The Tao of Travel cover

The Tao of Travel

Rating 4.2
Word count
169K words
Chapters
206
ISBN
9787559818751

Tags

Summary

"The Tao of Travel" is a roaming guide for all literary readers, and also a portable collection of maxims, a pocket reading list, and a memoir. Travel holds countless possibilities and hidden traps at every moment, but you only know by setting out yourself. The best lovers of literature are often travelers, sharing similar curiosity and imagination: the moment we open a book, we cannot help setting foot on that one road; the moment we set out, we inevitably begin writing our own lives. When Paul Theroux was a small boy unable to travel alone, literature was the "road" that carried him through journeys; after more than fifty years roaming the world, he distills the philosophical thoughts, insights, and wise maxims on travel that he has read and written into twenty-seven thematic chapters, collected as this "travel guide for lovers of literature," passing on a lifetime of experience. The book contains inspiring stories of great explorers and travelers, as well as travel experiences and observations written by literary masters. Samuel Johnson, Stevenson, Hemingway, Henry James, D. H. Lawrence, Lévi-Strauss, Gide, Nabokov... On the road to foreign lands, writers constantly touch vast and subtle landscapes and diverse lives; they extract unfamiliar experience from foreign perspectives and thereby explore ways of human existence and thought. Between here and elsewhere, travelers bring back stories from afar and gain a rich life.

Editor's review

"The Tao of Travel" is more a portable collection of maxims and a pocket reading list than a travel guide in the traditional sense. Paul Theroux condenses the insights of more than fifty years of roaming and reading into twenty-seven thematic chapters: here are inspiring stories of great explorers and travelers, and also observations and reflections written by Samuel Johnson, Stevenson, Hemingway, Henry James, D. H. Lawrence, Lévi-Strauss, Gide, Nabokov, and other writers in foreign lands. The book's core insight is that the best lovers of literature are often travelers, sharing curiosity and imagination; opening a book and setting out on foot are in fact the same road. Its strength is its density and the ease of opening it anywhere, and its weakness lies there too—fragmentary writing offers no continuous narrative, and readers must string the scattered maxims together themselves. It suits being carried in a bag, read in snatches on trains and in inns, and also used in the study as a reading list to follow.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers who love literature and travel and enjoy maxims and fragmentary reading
  • Those who want a book to carry on a journey that can be opened and put down at any time
  • Readers hoping to expand their travel-literature reading list by following leads
  • Those interested in writers' observations and experiences in foreign lands

Not a good fit for

  • Travelers needing practical guides, routes, and accommodation information
  • Readers who prefer complete, continuous narrative and are unused to fragmentary form
  • Beginners unfamiliar with major Western literary figures and lacking background knowledge

Reading tips

  1. No need to read in order; jump to the thematic chapter that most appeals to you, one or two chapters at a time.
  2. Carry a pen and note the writers and works mentioned as a reading list for the next stage.
  3. Best read while traveling: read a few pages in stations, carriages, or inns, to echo the unfamiliar scenery before you.

