Jane Austen Novels: Literary Places: Drink, Dine, and Doze

This text serves as a literary travel guide, highlighting various locations across the globe that hold significance to renowned authors and their works. It details historic houses, museums, libraries, hotels, pubs, and even natural landscapes that inspired literary creations or were frequented by famous writers. The guide provides information on visiting these sites, often including addresses, contact details, and descriptions of what makes them special. From Shakespeare’s birthplace to Hemingway’s favorite bars and the landscapes of Brontë’s novels, the source connects readers with the real-world settings behind beloved literature. Furthermore, it lists literary festivals, tours, and other related attractions for book enthusiasts. Essentially, it invites readers to embark on a journey to experience literature in a tangible way.

A Journey Through Literary Landmarks: A Study Guide

Quiz

1. Describe the significance of Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon. What types of artifacts might a visitor expect to see there?
2. Why is the Abbey Theatre in Dublin considered a symbol of the Irish literary revival? Name at least two of its co-founders and their goals for the theater.
3. Explain Henrik Ibsen’s importance to modern drama. What kind of social commentary did his plays often deliver, and what was the public’s reaction during his lifetime?
4. What inspired William Wordsworth to write many of his famous poems while living at Dove Cottage? Mention a key aspect of the lifestyle he and his sister Dorothy embraced there.
5. Describe the experiences of George Sand and Frédéric Chopin during their winter stay in the Valldemossa monastery in Majorca. How did this period affect Chopin’s health and his relationship with Sand?
6. What were Jack London’s aspirations for Beauty Ranch in Sonoma Valley? What principles of agriculture did he aim to implement on his property?
7. Explain the connection between Robert Burns and the Auld Kirk Alloway. How did the site inspire his poem “Tam o’ Shanter”?
8. Why did James Joyce choose the Martello tower at Sandycove Point as the setting for the opening of Ulysses? Who was residing in the tower when Joyce stayed there?
9. Discuss the contrasting perspectives of Jane Austen and her characters regarding the city of Bath. What might have contributed to Austen’s personal feelings about the town?
10. Describe the enduring legacy of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson at 221b Baker Street. What can visitors experience at the Sherlock Holmes Museum?

Answer Key

1. Shakespeare’s Birthplace is significant as the house where William Shakespeare was born and spent his early life. Visitors can expect to see original and replica furnishings from the Elizabethan era, providing a glimpse into his family life and the times he lived in, including his father’s glove-making workshop and a traditional English garden.
2. The Abbey Theatre is a symbol of the Irish literary revival because it was established with the goal of staging works reflecting Irish culture and fostering new Irish playwrights. Its co-founders included W. B. Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory, who aimed to create a truly Irish national theatre.
3. Henrik Ibsen is regarded as a founding father of modern drama for his plays that delved into the human psyche and offered sharp social commentary, often challenging Victorian moral codes. He was a controversial figure during his lifetime, with some audiences scandalized by the themes explored in his work.
4. William Wordsworth was inspired by the natural beauty of the Lake District surrounding Grasmere to write many of his poems. He and his sister Dorothy embraced a lifestyle of “plain living, but high thinking,” finding inspiration in their daily walks and observations of nature.
5. George Sand and Frédéric Chopin endured a difficult winter in the damp and isolated Valldemossa monastery, suffering from poor health, social isolation, and the harsh weather. This period worsened Chopin’s already fragile health and strained his relationship with Sand.
6. Jack London envisioned Beauty Ranch as a “ranch of good intentions,” aiming to create a bucolic Eden using organic and sustainable agriculture techniques. He wanted the ranch to be a model of responsible farming, cultivating various crops and livestock.
7. The Auld Kirk Alloway was a significant place for Robert Burns as he heard ghost stories associated with the ruins during his childhood, which later inspired his poem “Tam o’ Shanter.” Additionally, his father was laid to rest in the churchyard, making it a site of personal and familial importance.
8. James Joyce chose the Martello tower at Sandycove Point as the setting for the opening of Ulysses because he had briefly stayed there himself, and it provided a unique and symbolic location for the beginning of his epic novel. Oliver St. John Gogarty, a friend of Joyce, was residing in the tower during Joyce’s stay.
9. Jane Austen expressed a personal dislike for Bath, finding it wearisome compared to her beloved Hampshire countryside. However, some of her characters, like Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey, express great fondness for the social life and attractions of Bath, highlighting a contrast between the author’s and her characters’ experiences.
10. The Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221b Baker Street preserves the fictional lodgings of the famous detective and his companion, Dr. Watson, allowing visitors to step into their world. The Victorian-era rooms are recreated as described in Conan Doyle’s stories, complete with Holmes’s possessions, offering an immersive experience for fans.

Essay Format Questions

1. Explore the concept of “literary pilgrimage” as presented in the source material. Discuss why readers are drawn to visit the homes and haunts of their favorite authors, and analyze the significance of these sites in enhancing our understanding of their lives and works.
2. Choose three different literary destinations featured in the guide (e.g., Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Walden Pond, the Hemingway House) and compare how the visited spaces reflect the lives, themes, and legacies of the authors associated with them.
3. Analyze the role of specific geographical settings in shaping the creative output of at least two different authors mentioned in the text (e.g., the Yorkshire moors and the Brontës, Dublin and James Joyce, Key West and Ernest Hemingway). Consider how the environment influenced their writing.
4. Discuss the significance of literary landmarks as cultural heritage sites. How do these places contribute to our understanding of literary history, and what efforts are made to preserve and present them to the public?
5. The source material highlights various “drink, dine, and doze” locations associated with famous writers. Analyze the relationship between these social spaces and the literary figures who frequented them. How might these environments have influenced their work or provided insights into their lives?

