Friday, July 30, 2010

adding an extra dimension to a book

Current work: still in vacanza…

One of the things I really enjoy is reading a book while I’m actually in the place where it’s set. Back in April, I read Marina Fiorato’s ‘The Glassblowers of Murano’ in Venice, and I could literally see where the action took place. It added a whole new dimension to the book, and I had great fun location-spotting.

Now, most of the people who come to read my blog are readers and writers. So my question today is: do you do this, too, and what's the most memorable book you've read while visiting its setting?

(I will have more to say about this next week. Robert Harris’s 'Pompeii' was on this week's reading pile. Pics and thoughts on that when normal service is resumed next week...)

8 comments:

Jan Jones said...

Easy peasy. Swallows and Amazons in the Lake District.

Unknown said...

Salley Vickers, Miss Garnet's Angel. I carried it around with me in Venice, visiting as many named places as I could. Wonderful.

Unknown said...

Jan has beaten me to it. Where else could you read Swallows and Amazons?
Hm - I wonder what I can read when I'm in Prague...

Francine Howarth said...

Hi,

For me the mythical island of Phraxos as featured in "The Magus" by John Fowles. The beautiful essence of pine forest and heady scent of Oleanders literally leapt from the pages, urging one to pay the island a visit.

Phraxos of course, in reality is that of Spentai (Spetses), and it doesn't disappoint - narrow cobbled streets, horse drawn carriages, and if one ventures up on the ridge one walks in Nick's (narrator's)footsteps.

I loved and admired Fowles descriptive ability to render words into images much as a sculptor performs magic with hands! So too I'll never forget H.E Bates "The Purple Plain" based on his experience as an RAF Sqd Ldr WWII Far East - the jungle heat fair made one sweat reading this one.



best
F

Nell Dixon said...

Daphne DuMaurier whilst in Cornwall

Kate Hardy said...

Jan - oh, yes. Brings back memories for me (though for some reason I always associated it with the Norfolk Broads - I know, I know, wrong side of the country...)

Carol - arrgh, I forgot about that when I was in Venice! (The Marina Fiorata was good for that too, though!)

Shirley - I'm very tempted to say Dracula :o) (Sorry, being very frivolous today)

Francine - that was my favourite Fowles book, too :o) (And the scent of oleander... yup. That's quite clear at the moment *g*)

Nell - absolutely (and I insisted on visiting Fowey when we went to Cornwall)

Jan Jones said...

Norfolk Broads was Coot Club and The Big Six. That's what you're thinking of, I expect.

Kate Hardy said...

Jan - yes, thank you. (I was in sleepy/sievehead mode... 12 hours of travelling, especially when mopping up is involved, is a tad wearing.)