Around the World in 80 Books discussion

I started reading a book from every country because I desperately wanted to see the world. I am finding it is impossible to do so without occasionally (okay, a bit more than just "occasionally") encountering books about war and violence, since those themes are part of every day life in much of the world. Some countries I thought I would really like to see some day I have essentially crossed off my travel bucket list after reading about them. What do you think? How often has reading about a country made you want or not want to visit it?

I agree with you, Diane, that the violence in some countries would discourage me from visiting them. Some governments also throw people in jail and call them spies because they are foreigners. Other countries have diseases that we might not want to be exposed to, and no modern healthcare if we get sick.

But that still leaves lots of countries that I would love to visit someday. Meanwhile, it's fun to travel in our imaginations.

It's really a shame, but I am scared of people that
grew up in North Korea. Not that they are terrible people, just the grinding degradation, "education", poor nutrition, PTSD, and who knows what the development of the brain is like when your parents are oppressed and try to raise you to be a "good" citizen in such a regime. It is truly scary to think of freedom coming to that country! I don't know if they could cope. I want them to be free, but it will be a long and painful process. Sad

A book is only the author's perception of a place - and often the athor's perspective says more about the author than it does about his subject. Reality is often very different. If anything, the countries I have enjoyed least are some of the 'safest' and westernised of societies. As Mark Twain famously wrote “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”

I read 'Shantaram' - which was an absolutely amazing book, beautifully written and utterly gripping from start to finish (in spite of it being longer than three regular books put together).
BUT - it made me never, EVER want to visit India. The squalor is so well depicted, the lack of value placed on human life, the misery in the shanty towns... ugh! They all make for a great story, but paint (very artistically) a picture of the most appalling place I would be terrified to find myself in!
But deffo worth reading!
Tony

I loved Shantaram too - but it had the opposite affect for me. I agree, the book graphically depicts the grinding poverty and hardships but throughout the epic, the joy of the local people and their ability to survive the terrible circumstances in which they lived was inspiring. Despite their hardships they had respect for themselves and a generosity towards others that we in the West could learn a lot from. For me, travel is as much about the people as the place - probably more so.

I have not read Shantaram, but I have read books about India that have depicted it as a beautiful and wonderful place, while others depict it in a less than pleasant light. I guess a lot depends on the author's perception and the point in history being written about. I am currently reading a book that makes Barbados seem like a very unpleasant place - one that I would not ever want to visit, based on the book. However, I have been to Barbados and have memories of an extremely beautiful and pleasant place.

I guess I bring to it a travellers' prejudice, having known people who've reinforced my negative mental picture of the place. But then again, as you say, the people make any place - and India is vast and incredibly varied. I'm sure I will venture there at some point - I kind of have to now! And hopefully it will dispel my misgivings. But yeah, Shantaram - particularly the depiction of the slum villages and the prisons - really put me off India for quite a while!

Tony wrote: "But yeah, Shantaram - particularly the depiction of the slum villages and the prisons - really put me off India for quite a while! "

This because Gregory David Roberts was a fugitive and continued to live in a not really honest way; so he had no money and had to live in the slums and he began to work for the local mafia.
India is surely a wonderful country with wonderful people and Roberts depicted only one side of it.
It is as if you would read only books about Mafia and don't go to Italy because you are scared to be shot in the street.

That's true, Dely. As I said, I probably will end up going there eventually! I'm not one to be completely scared off visiting a place just on the strength of a book. I was in Jordan during some of the recent fighting, and made several trips to Burma during turbulent times politically... I only mentioned the Shantaram connection because this is a thread called 'Read any books that made you NOT want to travel?' and, well, Shantaram did! But don't worry. I've been to over 30 countries in the last few years, so I'm bound to get there in the end :0)

Tony wrote: "That's true, Dely. As I said, I probably will end up going there eventually! I'm not one to be completely scared off visiting a place just on the strength of a book. I was in Jordan during some of ..."

I loved Shantaram a lot, but I see what you mean about travelling. Interesting that I never thought about it before, but you are right the depiction of the slums and the city is vivid enough to me off.

One other thing - I think there is a difference between 'travelling' and 'vacationing'. Maybe the thread would have been better titled 'Read Any Books That Make You NOT Want To Vacation There?