Glossary of Key Terms

• Literary Landmark: A place that holds significance due to its association with a writer or a work of literature, such as an author’s birthplace, home, a setting in a novel, or a favorite gathering spot.
• Pilgrimage: A journey to a place considered sacred or significant, often undertaken for personal, spiritual, or in this context, literary reasons.
• Repertory Theatre: A theatre company that presents a rotating schedule of different plays rather than running one production for an extended period.
• Literary Revival: A period of renewed interest and activity in a nation’s literature, often characterized by a focus on national identity and cultural heritage, as seen with the Irish Literary Revival.
• Social Commentary: Writing that critiques aspects of society, such as its institutions, customs, or power structures, often with the aim of promoting social or political change, as evident in the works of Dickens and Ibsen.
• Romantic Era: A literary and artistic movement in the late 18th and early 19th centuries that emphasized emotion, imagination, individualism, and the beauty of nature, exemplified by writers like Wordsworth, Byron, and Keats.
• Modern Drama: A form of theatre that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, characterized by realism, psychological depth, and a focus on social issues, with Henrik Ibsen being a key figure.
• Gothic Literature: A genre of literature that combines elements of horror, romance, and the supernatural, often set in eerie or decaying settings, as seen in Dracula and some works by Hawthorne and the Brontës.
• Autobiographical: Relating to or based on the author’s own life and experiences, as seen in Dickens’s David Copperfield and Steinbeck’s East of Eden.
• Expatriate: A person who lives outside their native country, often for an extended period, as James Joyce did after leaving Dublin.

Briefing Document: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West

Source: Excerpts from “Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West” by Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon (2008).

Main Theme: This book excerpt serves as a guidebook to literary landmarks, inviting readers to connect with their favorite authors and books by visiting significant locations associated with them. It highlights homes, museums, theaters, pubs, and even landscapes that inspired or were inhabited by renowned writers, spanning various eras and genres. The central idea is that these places offer a tangible link to the literary imagination and provide a deeper understanding of the authors’ lives and works.

Key Ideas and Facts:

