Five Great Tales for Armchair Adventurers!

 

At the moment, I am leisurely making my way through Jerome K. Jerome's novel Three Men In a Boat, a book I have already read more than once before. And, I thought that, inspired by my current read, I might take a little look at some books that ask us to follow their characters as they travel their worlds in search of adventure, peace, hope, or just a little holiday . . . 

Disclosure: If you purchase any of the books through links in this blog, I may earn a commission, but that has no influence over the content of this blog.

1. Three Men in a Boat (to say nothing of the Dog!) by Jerome K. Jerome

As already mentioned, this is my current read, and it is a book I've already enjoyed before. It was written by Jerome K. Jerome and was originally published in 1889. It is a humorous novel in which three men, deciding that they are suffering from overwork and too many maladies to count, decide to go out for a restful vacation, boating along the Thames. Of course, it would be a rather dull read if everything were to go to plan and our heroes were to get the peaceful holiday that they had hoped for, so rest assured, plenty goes wrong for them! Though some of the observations might be a little dated (much has changed in the century and a bit since its publication) it is still a funny book, and a joy to read.

You can purchase Three Men in a Boat from bookshop.org here

2. The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

(You can read my blog post on this novel here)

In this 2015 novel, Kazuo Ishiguro takes us back in time to a fictional Britain of Saxons, Britons, and fantasy. We follow an elderly couple, Axl and Beatrice, when they set off into the rain and mist of a troubled land to try and find a son that they have not seen for years. Unfortunately, the mist that hangs over the land has also robbed people of their long term memories, and so they are not sure of what they will find. As they travel across this strange land they face hazards and their journey reveals to them corners of their love, both light and dark, that had been forgotten. This novel is a beautiful exploration of marital love - the ending especially has really stayed with me!

3. On The Road by Jack Kerouac

On The Road is a classic from the Beat Generation! I fell in love with this tale of characters, a little lost and directionless, making their way across America, hitch hiking and racing towards sunsets. This is a portrait of a 1950's America that swings to the rhythms of jazz, sex, drugs, good friends, and the dust of the roadside. Here we follow Sal Paradise, and his hero Dean Moriarty, as they travel across the country looking for . . . something. I you are looking for a book to introduce to the Beat Generation, you couldn't go far wrong if you were to turn on some Bob Dylan and immerse yourself into Jack Kerouac's world. As with many of the novels of the Beat writers, this novel is really a fictionalised exploration of some of Kerouac's own experiences.

'It changed my life like it changed everyone else's' - Bob Dylan

You can purchase On The Road from bookshop.org here

4. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck

In 1960, John Steinbeck took a nearly 10,000 miles trip through America in the company of his French poodle - Charley. This book, Travels with Charley, published in 1962, tells of that journey - the people and the places that Steinbeck found along the way. We follow the author as he moves through woods and forests, dirt tracks and highways. He observes America and his fellow Americans with a humorous and sometimes cynical eye. He had a love for his country, but he was not blind to its flaws and speaks to us warningly from his point of view, at the end of the fifties and the beginning of the sixties. It is Steinbeck, it is very much worth the read, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.

You can purchase Travels with Charley from bookshop.org here

5. The Lord of the Rings trilogy by JRR Tolkien

At this point, whatever I write here, if you're a reader, there's a pretty good chance you've heard of The Lord of the Rings, and that you have already formed your own opinion on Tolkien's world of dwarves, elves, hobbits, and wizards. If you've not read the books, then you're probably at least aware of Peter Jackson's cinematic take on them. We follow our adventurers - a mix of men, elves, dwarves, hobbits, and a wizard - as they strive to defeat Sauron, the Dark Lord. Sauron has gathered to him the Rings of Power so that he might rule the world, and all he needs to fulfill his dark ambitions is the one ring that rules all the others. This ring is in the possession of young Frodo Baggins, a hobbit, from the Shire. With this ring, and with some help from loyal friends, Frodo must journey from his sleepy village deep into Sauron's territories, defended by orcs and other terrible forces, to destroy this one ring, and save the world. A fantasy classic! You will love it, you won't quite get the hype, or you'll hate it - might as well give it a go though. I mean, it's The Lord of the Rings!

You can purchase a boxset of The Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit from bookshop.org here

I hope you enjoyed this brief look at some of the books in which we take a journey with the protagonists. It is by no means exhaustive and there are many other books out there in which we follow our favourite characters, and the authors, on quests, trips, and adventures. What are your favourites?

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