Top 10 literary locales
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In a way, books are like travel – each one has its own story and provides unforgettable memories, people and places. Start your adventure based on one of these literary treasures with our Top 10 favourite literary locales.
J.K. Rowling, the Harry Potter series (1997 – 2007)
Harry Potter may live in a magical world, but that doesn’t mean muggles everywhere can’t enjoy it. Visit places where locations in the series draw inspiration. Mostly set in Oxford, England, hot spots like Christ Church College’s dining hall and Bodleian Library at the Divinity School of Oxford University will give readers a taste of Hogwarts. Craving more magic? Head to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. Search and compare:cheap flights to London
Ernest Hemingway, The Sun Also Rises (1926)
A poetically placed expat, Jake Barnes in Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises drinks his way through Paris and Pamplona. If you’re travelling to Paris, grab a cocktail at the places he does in Book 1: The classic 1920s bohemian character drops in at la Rotonde and sips the night away at Les Deux Magots, where he meets Lady Brett Ashley. Follow in their shoes next to Pamplona, where they watched the Running of the Bulls. Search and compare:cheap flights to Paris | cheap flights to Pamplona
Douglas Coupland, City of Glass (2000)
Hey Nostradamus might be set in a North Vancouver high school, but Coupland’s most enticing book, one to whet to appetite for a trip to this beautiful coastal city, is City of Glass. Coupland’s prose is crisp and incisive and the accompanying images gorgeous. You’ll want to check out those sulfur mounds in North Vancouver, do the Grouse Grind and try to discover Kitsilano's dark side. Search and compare:cheap flights to Vancouver
F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby (1925)
In a fictional critique of the American Dream, F. Scott Fitzgerald painted a portrait of New York City in the 1920s. One of the most iconic settings in the novel is the Plaza Hotel, which serves as a haven for Gatsby and his crew to escape the summer heat with Mint Juleps. It comes at a price, but staying at the Plaza in New York still summons the glamour and drama of the 1920s epic. Search and compare:cheap flights to New York
Mordecai Richler, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959)
The Jewish community of Montreal has produced a number of wonderful writers - Leonard Cohen, Irvin Layton and A.M. Klein - but Mordecai Richler is the undoubted star. The Jewish enclaves of St. Urbain and the Main are immortalized in his novels. The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz was Richler's breakthrough novel, following the rise of an opportunistic young Jewish man in the 1930s and 1940s. There's a fresh imperative to following in his footsteps, a film version of Barney’s Version will be released this month, the settings being several of Richler’s (and the protagonist, Bruno Panofsky’s) favourite bars. Search and compare:cheap flights to Montreal
Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet (1597)
Lit geeks will love the place called “Juliet’s Balcony” in Verona, Italy. The balcony (and the house) belonged to a Veronese family whose epic rivalry with neighbours inspired Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The balcony and its courtyard below attract tourists from all over the world, and the statue of Juliet is supposed to give luck when touched. Search and compare:cheap flights to Verona
Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love (2006)
It’s the trip known around the world - Elizabeth Gilbert’s solo travel excursion that took her through a carbohydrate-filled quest in Italy, a reflective period in India, and an adventurous journey in Indonesia. Now, you can do the same. Fill up on gelato and pizza in Rome, pay homage to the Taj Mahal in India and mellow out on one of Bali’s beaches of Nusa Lembongan. Search and compare:cheap flights to Italy | cheap flights to India | cheap flights to Indonesia
Michael Ondaatje, In the Skin of a Lion (1987)
Ondaatje, himself an immigrant, pays tribute to the hard-working men and women who arrived in Canada and made huge contribution to their adopted homeland. In the Skin of a Lion tells the stories of the tunnel-builders, bridge-builders, tanners and butchers, all of whom are central to the creation of their Toronto at the start of the 20th century. Search and compare:cheap flights to Toronto
Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods (1998)
From the branches above to the twigs below the soles of your shoes, the Appalachian Trail is Bill Bryson’s setting for his nature-based narrative, A Walk in the Woods. The trail itself spans more than 2,000 miles and is the country’s longest footpath, touching 14 states total. Follow in the footsteps of Bryson and his comedic partner, Katz, in this U.S. nature conservancy. Search and compare:cheap flights to the US
Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables (1908)
A surprise to her adoptive guardians, Anne of Green Gables is a spirited young girl that takes her adventures all through Prince Edward Island in Canada. Cavendish now celebrates her literary legend with tourism-friendly spots like the Balsam Hollow which inspired the Haunted Woods. Visit Cavendish to explore the quaint surroundings of Anne’s eventful story. Search and compare:cheap flights to Prince Edward Island