• The Power of Place in Literary Imagination: The introduction suggests that while fictional universes may not always have a precise geographical location, the real-world places associated with their creation hold significance. The authors pose rhetorical questions about the settings of iconic literary works, then pivot to the importance of honoring the actual places that sparked these ideas. For example, they mention the bar stool where Beckett might have conceived Waiting for Godot and Melville’s Arrowhead home, where the view of Mount Greylock could have inspired the shape of the whale in Moby Dick.
• Quote: “Luckily, universes can fit on a head of a pin, and the pins are worth honoring, too.”
• Quote: “Sometimes a book invites a journey, sometimes we invite ourselves.”
• Shakespearean Pilgrimages: The excerpt emphasizes Stratford-upon-Avon, England, as a long-established pilgrimage site for “Bard fans.” It details Shakespeare’s Birthplace, highlighting the preservation of the Tudor house and garden, offering a “fascinating glimpse into Elizabethan life and times.” The Royal Shakespeare Company’s three theaters in Stratford are also mentioned as key attractions. Furthermore, the text points to Stratford, Ontario, Canada, as another significant location for Shakespeare enthusiasts, boasting North America’s largest classical repertory theatre.
• Honoring Playwrights: The document explores locations associated with other prominent playwrights, including Shaw’s Corner in Hertfordshire, England, the Abbey Theatre in Dublin (founded by Yeats and others to reflect “the deeper thoughts and emotions of Ireland”), and the Ibsen Museum in Oslo, Norway, preserving Ibsen’s final apartment where he uttered his famous last words: “On the contrary.” It also mentions other Ibsen museums in Norway.
• Wordsworth and the Lake District: Dove Cottage in Grasmere, Wordsworth’s “nest in a green dale,” is presented as a pivotal location for his most productive writing period, characterized by “plain living, but high thinking.” The adjacent museum displaying manuscripts like the original draft of “Daffodils” is also noted.
• Literary Exiles and Retreats: The excerpt delves into the contrasting experiences of George Sand and Frédéric Chopin in a Majorcan monastery, where the harsh conditions and isolation profoundly affected Chopin’s health and their relationship. Conversely, Jack London’s Beauty Ranch in Sonoma Valley, California, is portrayed as his “bucolic Eden,” a deliberate creation rooted in his success as a writer and his commitment to sustainable agriculture.
• Quote (Sand on Majorca): “Death seemed to hover over our heads to seize one of us, and we were alone in contending with him for his prey.”
• Quote (London on his ranch): “‘Next to my wife, the ranch is the dearest thing in the world to me.’”
• Scottish Literary Heritage: The focus shifts to Robert Burns, with descriptions of his birthplace, Burns Cottage, and the nearby Auld Kirk Alloway, which inspired his poem “Tam o’ Shanter.” The annual Burns Night Suppers are also mentioned as a global celebration of the poet.
• Yeats’s Ireland: County Sligo, Ireland, is highlighted as the landscape that deeply influenced the poetry of W. B. Yeats. The Lake Isle of Innisfree is specifically mentioned as inspiration for one of his early poems.
• Romantic Poets in Italy: The Keats-Shelley House in Rome is presented as a memorial to the Romantic poets who lived and died in Italy. It houses a collection of artifacts related to Keats and Shelley, as well as other literary figures. Byron’s Roman sojourn and his contrasting relationship with Keats are also touched upon.
• Quote (Byron on Rome): “‘As a whole, ancient and modern, it beats Greece, Constantinople, everything—at least that I have ever seen.’”
• American Literary Landmarks: The excerpt covers a range of American authors and their significant locations, including Carl Sandburg’s Connemara, Edna St. Vincent Millay’s Steepletop, Robert Frost’s homes in New Hampshire and Vermont, Emily Dickinson’s Homestead, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s Cambridge home, O. Henry’s Austin residence, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Mansfield home, Edgar Allan Poe’s Philadelphia residences, Herman Melville’s Arrowhead, Washington Irving’s Sunnyside, Mark Twain’s birthplace in Florida, Missouri, and his boyhood home in Hannibal. These sections often include details about the preserved homes and museums.
• Quote (Melville on Arrowhead): “‘I have a sort of sea-feeling here in the country, now that the ground is all covered with snow…My room seems a ship’s cabin…’”
• Quote (Irving on Sunnyside): “‘It is a beautiful spot…capable of being made a little paradise.’”
• Quote (Twain on his birthplace): “‘The village contained a hundred people and I increased the population by one per cent.’”
• Dracula’s England and Romania: Whitby, England, is identified as the atmospheric inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, with descriptions of the harbor, Whitby Abbey, and St. Mary’s Church graveyard. Sighisoara, Romania, Vlad the Impaler’s birthplace, and Snagov Monastery, his reputed burial place, are also featured.
• Quote (Stoker on Whitby): “‘Masses of sea fog came drifting inland…so dank and damp and cold that it needed but little effort of imagination to think that the spirits of those lost at sea were touching their living brethren with the clammy hands of death.’”
• Russian Literary Giants: The excerpt visits the estate-museum of Leo Tolstoy at Yasnaya Polyana, Anton Chekhov’s house museum in Moscow, and Fyodor Dostoevsky’s childhood apartment, also in Moscow, highlighting their personal histories and literary connections to these places.
• Quote (Tolstoy on Yasnaya Polyana): “‘I could hardly imagine Russia, or my relationship with her, without my Yasnaya Polyana.’”
• Quote (Chekhov on his dual life): “‘Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress. When I get fed up with one, I spend the night with the other.’”
• Mystery and Detective Fiction: The guidebook touches upon locations associated with mystery writers, including Dashiell Hammett’s San Francisco and the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221b Baker Street in London, emphasizing the immersive experience offered to fans.
• Quote (Conan Doyle’s Holmes): “‘I have my eye on a suite on Baker Street.’”
• Literary Destinations Beyond Homes: The excerpt expands to include libraries like Trinity College in Dublin (housing the Book of Kells) and the British Library in London (displaying treasures like the Magna Carta and Shakespeare’s First Folio), emphasizing their importance in preserving literary history. It also mentions the use of Dunnottar Castle and Blackness Castle in Scotland as filming locations for Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
• Literary Hotels: Several hotels with literary connections are highlighted, including the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, which hosted Victor Hugo and Mark Twain, the Hotel d’Inghilterra in Rome (frequented by Henry James), and Pensione Wildner in Venice (also associated with James).
• Literary Pubs and Restaurants: The document lists various establishments that were frequented by famous writers, such as John’s Grill in San Francisco (Hammett), Rules in London (Dickens, Thackeray, Wells), Davy Byrnes Pub in Dublin (Joyce), and Dirty Dick’s in London (possible inspiration for Miss Havisham).
• Jane Austen’s Ambivalence Towards Bath: While Bath is mentioned in the title, the excerpt reveals Jane Austen’s personal dislike for the city, contrasting with the positive portrayal in Northanger Abbey. Her preference for rural life and her family’s move to Bath are discussed.
• Quote (Austen): “‘Bath is still Bath.’”
• Charles Dickens’s London: A significant portion is dedicated to Charles Dickens’s life and works in London, featuring the Charles Dickens Museum at his former Doughty Street residence, remnants of Marshalsea Debtors Prison, and his beloved Gad’s Hill Place in Kent. Various London locations mentioned in his novels and associated with his life are also highlighted, along with dining and drinking establishments he frequented.
• Quote (Dickens on David Copperfield): “‘I have in my heart of hearts a favorite child. And his name is David Copperfield.’”
• Quote (Dickens on Gad’s Hill Place): “‘The spot and the very house are literally ‘a dream of my childhood,’’”
• The Brontës’ Haworth: Haworth in West Yorkshire, England, the home of the Brontë sisters, is depicted as a place deeply intertwined with their literary creations. The Brontë Parsonage Museum and the surrounding moors are emphasized as essential for understanding their work.
• Quote (Virginia Woolf on Haworth and the Brontës): “‘Haworth expresses the Brontës; the Brontës express Haworth. They fit like a snail to its shell.’”
• Victor Hugo’s Paris: Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, the setting of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, is described through Hugo’s eyes, emphasizing its architectural grandeur and the panoramic views of the city from its towers.
• Quote (Hugo on Notre-Dame): “‘No view in the world…could be more magical, more airy, more enchanting.’”
• James Joyce’s Dublin: Dublin is presented as central to the works of James Joyce, particularly Ulysses. Key locations like the James Joyce Museum in Sandycove, Davy Byrnes Pub, and sites referenced in the novel are highlighted, along with the annual Bloomsday celebration.
• Quote (Joyce on his portrayal of Dublin): “‘I want to give a picture of Dublin so complete that if the city suddenly disappeared from the earth it could be reconstructed out of my book.’”
• Franz Kafka’s Prague: Prague is portrayed as an intrinsic element of Franz Kafka’s haunting literary world, reflecting his personal struggles and the city’s unique atmosphere. While not explicitly named, Prague’s architecture and atmosphere are seen as embodied in his works.
• Quote (Kafka on his desire for peace): “‘I didn’t anymore believe in the possibility of real peace…but all the same I went in search of it.’”
• Quote (Kafka on his house in Golden Lane): “‘It suits me down to the ground…it is something special to have one’s own house, to shut in the face of the world the door, not of your room, not of your apartment, but of your own house.’”
• Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Salem: Salem, Massachusetts, particularly The House of the Seven Gables and the Custom House where Hawthorne worked, are discussed as significant influences on his writing.
• Quote (Hawthorne on The House of the Seven Gables): “‘The aspect of the venerable mansion has always affected me like a human countenance…It was itself like a great human heart, with a life of its own, and full of rich and sombre reminiscences.’”
• Ernest Hemingway’s Key West: Key West, Florida, is presented as a crucial location for Ernest Hemingway, where he wrote, fished on his boat Pilar, and developed his “Papa” persona. His house there is now a museum.
• Quote (London on his Key West home): “‘We have bought that old house with the iron rails and balconies opposite the lighthouse in K.W.’”
• Other Southern Writers: The excerpt briefly mentions Tennessee Williams’s connection to Key West and Harper Lee’s Monroeville, Alabama, the inspiration for To Kill a Mockingbird.
• John Steinbeck’s California: Monterey and Salinas, California, are highlighted as “Steinbeck Country,” the real-world settings that heavily influenced his novels like Cannery Row and East of Eden.
• Quote (Steinbeck on his intention with East of Eden): “‘My wish is that when my reader has finished with this book, he will have a sense of belonging in it. He will actually be a native of that Valley.’”

