The Cambridge Introduction to Travel Writing

2008 · Book · Tim Youngs

"Critics have long struggled to find a suitable category for travelogues. From its ancient origins to the present day, the travel narrative has borrowed elements from various genres - from epic poetry to literary reportage - in order to evoke distant cultures and exotic locales, and sometimes those closer to hand. Tim Youngs argues in this lucid and detailed Introduction that travel writing redefines the myriad genres it comprises and is best understood on its own terms. To this end, Youngs surveys some of the most celebrated travel literature from the medieval period until the present, exploring themes such as the quest motif, the traveler's inner journey, postcolonial travel and issues of gender and sexuality. The text culminates in a chapter on twenty-first-century travel writing and offers predictions about future trends in the genre, making this Introduction an ideal guide for today's students, teachers and travel writing enthusiasts"-- "The Cambridge Introduction to Travel Writing is structured in three parts. The first surveys the development of the genre from ancient times to the present day. The second, with separate chapters on the quest motif, the inner journey, postcolonial travel, and gender and sexuality, shows how historical context and literary convention act on features that have long been present. The third part discusses recent critical approaches and considers these alongside travel writers' own statements about their practice. The final chapter looks at current travel writing, including the impact of the internet, and anticipates future trends. The volume shows that travel writing has a long tradition, is more diverse than is often recognised, constitutes a serious literary genre, and, contrary to the assumptions of much recent work, can offer a radical challenge to dominant values and perspectives"-- by Tim Youngs