Reviews

The Art of Travel by Alain de Botton

radio5's review

Go to review page

medium-paced

5.0

A great read. 

darbz89's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

gingerliss's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

This is my first encounter with de Botton's writing, and I have to say I really enjoyed it. I've seen some of his documentary on Status Anxiety, and finding that to be very interesting decided to get my hands on one of his books asap.

His writing, although philosophical, reads very easily. I've tried some other modern philosophers that I've had a bit of trouble with understanding properly. Zizek and Baudelaire off the top of my head. (I will be getting back to them both, but not until my head has room for them). De Botton is really easy to understand and I love the way he uses LOTS of literature and art to get his points across. Although I didn't always agree with him on certain things, I did still enjoy reading his ideas.

There are a few things that I loved about this book. The first is De Botton's description of service stations. Now, I have ALWAYS, as long as I can remember, had this really weird feeling of serenity when it comes to service stations. Now, I am, very specifically, talking about British service stations, and then the kind were you have a couple of shops, usually including a WH Smith, and a self-service cafe, and then the usual toilets and stuff. These places are mainly memories from my childhood years, and whenever I've been back to England visiting and have traversed a service station. What would be called a service station is Holland, is not what I mean. Anyway my point here, is Mr. de Botton, worded this feeling I have always had, EXACTLY! And I was so happy to finally meet someone (in words) who feels the same way. If you want to know exactly what that is, you'll have to go pick up this book.

The other thing I absolutely loved about this book was a chapter, near the end, in which De Botton talks about both drawing and 'drawing with words.' This was so so inspiring!!! It got me thinking straight away and has given me a completely different perspective to work with when writing. I may even try some drawing at some point, even though I'm crap at it, the point is not to learn to draw but to learn to see.

Anyway, some pretty cool stuff, and those were just my highlights and while writing this I'm already wondering why I've only given it four stars rather than five.
Oh yes. There were some things, I felt, De Botton could have gone into a little deeper. But I do think this is because of my study background, as they were subjects, the sublime and the country vs the city, which I have covered during my studies. So, for me, these idea's put forth here, were very basic. Which is not to say they were bad, for anyone who hasn't had as much to do with these subjects as I already have I think what De Botton has written is a very good beginning.

Another book that has had me adding more and more to my reading list. So extra points for that as well. What was also very enjoyable to me is the places that De Botton described that I am familiar with, Amsterdam, Schiphol, and the Provence. Plus he covers some writers and artists who I like, Flaubert, and Van Gogh. And he has also introduced me to some artists who I now really like because of him.

Good stuff.

chiddless's review against another edition

Go to review page

reflective slow-paced

4.0

laurasf's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative reflective medium-paced

3.5

veroiter's review against another edition

Go to review page

inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

5.0

graubenh's review

Go to review page

reflective medium-paced

4.25

ericfheiman's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

I've heard many derisive comments about de Botton's writing, the most common that it's pop criticism for those who can't handle the real stuff. But I think it's this accessibility that makes it so appealing, and one can't deny the fascinating connections and insights he makes about travel in this book, using some of the best artists, authors and poets to augment and support his conclusions. My guess is that de Botton's contrarian, down-to-earth yet poetic observations must drive ivory tower-entrenched academics (with their jargon-filled language) bananas. That, and his books probably sell infinitely better, too.

notanniewarren's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative reflective slow-paced

4.5

I loved this book! Alain de Boston is such an accessible, entertaining writer, who makes stuffy historical figures seem like people you'd want to go for a pint with while explaining and expanding their ideas. There was loads in this book that I agreed with and my brain sparked up with associations from my own life. He also seems to share some of the same criticisms of guidebooks that, having worked on guidebooks for several years, I have too. This is a book probably best engaged with slowly, a chapter at a time, to mull over and digest - if you race through it then there might be a danger of finding too many ideas, references and spheres of influences crammed together.

chelseascurrentread's review against another edition

Go to review page

informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

3.25