About the publisher

Guangxi Normal University Press China · Founded in 1986

Guangxi Normal University Press is a publisher known for literature, foreign literature and history titles. Its 1,175 books in the database show a solid accumulation in classics and prose collections, including foreign literary works such as Les Fleurs du mal: Annotated Poems of Baudelaire, Snow Country, Dubliners and The Wild Palms, as well as modern prose compilations like The Complete Prose of Zhou Zuoren. History and philosophy also hold a notable share, with titles such as Running Dogs: Clerks and Runners in Qing County Yamen and The History and Thought of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom reflecting attention to Qing local administration and modern history. In art literature there is the 16-volume Ten Bamboo Studio Painting and Calligraphy Manual. Its author resources include foreign writers Charles Baudelaire and Yasunari Kawabata, translators and annotators Liu Nanqi and Zou Bo, and scholars such as Zhong Shuhe, Bradly W. Reed and You Chenjun. As public information is limited, this characterization is based only on the books in the database, which together present a profile balancing Chinese and foreign literary classics with academic works in the humanities and social sciences.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 序言 别处的意义
  3. 1 简谈旅行
  4. 非动身不可
  5. 道路即生活
  6. 旅行的两条悖论
  7. 一个人旅行
  8. 旅行中隐姓埋名
  9. 旅行者的自负
  10. 旅行中的陌生人
  11. 城市与旅行
  12. 探险
  13. 旅行与乐观主义
  14. 旅行与传统
  15. 旅行与政治
  16. 旅行与色情
  17. 旅行中的景致
  18. 旅行是浪费时间
  19. 爱刺探隐秘的旅行者
  20. 旅行是侵扰
  21. 旅行是蜕变
  22. 旅行者必须有德
  23. 旅行使人谦卑
  24. 旅行文学
  25. 旅行的速度
  26. 时间旅行
  27. 在乱世中旅行
  28. 旅行与爱
  29. 通过气味理解一个国家
  30. 旅行如恋爱
  31. 旅游和观光
  32. 启程
  33. 边疆
  34. 坐飞机旅行
  35. 归途
  36. 2 世界的肚脐
  37. 3 坐火车的乐趣
  38. 火车旅行—主干线
  39. 在火车上聊天
  40. 卧铺车厢的浪漫氛围
  41. 火车包含了一种文化的方方面面
  42. 坐火车旅行的例子
  43. 4 墨菲的旅行守则
  44. 5 旅行者谈自己写的书
  45. 6 漫长或短暂的旅程
  46. 7 旅行者的行李
  47. 爱德华·李尔在阿尔巴尼亚,1848 年: “一点大米,咖喱粉和辣椒粉”
  48. 理查德·伯顿爵士乔装前往麦加: “几样路上的必备用品”
  49. 保罗·杜·沙伊鲁在赤道非洲: “白色的珠子……小镜子……以及我的枪”
  50. C.M.道蒂和乔叟在阿拉伯漠地
  51. 亨利·米勒从美国东海岸至西海岸:一把活动扳手
  52. 劳伦斯·凡·德·普司特:带着火漆去尼亚萨兰
  53. V.S.奈保尔在信徒的国度: 斯梅德利牌高翻领衫,运动裤
  54. 芙瑞雅·斯塔克在卢里斯坦: “一件皱巴巴的礼服和一块粉扑”
  55. 挞帕和尚:一位佛教僧侣的行装
  56. 乔·波利斯,梭罗的阿布纳基向导:“没带换洗衣物”
  57. 威廉·李斯特·海特穆恩:便携式马桶
  58. 威廉·巴勒斯:治疗蛇咬创伤的血清和一张吊床
  59. 皮克·耶尔:一本书
  60. 8 恐惧、神经质及其他健康状况
  61. 9 从不单独旅行的人
  62. 塞缪尔·约翰逊和詹姆斯·鲍斯威尔
  63. 亨利·大卫·梭罗和友人
  64. 理查德·伯顿爵士,和穆罕默德一同前往麦加
  65. 安德烈·纪德和他的情人
  66. 雷德蒙·奥汉隆和他的“小纵队”
  67. V.S.奈保尔和他的女人们
  68. 约翰·迈克菲,和他一起划船的人,还有他的妻子
  69. 布鲁斯·查特文和友人
  70. 科林·迈克菲和简
  71. 埃里克·纽比和旺达
  72. 鲁德亚德·吉卜林和卡丽
  73. 格雷厄姆·格林和同伴
  74. D. H. 劳伦斯和弗里达
  75. 萨默塞特·毛姆和情人
  76. 丽贝卡·韦斯特和亨利
  77. 约翰·斯坦贝克和伊莱恩