Overall Significance: This excerpt demonstrates the enduring connection between literature and place. By guiding readers to these literary landmarks, the book encourages a more immersive and personal engagement with the works and lives of these celebrated authors. It highlights how physical environments can shape creative output and how visiting these sites can enrich our understanding and appreciation of literature.

Literary Landmarks: Inspiration and Pilgrimage

Why might literary enthusiasts be interested in visiting the homes and haunts of famous authors?

Visiting literary landmarks allows readers to connect more deeply with their favorite books and authors. Seeing the places where authors lived and worked can provide insights into their inspirations, daily lives, and the social and physical environments that shaped their writing. These visits can transform the act of reading into a more tangible and personal experience, fostering a stronger appreciation for the creative process.

This text highlights numerous locations associated with William Shakespeare. What are some key sites mentioned and why are they significant?

The text emphasizes Stratford-upon-Avon, England, as Shakespeare’s birthplace and a long-standing pilgrimage site for Bard fans. Key sites include Shakespeare’s Birthplace itself, a Tudor house where he was born and likely lived with his wife, Anne Hathaway. Stratford also boasts the Royal Shakespeare Company with its three theaters on the River Avon, and the New Shakespeare Company at the enchanting open-air theater, a magical spot to experience his plays. These locations are significant because they offer a direct link to Shakespeare’s origins and the ongoing performance tradition of his works.

The establishment of the Abbey Theatre in Dublin is discussed in relation to W. B. Yeats. What were the motivations behind its founding?

W. B. Yeats and his co-founders established the Abbey Theatre with the aim of creating an Irish national theater that would stage works reflecting the “deeper thoughts and emotions of Ireland.” They sought to cultivate new Irish playwrights like J. M. Synge and Sean O’Casey and promote a renewed sense of national identity through pride in Gaelic culture. The theater became a symbol of the Irish literary revival.

Several authors, including Henrik Ibsen and James Joyce, are described as having lived in self-imposed exile or having left their homelands. How might this experience have influenced their writing?

Living in exile can provide authors with a unique perspective on their native culture and society, often leading to themes of displacement, identity, and belonging in their works. Distance can sharpen memories and offer a critical lens through which to examine their origins. For instance, while James Joyce wrote extensively about Dublin, he did so from abroad, suggesting a complex relationship with his homeland that likely infused his detailed and critical portrayals. Ibsen’s self-imposed exile might have contributed to the social commentary and critical examination of Victorian morality found in his plays.

The text explores the connection between Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the town of Whitby, England. What elements of Whitby inspired the novel?

Bram Stoker visited Whitby seeking a relaxing vacation but found inspiration in its “unpredictable North Sea climes, rugged cliffs, and dramatic location in the shadow of a ruined abbey.” The story of a shipwreck that ran aground in the harbor five years prior also fueled his imagination. These elements contributed to the ominous backdrop of Dracula‘s arrival in England via a shipwrecked vessel, with the titular character making his way to St. Mary’s Church and its ancient graveyard, becoming the setting for his first English victim.

Authors like Jack London and Edna St. Vincent Millay sought out specific rural locations for their homes. What aspects of these places were important to them?

Authors often seek environments that foster creativity and provide solace. Jack London envisioned his Sonoma Valley ranch, Beauty Ranch, as a “bucolic Eden” where he could pursue his agrarian dreams and use organic and sustainable agriculture. The tranquility and connection to nature were clearly important. Edna St. Vincent Millay and her husband bought Steepletop, a former blueberry farm, for its rural setting in eastern New York, suggesting a desire for peace and inspiration away from urban life. Robert Frost also sought a “Garden of Eden” in his Vermont stone cottage, emphasizing the importance of a connection with nature for his writing.

The text mentions several literary museums and historic houses dedicated to authors. What kinds of artifacts and experiences do these places typically offer to visitors?

