Special Survey: Choose Your Own Literatour

Tripod's current Literatour series examines books and movies whose settings are as memorable as the characters, then tells you how to take the trips. Which books or movies (not including guide books) have inspired you to travel?

Read what Tripod members have said so far, and then tell us what you think.

You can also share your views in our current survey. For other past survey results, check our survey archive.

A new Living & Travel survey is published each Tuesday.

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Comments or Questions:

Kimmy: Nectar in a Sieve (Kamala Markandaya) inspired me to go to India ( I haven't gone yet, but I will). The Bone People (Keri Hulme) inspired me to go to New Zealand. Trinity (Leon Uris) inspired me to go to Ireland. The Biography of Simone de Beauvoir inspired me to go back to Paris (cause the first time it didn't impress me much). Hmmm. I can't remember what inspired me to go to England? Consider This, Senora (Harriet Doerr) inspired me to go to Mexico. Writing Down the Bones (Natalie Goldberg) inspired me to go to Minneapolis. Some book that I can't remember the name of that I read at age 12 inspired me to go to Penetanguishine, Ontario. Impressionable, aren't I?

GMS: The Celestine Prophesy, The Tenth Insight, by James Redfield

Rachel: Books that have inspired my travel: "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek," by Annie Dillard. (Yes, I know, it's not a travel book; at least not in the conventional sense...but she sees so much, and so gloriously!) Also "Blue Highways" by William Least-Heat Moon. (Quite possibly the best American road-trip novel ever.) As for books that have inspired me to want to travel -- "Iron and Silk," by Mark Salzman, and "Video Night in Kathmandu," by Pico Iyer.

Mur: I hate Hemingway, but am entranced with his life and what he did. For a long time I've wanted to live out of my car in the Florida Keys and do nothing all week except drink and write.

gks: Mark Salzman's "Iron & Silk" and Mary Morris' "Nothing to Declare." Both of these are personal travelogue type books, quite entertaining I thought. Mark's is about his stay in China, Mary in Mexico. "Shadow of the Raven" (an Icelandic movie based on the Tristan & Isolde story) turned me into a Iceland junkie. The scenery was absolutely amazing and the film well (but not over) done. Other interesting Icelandic films: "Remote Control" (a wacky modern piece) and "Children of Nature" (somewhat sad/slow movie following the adventures of 2 old cantankerous sweethearts).

Nicole_S: "Home" by Michael Johansen has inspired me to travel around Australia (I haven't done it yet). It made me realise there is a lot more out there in this country and not just Sydney (where I live).

marybeth: I was in Sicily within 6 months of reading "On Persephone's Isle" by Mary Taylor Simeti, and I only bought the book becuase the title sounded interesting! Turns out, it's a beautiful book, and so is Sicily!

zanele: All of Anne Rice's "Vampire Chronicles" make me want to go to New Orleans and poke around old graveyards and buildings, looking for some of the history and beauty that she describes. Cormac McCarthy's "All the Pretty Horses" fires up the old imagination and makes these boots want to go to Mexico and become a cowperson (?). Movies: "The Scent of Green Papayas" has inspired me to go check out Vietnam sometime soon -- it looks beautiful.

dptt: EF Benson's hilarious "Lucia" series inspired my entire book club to take a trip to Rye, (no, not NY) which appears in the books as "Tilling." Rye was also the home of Henry James. Other authors hung there hats there as well: Conrad, Crane, Ford Maddox Ford, HG Wells, Conrad Aiken and Radclyffe Hall. The town and countryside are charming and an excellent book to inspire and guide a literatour to Rye and its environs is "Writers in Romney Marsh" by Iain Finlayson. (Published in England, it may be difficult to obtain here.)

naving: "Freedom and Midnight" made me tour hot spots of the Indian freedom movement and "Living with the Himalyan Masters" prompted me to take a closer look at Hindu sages. In both these experiences I saw things that most have not.

DemiDobber: "Como Agua Para Chocolate" or "Like Water For Chocolate" has inspired me to travel those few thousand miles to see the one I love. It might not be possible in this very moment, but in time I know we will be together. We will spend the rest of our lives together. For eternity, will we be one. Elbert, to amo con todo mi corazon.

boatman: "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance" by Robert Persig. Excellent book, travelling in the Northern U.S. The Dakota's, Montana, on to San Fran. The trip is grand in a car, however it is perfect upon a scooter.

THALARIA: "Les Miserables" is a fantastic book! When I read it I was just trying to understand the play better but I really became fascinated by France and the Latin Quarter and would love to visit someday.

Now that you've read through the responses, add a few thoughts of your own. Or return to Tripod's Literatour series.