Six novels that will ignite the wanderlust in you!
(After all this blog is all about travel and related topics …)
The experience of travel cannot be captured better than in the words of Saint Augustine thus, the world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. With this in mind, authors and writers alike go the extra mile to capture their adventures in a bid to share it with the rest of the world. While a memoir or travelogue may fail to capture every last breath and bliss discovered along the journey, a useful insight will in many ways build your inspiration to travel. Here are a few choices recommended Lillian Gaitho that will transit your mind and imagination across borders and boundaries, to new places.
The Zahir – Paulo Coelho
Paulo, in his ever-dazzling oratory mastermind takes us through the protagonist’s journey as he tries to find his wife, in whose mysterious disappearance he is suspected of foul play. The story unfolds in France, but ends somewhere in the Kazakhistan deserts and valleys – as the narrator takes the reader along his personal journey of self-discovery and as he focuses on finding the object of his obsession. Whether chasing your Zahir, or embarking on the path of self-realization; a change of environment will definitely open your mind up.
Raise the Titanic – Clive Cussler
Clive Cussler does lots of justice to my fictitious fantasies! Him of the Dirk Pitt adventures. After riding up The Sahara, Clive offers readers a mind-numbing experience aboard the world’s most famous ship. The plot literally builds up adrenaline as Dirk and his men embark on their mission without the least suspicion of a big time infiltrate working to water down their efforts right under his nose. It’s a race against time; brutal storms, eagle eyed spies and two faced government seniors. If ever you want to cruise, this book will give you a feel of what it’d look like; with all the earnings of a luxurious life and pray, without the eternal shock of the Titanic.
The Beach – Alex Garland
The Beach tells the twisted tale of a legendary beach; hidden away from invading tourists and intruding travelers by lagoons and dangerous waters, not to mention a secret cannabis growers community. This heaven on earth is a well-protected fable, as beautiful as the day it came to creation; a change from the over toured destinations on every single itinerary. So, is there any place on earth left to discover? Do we still have any ‘less travelled or off the beaten path’ anymore? Well, these and more could be the questions you pose every time you set to discover Mother Earth. Maybe there are no more lakes to discover under the sun, maybe every last cave has been uncovered; but as Gilbert K. Chesterton once said, “the traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see”
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The Good Girl’s Book to Getting Lost – Rachel Friedman
Most successful people advocate for gap years in both schooling and careers. The great deal with this, is that it creates time (which otherwise hardly happens in this life) to take a deep look at yourself and get in touch with the person (inside of you) who may have been gotten lost in the daily scaling of life. The book focuses on Friedman’s new-found self, who, after graduation buys a ticket to Ireland and unceremoniously sets off on a journey across three continents. Along the way, she meets and makes friend with a born adventurer girl from Australia; together they form a formidable duo. Rachel comes back home a whole different self from the introverted, no-surprise fresh college grad who embraces life and lives for the moment. YOLO to the wanderlust!
Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe
Chinua Achebe literally takes the reader on a visual tour and experience of the Igbo culture. The story focuses on clansmen and elder – Okwonko’s – rise and fall; as well as the coming of the missionaries and eventual takeover by the “White Man”. The narration is a balanced twist of wicked humor, irony and super-melancholic outbursts, with each chapter going into lengths to indulge the reader in the local culture. This culturally-rich read does capture the truth in the phrase, ‘learning by immersion’ you will certainly be steps ahead, when you finally show up for a tour of Igbo land.
Gorillas in the Mist – Dian Fossey
Dian gives an account of her 18 years’ worth of research and study on mountain gorillas in Rwanda’s rain forests. Dian’s book is a great work that has since been adapted into a movie by the same title. The Volcanoes Mountains are said to be home to more than 50% of the world’s mountain gorilla population. If you are planning a rendezvous with man’s closest relation, this book will definitely equip you with a useful prelude.