Literary museums and historic houses often provide a glimpse into the lives and works of authors through preserved personal belongings, original manuscripts, first editions of their books, photographs, and furniture. Visitors can often tour the rooms where authors lived and wrote, gaining a sense of their daily routines and creative spaces. Some museums also offer guided tours, educational programs, and exhibits that contextualize the authors’ lives within their historical and literary periods. These sites aim to bring visitors closer to the authors and their creative processes.

The concept of literary pilgrimage appears throughout the text. What motivates readers to undertake these journeys?

Literary pilgrimage is driven by a desire to deepen one’s connection with beloved authors and their works by visiting places associated with them. It’s a way for readers to step into the worlds depicted in literature, to see the landscapes that inspired authors, and to feel a tangible link to their creative heroes. These journeys can be motivated by curiosity, a sense of reverence, and the hope of gaining a richer understanding of the author’s life and the context of their writing. The act of visiting these sites can feel like a form of homage and a way to make the literary experience more real and memorable.

Literary Landmarks: Connecting Readers and Author Places

The sources discuss a variety of literary landmarks, which are places significant due to their associations with authors, their lives, or their works. These landmarks offer readers a way to connect more deeply with the books and writers they cherish.

The book “Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West” itself serves as a guidebook to many of these locations. The contents page highlights several categories of literary landmarks, including:

• Author Houses and Museums: These are intimate places where writers lived, dreamed, drew inspiration, and spent their most creative hours, offering a glimpse into the moment of artistic creation. Examples include:
• Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, now overseen by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust. Charles Dickens and John Keats were early visitors.
• Abbotsford, the castle-like manor of Sir Walter Scott in Scotland, now a literary museum.
• Dove Cottage, the home of William Wordsworth in England.
• Arrowhead, the home of Herman Melville in western Massachusetts, where he wrote Moby Dick.
• The Wayside in Concord, Massachusetts, the home of Louisa May Alcott and later Nathaniel Hawthorne.
• The Ernest Hemingway Museum (La Finca Vigía) in Havana, Cuba.
• The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire, England.
• The Dublin Writers Museum in Dublin, Ireland, which traces Ireland’s literary legacy.
• The National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California, celebrating the life and work of John Steinbeck.
• The James Joyce Museum in the Martello tower at Sandycove Point, Dublin, which was featured in Ulysses.
• Atmospheric Literary Landscapes: Physical places that inspired authors and became settings in their works.
• The Scottish Border Country that inspired Sir Walter Scott.
• The Lake District in England, associated with William Wordsworth.
• Sligo in Ireland, which inspired the early works of W. B. Yeats, including Glencar Lake and Waterfall and Knocknarea (Sacred Hill).
• Cornwall in southwest England, which provided inspiration for Daphne du Maurier.
• Monroeville, Alabama, the small town that inspired Harper Lee‘s To Kill a Mockingbird.
• Monterey and Salinas, California, the setting for many of John Steinbeck‘s works.
• Bath, England, frequented by Jane Austen.
• London, England, associated with Charles Dickens.
• Paris, France, linked to Victor Hugo and Ernest Hemingway.
• Dublin, Ireland, immortalized by James Joyce.
• Literary Festivals, Tours, and More: Organized events and routes that allow enthusiasts to explore literary connections.
• Bloomsday in Dublin, an annual celebration of James Joyce’s Ulysses on June 16th.
• The Steinbeck Festival in Salinas, California.
• The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival.
• Literary walking tours in cities like Boston, New York (Greenwich Village), London, Paris (Hemingway’s Paris), and Dublin.
• Literary pub crawls in Dublin, London, and Edinburgh, visiting pubs frequented by famous writers.
• Booked Up: Literary Places to Drink, Dine, and Doze: Establishments like pubs, cafes, restaurants, and hotels that were frequented by authors or are mentioned in literature.
• Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, a gathering place for expatriate writers like James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway.
• The Eagle and Child pub in Oxford, England, where The Inklings (including C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien) met.
• La Rotonde and La Closerie des Lilas in Paris, cafes frequented by Ernest Hemingway and other literary figures.
• Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy, a favorite of Ernest Hemingway and Truman Capote.
• The White Horse Tavern in Greenwich Village, a haunt of Dylan Thomas and Jack Kerouac.
• The Algonquin Hotel in New York City, where F. Scott Fitzgerald lodged and Dorothy Parker’s “Vicious Circle” met.
• The Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans, frequented by Southern writers like Eudora Welty, Truman Capote, and Tennessee Williams.
• John’s Grill in San Francisco, a favorite of Dashiell Hammett.
• Longfellow’s Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts, which inspired Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poems.
• Westminster Abbey in London, the burial place of many distinguished literary figures, known as Poets’ Corner.

These literary landmarks serve as tangible connections to the world of literature, allowing readers to experience the places that shaped their favorite authors and stories. Whether it’s visiting an author’s home, walking the streets they described, or having a drink in their favorite pub, these destinations offer a unique way to engage with literary history.

Author Homes: Literary Landmarks and Museums

The sources discuss author homes extensively, primarily within the chapter titled “AUTHOR HOUSES AND MUSEUMS“. These are described as the intimate places where writers lived, dreamed, dozed, drew inspiration, and spent their most creative hours, offering readers a rare glimpse into the ephemeral moment of artistic creation.

The significance of author homes lies in the tangible connection they provide to the writers and their works [the initial summary]. Visiting these places allows readers to see the environments that shaped their favorite authors and stories [the initial summary, 5]. As the introduction notes, people seek out these literary places to gain a deeper perspective on the books they cherish. The mere mention of places like Ernest Hemingway’s Key West or Victor Hugo’s Paris can inspire travel for novel exploration, as many come to know these places through the eyes of these authors.