  78. 帕特里克·莱斯·弗莫尔和朋友
  79. 爱德华·艾比和家人
  80. 威福瑞·塞西格和朋友
  81. 让·科克托,“路路通”先生,和查理·卓别林
  82. 克洛德·列维—斯特劳斯和妻子
  83. 10 旅行是磨难
  84. 杰弗里·穆尔豪斯:《可怕的虚空》(1974)
  85. 瓦莱里安·阿尔巴诺夫:《在白茫茫的生死之境》(1917)
  86. 杜格尔·罗伯逊:《怒海余生》(1973)
  87. 唐·芬德勒:《迷失卡塔丁山》(1939)
  88. 威福瑞·塞西格:《阿拉伯沙地》(1959)
  89. 阿普斯利·谢里—加勒德:《世界最险恶之旅》(1922)
  90. 乔恩·克拉考尔:《进入空气稀薄地带》(1999)
  91. 威廉·巴勒斯:《寻找死藤水之旅的通信》(1963)
  92. 11 英国人谈逃离英国
  93. 12 当你是个陌生人
  94. 身为法兰克人
  95. 13 徒步旅行
  96. 玄奘(603—664):不可超越的朝圣者
  97. 松尾芭蕉(1644—1694):奥州小道
  98. 布鲁斯·查特文的游牧生活
  99. 沃纳·赫尔佐格:步行是一种美德
  100. 让—雅克·卢梭:孤独漫步者的遐想
  101. 华兹华斯:一位“腿脚健硕”的自然诗人
  102. 梭罗的“散步”
  103. 约翰·缪尔:“喜爱荒野中的一切”
  104. 彼得·马修森:“前往天堂之路便是天堂”
  105. 14 旅行的壮举
  106. 一个乔装打扮的异教徒潜入麦加
  107. 孤帆环球航行
  108. 爬肯尼亚山不是野餐
  109. 划船横渡太平洋
  110. 从布宜诺斯艾利斯骑马至纽约
  111. 游过巴拿马运河
  112. 穿越两极的环球之旅
  113. 无法超越的登珠峰体验
  114. 从开普敦徒步至开罗
  115. 徒步走遍世界
  116. 最年轻的完成不间断环球航海的人
  117. 15 足不出户
  118. 亨利·菲尔丁的《里斯本航海日记》
  119. 萨米耶·德梅斯特:在自己房间里的旅行
  120. 鸭长明:归隐于一间偏远、狭小的草庵
  121. 梭罗:待在家才是天堂的生活
  122. 艾米莉·狄金森:居家不出的理由
  123. 16 假想的旅行
  124. 塞缪尔·巴特勒:《理想之乡:或,域外》
  125. 亨利·米肖:《大加拉班国之旅》
  126. 米格尔·德·乌纳穆诺:《机械之都》
  127. 伊塔洛·卡尔维诺:《看不见的城市》
  128. 简·莫里斯:《哈弗的最后来信》
  129. 17 万物皆可食
  130. 鞑靼人的饮食习惯
  131. 亚洲卡迪尔王国的奇异水果
  132. 鞑靼人出行时的餐饮
  133. 在赫布里底群岛,早餐前喝点威士忌酒开胃的习俗
  134. 德鲁兹人的生肉
  135. 大蒜,阿拉伯农民的食物
  136. 把一名加蓬奴隶当晚餐
  137. “许多人吃刺猬”
  138. 猫、骆驼、狐狸、枭及其他
  139. 布莱克先生,丹吉尔的饮血者
  140. 伊夫林·沃谈英属圭亚那的猪肉干
  141. 阿拉巴马州的佃农,颗粒无存
  142. 在西藏的饮食中,肉是罕见之物
  143. 雷德蒙·奥汉隆的丛林美食
  144. 山里的面包荒
  145. 刚果的炖猴肉,特特拉人的做法
  146. 在新几内亚品尝炸红棕象甲虫
  147. 亚洲的狗肉
  148. 摘自《阿拉斯加州希什马廖夫的爱斯基摩人食谱》
  149. 18 罗森布鲁姆的旅行守则
  150. 19 以苦为乐
  151. 和卜哈酋长做交易
  152. 范妮·特罗洛普谈美国人的伪善
  153. 埃利亚斯·卡内蒂:马拉喀什的商品价格高深莫测
  154. 爱德华·李尔在阿尔巴尼亚受到的纠缠
  155. 安德烈·纪德:在博祖姆百无聊赖
  156. 兰波在阿比西尼亚的哈勒尔度过的懊丧的一天
  157. V.S.奈保尔对印度的反感
  158. 翁贝托·艾柯,在圣路易斯奥比斯波极尽夸张之能事
  159. 拜伦勋爵在黑海
  160. 20 虚构的民族
  161. 曼德维尔笔下的奇观
  162. 马可·波罗笔下的怪人
  163. 21 作家和他们没去过的地方
  164. 乔治·普萨尔马纳扎的台湾纪行
  165. 爱伦·坡笔下可信的地理风貌
  166. 托马斯·詹维尔在马尾藻海
  167. 埃德加·赖斯·巴勒斯: “我更擅长描写我从未见过的地方”
  168. 索尔·贝娄并非儿戏的伪作
  169. 亚瑟·威利:山中独吟
  170. V.S.普里切特: 许多逼真的描述和一个贻笑大方的错误
  171. 一个真正卡夫卡式的美国
  172. 22 旅行者的福祉
  173. 克里克部落缪斯克古基人的良好习俗
  174. C. M. 道蒂在阿拉伯半岛看见一道三重彩虹
  175. 维克拉姆·塞斯记拉萨的布达拉宫
  176. 福楼拜在尼罗河上的喜不自胜
  177. 芙瑞雅·斯塔克在土耳其哈卡里省感到的安宁
  178. 23 体现地域感的经典之作
  179. 亨利·大卫·梭罗的《缅因森林》
  180. V. S. 普里切特的《西班牙人的性情》
  181. 简·莫里斯的《威尔士的问题》
  182. 莫里茨·汤姆森的《苦中作乐》
  183. 约翰·迈克菲的《走进乡野》
  184. 乔纳森·拉班的《恶土》
  185. 帕特里克·莱斯·弗莫尔的《旅人之树》
  186. 亨利·詹姆斯的《意大利风情》
  187. 尼拉德·C.乔杜里的《一个不知名的印度人的自传》
  188. 卡洛·莱维的《基督止步于埃博利》
  189. 欧内斯特·海明威的《流动的盛宴》
  190. 彼得·比尔德的《狩猎的终结》
  191. W.G.泽巴尔德的《土星环》
  192. 24 盛名之下,其实难副
  193. 25 危险,快乐,迷人
  194. 危险的地方
  195. 快乐的地方
  196. 迷人的地方
  197. 26 旅行中的五次顿悟
  198. 一
  199. 二
  200. 三
  201. 四
  202. 五
  203. 27 旅行的基本之道
  204. 致谢
  205. 作品名对照表
  206. 人名对照表

