Grand Tours and Cook’s Tours: A History of Leisure Travel 1750 to 1915” by Lynne Withey describes the change in travel, from the Grand Tour of Europe to travel by the masses. There were changes in the technology of travel, motivation for traveling, and the choices of sites worth visiting. Tourists are distinguished from travelers and explorers. Withey defines “tourism,” without disparagement, as “leisure travel.”

“Italian Days” by Barbara Grizutti Harrison is a good example of a literary travel journal. It’s a memoir with references to the travel experiences and comments of other writers. While talking about the anarchy of traffic in Rome, Harrison turns street information into a cultural essay.

Another example of the travel memoir is by an American who is taking leave after two decades of life in Great Britain. “Notes from a Small Island: An Affectionate Portrait of Britain” by Bill Bryson emphasizes the juxtaposition of contemporary life and historical setting, tying the two together with his reactions and musings as he follows his very personal itinerary through the country.

And for those people for whom a place name brings on a travel daydream, there is “The Travellers’ Dictionary of Quotation: Who Said What, About Where?” by Peter Yapp. Look up “Patagonia,” or spend time browsing through several hundred pages on the British Isles.