
Travel--long associated with marvels and adventure, excitement and mystery--has always proved an irresistible literary subject. Now, in The Oxford Book of Travel Stories, Patricia Craig brings together thirty-two fascinating travel stories, each one illustrating in its own way what travel has to do with stimulus, enrichment, and a sense of achievement.Here is some of the best short fiction representing the most exhilarating subjects from writers as diverse as Ring Lardner, Anthony Trollope, Edith Wharton, Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, John Updike, David Malouf, Rebecca West, Rachel Ingalls, Evelyn Waugh, Alice Adams, John Cheever, and Raymond Carver. From Jack Kerouac's Big Trip to Europe, of 1960, which encapsulates the late 1950s fecklessness and the soft-drug related styles of indolence abroad to F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's Show Mr. and Mrs. F to Number ____, a mood-piece about exotic hotel life in the 1920s, to Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man is Hard to Find, a high-spirited, productively unsettling jaunt, The Oxford Book of Travel Stories brilliantly encompasses the travel story genre.
This anthology examines the intersection of human movement and narrative, presenting thirty-two short stories that explore the transformative nature of travel. Each entry functions as a distinct exploration of how displacement, discovery, and the act of journeying influence character development and thematic resolution. The collection utilizes a diverse array of narrative frameworks, ranging from realist observations to mood-driven vignettes, to illustrate the multifaceted impact of travel on the human psyche. The stories operate within the logical constraints of their respective eras, reflecting the social and cultural attitudes toward exploration prevalent at the time of their writing.
Readers and critics frequently note the impressive breadth of authors included in this collection, which spans several generations of literary history. Discussion often centers on the editorial selection process, with many highlighting the effective contrast between classic Victorian perspectives and more modern, cynical takes on the travel experience. The pacing of the anthology is generally regarded as varied, allowing for a mix of quick, punchy narratives and more atmospheric, slow-burning pieces. Critics often point to the book's ability to capture the specific anxieties and excitements associated with leaving one's home environment. The collection is frequently cited as a useful resource for those interested in how the genre of travel writing has evolved over the last century.
Page Count:
464
Publication Date:
2002-08-29
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0192840886
ISBN-13:
9780192840882
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