FAQ

Can this book be used as a travel guide?
No. It is a roaming guide for literary readers, mainly travel philosophy, insights, and wise maxims, with the nature of a reading list and memoir; it offers no routes, transport, or accommodation information. If you need trip planning, prepare a separate guidebook.
Must the twenty-seven chapters be read in order?
No. The book is organized into twenty-seven thematic chapters that are relatively independent, suitable for opening anywhere. Skipping by interest or rereading a chapter does not hinder understanding and better fits its form as a collection of maxims.
Will unfamiliarity with the writers affect my reading?
The effect is limited, but the richer your background knowledge, the more you gain. The book involves Samuel Johnson, Hemingway, Nabokov, and many others; for unfamiliar names, you can skip them first, note the titles, and return to compare after reading their works later, which brings a second harvest.

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About the author

Paul Theroux is a writer known for his travel writing. Public biographical information about him is limited, yet his works already reveal a distinctive literary profile. Two of his books are included here: Riding the Iron Rooster: By Train Through China and The Tao of Travel. The former records what he saw along the way while traveling through China by train, while the latter offers essayistic reflections on the theme of travel. Classified respectively as miscellaneous prose and foreign literature, the two works show that his writing combines reportage with literary essay. Theroux's tone is usually detailed and restrained, attentive to local scenery, people's speech, and the details of a journey. He is good at connecting personal itineraries with broader social landscapes, so that travel is not merely geographical movement but also a way of understanding others and reflecting on oneself. For Chinese readers, his works offer a window onto China and the world through a foreign traveler's eyes, and show the particular value of travel literature in recording the experience of an era.

张芸 Author

Zhang Yun is an author about whom limited public information is available; her name and biographical details are not clearly documented in the existing materials. Judging from the thirteen works held in the collection, her writing interests span both essays and miscellaneous writings and foreign literature. Her representative works include a study of Oscar Wilde, W. B. Yeats, James Joyce and their fathers, as well as foreign literary works such as Winesburg, Ohio, Dubliners, The Housekeeper, The Book of the Goose, The Testament of Mary, The Art of Travel, and Dancing with Paris. This suggests that her work leans toward translation, introduction, and essay writing, with attention to figures, texts, and urban experience in the Western literary tradition. Because reliable biographical information is lacking, it is difficult to say more about her education, professional identity, or writing career.

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