Many author homes have been preserved and turned into museums, allowing the public to visit and learn more about the authors’ lives and works. Some examples from the sources include:

• Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, is overseen by the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and was visited by early sightseers like Charles Dickens and John Keats. It displays many of the trees, flowers, and herbs mentioned in Shakespeare’s works, and an exhibition center illuminates his life.
• Abbotsford, the castle-like manor of Sir Walter Scott in Scotland, is now a literary museum showcasing his antique furnishings, weaponry, and a 7,000-volume library. It opened as one of the world’s first literary museums just five months after Scott’s death and was visited by figures like Queen Victoria and Charlotte Brontë.
• Dove Cottage, the home of William Wordsworth in England, along with an adjacent museum displaying portraits and manuscripts like the original draft of “Daffodils”.
• Arrowhead, the home of Herman Melville in western Massachusetts, where he wrote Moby Dick. The house is restored to its Melville-era appearance, and a window in his second-floor study offered views of Mount Greylock, said to resemble a whale.
• The Wayside in Concord, Massachusetts, the home of Louisa May Alcott and later Nathaniel Hawthorne.
• The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum in Key West, Florida, Hemingway’s first home on U.S. soil after living abroad.
• The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire, England, remains much as it did when the Brontë sisters lived there, allowing visitors to see the dining room where they brainstormed plot ideas.
• The Dublin Writers Museum in Dublin, Ireland, traces Ireland’s literary legacy and features items like Samuel Beckett’s custom-designed telephone.
• The National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California, celebrates the life and work of John Steinbeck.
• The James Joyce Museum in the Martello tower at Sandycove Point, Dublin, featured in Ulysses, houses a collection of memorabilia, including letters and rare editions of his works.
• Tao House at the Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site in Danville, California, where O’Neill lived in seclusion and penned many of his acclaimed plays.
• The Eudora Welty House in Jackson, Mississippi, preserves the intensely private author’s personal and professional domains.
• Rowan Oak, William Faulkner’s home in Oxford, Mississippi, where the plot outline for A Fable is scrawled on the wall in his office.
• Longfellow House–Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site in Cambridge, Massachusetts, home to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for 40 years and General George Washington’s headquarters during the Siege of Boston.
• The restored Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, displays furniture and items owned by the author and his family.
• The Willa Cather Childhood Home in Red Cloud, Nebraska, is part of the Willa Cather Thematic Group, comprising several preserved buildings associated with her life and fiction.
• The O. Henry Museum in Austin, Texas, preserves the Lone Star State legacy of William Sydney Porter.
• The Ralph Waldo Emerson House in Concord, Massachusetts, Emerson’s residence for over 40 years, remains much as it did in his day.
• The Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, where Nathaniel Hawthorne penned stories and where a recreation of Henry David Thoreau’s vegetable garden for the Hawthornes flourishes.
• The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford, Connecticut, showcases Stowe’s furnishings and artwork and the parlor table where she worked on Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
• Maison Jules Verne in Amiens, France, decorated with period furnishings and items owned by the writer.
• Château de Monte-Cristo, Alexandre Dumas’s countryside retreat outside Paris, featuring a smaller workspace called Château d’If.
• Maison de Victor Hugo in Place des Vosges, Paris, now a museum illuminating different periods of his life.
• Hauteville House on the isle of Guernsey, where Victor Hugo spent 14 years of his exile and completed Les Misérables.

In some instances, author homes have been transformed into literary lodgings or establishments where visitors can drink and dine, offering a more immersive experience:

• Garth Woodside Mansion in Hannibal, Missouri, where Mark Twain stayed as a guest, now offers a garden-view room he used.
• Bleak House in Broadstairs, Kent, Dickens’s summer retreat, is now a guest house where visitors can stay in the Charles Dickens Room.
• The Willa Cather Second Home in Red Cloud, Nebraska, is now a guest house with rooms named after towns in her novels.
• The Steinbeck House in Salinas, California, where John Steinbeck was born, is now a restaurant open for lunchtime dining and offers house tours.

These examples demonstrate the diverse ways in which author homes serve as literary landmarks, providing valuable insights into the lives and creative processes of the world’s greatest writers.

Literary Guidebooks and Literary Travel

The sources indicate that literary guidebooks serve as resources for “reading enthusiasts who also travel” and “actual literary pilgrims”, helping them explore places significant to authors and their works. The book “Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West” by Shannon McKenna Schmidt and Joni Rendon is itself presented as such a guidebook.

This guidebook aims to enhance the travel experiences of book lovers by providing information on literary landmarks. The Library of Congress cataloging information explicitly classifies it as a guidebook for literary landmarks in the United States and Great Britain and for the homes and haunts of American and English authors. The foreword by Matthew Pearl suggests that the book helps bridge the gap between fiction and real-world destinations associated with literature.

The structure of “Novel Destinations,” as revealed in its contents, implies a categorized approach to literary guidance:

• “READ ’EM AND SEE: AUTHOR HOUSES AND MUSEUMS” suggests a section dedicated to guiding readers to the preserved homes and museums of various authors.
• “ATMOSPHERIC LITERARY LANDSCAPES” likely guides readers to physical locations that inspired authors and became settings in their novels.
• “LITERARY FESTIVALS, TOURS, AND MORE” indicates a section guiding readers to organized literary events and routes for exploration.
• “BOOKED UP: LITERARY PLACES TO DRINK, DINE, AND DOZE” likely directs readers to establishments with literary connections, such as pubs and cafes frequented by authors.

