Travel literature  

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To be called literature the work must have a coherent [[narrative]], or insights and value, beyond a mere logging of dates and events, such as [[travel diary|diary]] or [[ship's log]]. Literature that recounts [[adventure]], [[exploration]] and conquest is often grouped under travel literature, but it also has its own genre [[outdoor literature]]; these genres will often overlap with no definite boundaries. This article focuses on literature that is more akin to tourism. To be called literature the work must have a coherent [[narrative]], or insights and value, beyond a mere logging of dates and events, such as [[travel diary|diary]] or [[ship's log]]. Literature that recounts [[adventure]], [[exploration]] and conquest is often grouped under travel literature, but it also has its own genre [[outdoor literature]]; these genres will often overlap with no definite boundaries. This article focuses on literature that is more akin to tourism.
==Fiction== ==Fiction==
 +:''[[fictional travelogue]]
[[Fiction]]al travelogues make up a large proportion of travel literature. Although it may be desirable in some contexts to distinguish [[fiction]]al from [[non-fiction]]al works, such distinctions have proved notoriously difficult to make in practice, as in the famous instance of the travel writings of [[Marco Polo]] or [[John Mandeville]]. Many "fictional" works of travel literature are based on factual journeys – [[Joseph Conrad]]'s ''[[Heart of Darkness]]'' and presumably, [[Homer]]'s ''[[Odyssey]]'' (c. 8th century BCE) – while other works, though based on imaginary and even highly fantastic journeys – [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]]'s ''[[Divine Comedy]]'', [[Jonathan Swift]]'s ''[[Gulliver's Travels]]'', [[Voltaire]]'s ''[[Candide]]'' or [[Samuel Johnson]]'s ''[[The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia]]'' – nevertheless contain factual elements. [[Fiction]]al travelogues make up a large proportion of travel literature. Although it may be desirable in some contexts to distinguish [[fiction]]al from [[non-fiction]]al works, such distinctions have proved notoriously difficult to make in practice, as in the famous instance of the travel writings of [[Marco Polo]] or [[John Mandeville]]. Many "fictional" works of travel literature are based on factual journeys – [[Joseph Conrad]]'s ''[[Heart of Darkness]]'' and presumably, [[Homer]]'s ''[[Odyssey]]'' (c. 8th century BCE) – while other works, though based on imaginary and even highly fantastic journeys – [[Dante Alighieri|Dante]]'s ''[[Divine Comedy]]'', [[Jonathan Swift]]'s ''[[Gulliver's Travels]]'', [[Voltaire]]'s ''[[Candide]]'' or [[Samuel Johnson]]'s ''[[The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia]]'' – nevertheless contain factual elements.

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Travel literature is travel writing considered to have value as literature. Travel literature typically records the people, events, sights and feelings of an author who is touring a foreign place for the pleasure of travel. An individual work is sometimes called a travelogue or itinerary.

To be called literature the work must have a coherent narrative, or insights and value, beyond a mere logging of dates and events, such as diary or ship's log. Literature that recounts adventure, exploration and conquest is often grouped under travel literature, but it also has its own genre outdoor literature; these genres will often overlap with no definite boundaries. This article focuses on literature that is more akin to tourism.

Fiction

fictional travelogue

Fictional travelogues make up a large proportion of travel literature. Although it may be desirable in some contexts to distinguish fictional from non-fictional works, such distinctions have proved notoriously difficult to make in practice, as in the famous instance of the travel writings of Marco Polo or John Mandeville. Many "fictional" works of travel literature are based on factual journeys – Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and presumably, Homer's Odyssey (c. 8th century BCE) – while other works, though based on imaginary and even highly fantastic journeys – Dante's Divine Comedy, Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels, Voltaire's Candide or Samuel Johnson's The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia – nevertheless contain factual elements.

Jack Kerouac's On the Road (1957) and The Dharma Bums (1958) are fictionalized accounts of his travels across the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s.

One contemporary example of a real life journey transformed into a work of fiction is travel writer Kira Salak's novel, The White Mary, which takes place in Papua New Guinea and the Congo and is largely based on her own experiences in those countries.

Notable travel writers and travel literature

The Royal Road to Romance, The Flying Carpet, New Worlds to Conquer, The Glorious Adventure, Seven League Boots

See also




Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Travel literature" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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