The Art of Travel
Alain de Botton
Contrast
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One of the first things you will note is de Botton's consistent use of contrast between the exotic and the mundane, the real and the imagined.
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Allusion
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Throughout the text, de Botton alludes to the work of others. This is structurally built into the novel, as many of the composers to whom he alludes are his 'guides'. He reflects on the relationships between these artists and the landscapes they represent to theorise about the philosophy that underpins our reactions to landscapes, both familiar and foreign.
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Structure
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The text is highly structured. Each chapter is broken into sections so de Botton can move his philosophical 'arguments' forward logically. In sections he can move fluidly from present to past, mundane to exotic, real to imagined, personal experience to the experience of others. Each chapter creates an artistic collage of collected ideas - much like a scrapbook page with a common, underpinning theme.
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Anecdote
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Throughout the novel, de Botton relates anecdotes of his own experiences and those of others in order to illustrate his points more clearly, giving flesh to ideas.
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Shifting form
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De Botton's novel uses a variety of forms that create the effect of a travel journal. Some sections of his work are reflective as he reminisces on landscapes he has experienced himself. Other sections are short essays on the representations of others and what they reveal about the composer's worldview and human nature. He includes photographs that support or illustrate his arguments. Artworks and quotes from other composers are also used. At times his narrative voice is very immediate as he describes landscapes in present tense and at others he speaks factually or reminiscently about places.
All forms work seamlessly together, coalescing into a united whole within each chapter to convey a distinct idea about the relationship between people and the landscapes they inhabit. |
Imagery
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De Botton uses two distinctive types of imagery - one is traditional with its classic descriptive prose that paints landscapes in the minds of the reader. Here you will find your similes and metaphors and sensory imagery. The other is his celebration of the mundane, the traditionally ugly, or the less orthodox landscape features that often go unnoticed in writing. At times these everyday features are represented in descriptive prose, and at others they are contrastingly stark.
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This study guide gives a good clear overview of the module and the text.
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Here you will find some useful analysis of the features of the text.
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