Beyond comprehensive books like “Novel Destinations,” the sources also highlight other forms of literary guidance:

• Literary Walking Tours: These guided excursions in cities like Boston, Los Angeles (Raymond Chandler), Chicago, New York (Greenwich Village), New Orleans, Dublin, London, and St. Petersburg (Dostoyevsky) serve as localized guidebooks in action, highlighting specific literary sites and their significance.
• Self-Guided Tours and Maps: Edinburgh offers self-guided walking tour itineraries and apps related to its literary heritage. Baltimore has a self-guided Literary Heritage Tour map available online. Visitors to literary sites, like the National Steinbeck Center, might find maps and reading lists to further their exploration.
• Specific Books as Guides: “A Journey into Steinbeck’s California” by Susan Shillinglaw is mentioned as a handy guide for traversing the terrain associated with John Steinbeck.
• Museum Resources: Author house museums and literary centers often provide exhibits and information that guide visitors through the life and works of the featured writers [e.g., Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Abbotsford, The Brontë Parsonage Museum, The National Steinbeck Center, Dublin Writers Museum].

These various forms of literary guidebooks, whether comprehensive volumes or localized resources, cater to the desire of readers to connect more deeply with literature by experiencing the places and environments that shaped its creation. They transform reading from a solitary activity into a form of “travel by the book”, allowing enthusiasts to embark on “novel exploration”.

Literary Travel: Visiting Authors and Their Worlds

Travel for readers is presented in the sources as a way to deepen their connection with literature by experiencing the places associated with authors and their works. The book “Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West” caters specifically to “reading enthusiasts who also travel” and “actual literary pilgrims”. The foreword by Matthew Pearl suggests that such travel bridges the gap between fiction and real-world literary destinations.

The sources highlight several key aspects of travel for readers:

• Visiting Author Homes and Museums: This is a significant aspect, offering “a rare glimpse into the ephemeral moment of artistic creation”. These “intimate places where writers lived, dreamed, dozed, drew inspiration, and spent their most creative hours” are often preserved as museums. Examples include Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Abbotsford (Sir Walter Scott’s home), Dove Cottage (William Wordsworth), Arrowhead (Herman Melville), The Wayside (Louisa May Alcott and Nathaniel Hawthorne), the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, the Brontë Parsonage Museum, the Dublin Writers Museum, the National Steinbeck Center, the James Joyce Museum, Tao House (Eugene O’Neill), the Eudora Welty House, Rowan Oak (William Faulkner), Longfellow House–Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site, the restored Sinclair Lewis Boyhood Home, the Willa Cather Childhood Home, the O. Henry Museum, the Ralph Waldo Emerson House, the Old Manse (Nathaniel Hawthorne), the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center, Maison Jules Verne, Château de Monte-Cristo (Alexandre Dumas), Maison de Victor Hugo, and Hauteville House (Victor Hugo). These allow readers to see the environments that shaped their favorite authors and stories.
• Exploring Atmospheric Literary Landscapes: Readers can travel to the physical locations that inspired authors and became settings in their novels. The mere mention of places like Ernest Hemingway’s Key West or Victor Hugo’s Paris can inspire travel for “novel exploration”. Jane Austen’s Bath, Dickens’s London, Steinbeck’s California, and the Brontë Country are presented as such landscapes. For example, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is significant because Mark Twain witnessed and wrote about it. In Salinas, California, visitors can explore the landscape that inspired John Steinbeck. The Brontë Country in Yorkshire, England, offers walks to landmarks like the Brontë waterfall and Top Withens.
• Participating in Literary Festivals, Tours, and More: These organized events and routes provide opportunities for readers to connect with literature in a social and immersive way. Examples include the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, the Steinbeck Festival in Salinas, the Fowey Festival of Words and Music, and Zora! The Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities in Eatonville, FL. Literary walking tours are available in cities like Boston, Los Angeles (Raymond Chandler), Chicago, New Orleans, Dublin, London, and St. Petersburg (Dostoyevsky). Self-guided tours and maps are also available in places like Edinburgh and Baltimore.
• Staying in Literary Lodgings and Visiting Bookish Places to Eat and Drink: Some author homes and other establishments have been transformed into places where visitors can stay, eat, and drink, offering a more tangible connection to the literary world. Examples of literary lodgings in the U.S. include the Algonquin Hotel in New York (associated with F. Scott Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker), the Hotel Union Square in San Francisco with a Dashiell Hammett Suite, Garth Woodside Mansion where Mark Twain stayed, and Bleak House Broadstairs, Dickens’s summer retreat now a guest house. Abroad, Farringford on the Isle of Wight was Tennyson’s home and now offers cottages and apartments. Bookish places to eat and drink include Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris, England’s best literary pubs, and Harry’s Bar in Venice, frequented by Hemingway and Capote. The Steinbeck House in Salinas is now a restaurant.
• Experiencing “Travel by the Book”: This phrase encapsulates the idea that novels can inspire travel and provide a new dimension to travel experiences. Conversely, seeking out literary places can give a deeper perspective on cherished books. Even celebrated writers like John Steinbeck felt the allure of following in the footsteps of admired authors.

In conclusion, travel for readers is a multifaceted activity that allows individuals to engage with literature beyond the page. By visiting significant locations, participating in literary events, and even staying in literary-themed accommodations, readers can forge a more personal and profound connection with the authors and stories they love. The sources provide numerous examples of destinations and resources available to those who wish to embark on such literary journeys.

Literary Destinations: A Guide to Bookish Places

Based on the sources, “bookish places” are locations that hold significance for readers and literary enthusiasts due to their connections to authors, their works, or the world of books in general. These places allow readers to deepen their engagement with literature by experiencing the real-world contexts that shaped it. The guidebook “Novel Destinations” serves as a guide to many such locations.

Here’s a breakdown of the bookish places discussed in the sources:

• Author Houses and Museums: These are “intimate places where writers lived, dreamed, dozed, drew inspiration, and spent their most creative hours”. Visiting these sites provides “a rare glimpse into the ephemeral moment of artistic creation”. The sources list numerous examples in the U.S. and abroad, including:
• Shakespeare’s Birthplace in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, a major tourist attraction even in the time of Dickens and Keats.
• Abbotsford, the castle-like home of Sir Walter Scott in Scotland, now a literary museum.
• Dove Cottage, William Wordsworth’s home in England.
• Robert Burns Birthplace Museum and Burns Cottage in Ayrshire, Scotland.
• Longfellow House–Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site in Cambridge, MA.
• Maison Jules Verne in Amiens, France, the home of Jules Verne.
• Many more, such as the homes of Louisa May Alcott in Concord, MA, Nathaniel Hawthorne in Salem, MA, Ernest Hemingway in Key West, FL, Victor Hugo in Paris, France, James Joyce in Dublin, Ireland, Franz Kafka in Prague, Czech Republic, the Brontë sisters in Haworth, England, Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, Henry James, Pearl S. Buck, and many others.
• Atmospheric Literary Landscapes: These are the physical locations that inspired authors and became settings in their novels. Examples include:
• Jane Austen’s Bath, England, featured in Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.
• Charles Dickens’s London, England, the backdrop for many of his novels.
• The Brontë Country in Haworth, West Yorkshire, England, the landscape of Wuthering Heights and other Brontë novels.
• Victor Hugo’s Paris, France, immortalized in his works.
• James Joyce’s Dublin, Ireland, the setting of Ulysses.
• Ernest Hemingway’s Key West, Florida.
• John Steinbeck’s Monterey and Salinas, California, the setting for his California novels.
• Sir Walter Scott’s Scottish Border Country, including Abbotsford.
• Robert Burns Country in Ayrshire, Scotland.
• Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, which Mark Twain wrote about.
• Lyme Regis, England, a setting in Jane Austen’s Persuasion.
• Literary Festivals, Tours, and More: These offer opportunities for readers to engage with literature in a communal and experiential way.
• Literary Festivals like the Bath Literature Festival, Hay Festival in Wales, the Edinburgh International Book Festival, the Fowey Festival of Words and Music (related to Daphne Du Maurier) in Cornwall, the Steinbeck Festival in Salinas, and Zora! The Zora Neale Hurston Festival of the Arts and Humanities in Eatonville, FL [not in source, mentioned in prior turn; you may want to verify this independently].
• Literary Walks and Tours are available in numerous cities, highlighting locations associated with specific authors or literary movements. Examples include tours in Boston focusing on 19th-century American writers, Los Angeles exploring Raymond Chandler’s world, Chicago, New York City (Greenwich Village Literary Pub Crawl, Algonquin Round Table Walking Tours), New Orleans focusing on Faulkner, Williams, and others, Dublin (Dublin Literary Pub Crawl, James Joyce Walking Tours), London (London Literary Pub Crawl, Bloomsbury walks, Dickens walks), and Edinburgh (Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour, Edinburgh Book Lovers’ Tour).
• Self-guided tours and maps are available for literary exploration in places like Edinburgh and Baltimore (Literary Heritage Tour).
• Booked Up: Literary Places to Drink, Dine, and Doze: These are establishments with literary associations, where authors frequented or that have literary themes.
• Literary Lodgings in the U.S. such as the Algonquin Hotel in New York, the Omni Parker House in Boston, the Alexander House Booklovers’ Bed & Breakfast in Princess Anne, MD, the Library Hotel in New York, the Spencer Hotel & Spa in Chautauqua, NY, the Heathman Hotel in Portland, OR, the Sylvia Beach Hotel in Newport, OR, and the Innsbrucker Inn in Leavenworth, WA.
• Literary Lodgings Abroad like Bleak House Broadstairs (Dickens’s retreat) in England, Lamb House (Henry James’s home) in Rye, England, the Savoy Hotel in London (associated with Zola and Wilde), Hôtel d’Europe in Avignon, France (visited by Twain and Fitzgerald), and Farringford (Tennyson’s home) on the Isle of Wight.
• Bookish Places to Sip and Sup, including Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris, England’s Best Literary Pubs like The Eagle and Child and The Spaniards Inn in Oxford and London respectively, Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in London, and Davy Byrnes in Dublin. Big Apple Bars for Bibliophiles like Chumley’s. Parisian Cafés of the Literati such as Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots. Six Hemingway Watering Holes are also mentioned. Harry’s Bar in Venice, frequented by Hemingway and Capote.
• Libraries Worth Checking Out: These are libraries with significant literary collections or historical importance. Examples include:
• Trinity College Old Library in Dublin, home to the Book of Kells.
• British Library in London, housing treasures like the Magna Carta and Shakespeare’s First Folio, and Jane Austen’s writing desk.
• New York Public Library in New York City.
• Library of Congress in Washington, D.C..

These diverse “bookish places” cater to a wide range of literary interests, offering opportunities for travel by the book and a tangible connection to the literary world.

By Amjad Izhar
Contact: amjad.izhar@gmail.com
https://amjadizhar.blog

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