If you could take a journey through a book, which one would it be?

[lmroth12]

I always loved the way Louisa Mae Alcott wove the journey of The Pilgrim's Progress throughout Little Women, with the sisters experiencing The Valley of Humiliation, visiting The Palace Beautiful, and being tempted at Vanity Fair.

Summer will soon be upon us, and that means traveling. If you could journey through any book where the characters experienced a life change what would it be? I choose The Voyage of the Dawn Treader from The Chronicles of Narnia, for the sea journey, the islands and their cultures, and that last silent sea filled with lilies that borders Aslan's Country. I would have adventures galore with slavers, magicians, living stars, and one very unhappy dragon named Eustace Clarence Scrubb; who almost deserved it! 

[NogDog]

Well...guess I'd have to go with Corwin's journey throughout shadow, Amber, and eventually to the Courts of Chaos in Roger Zelazny's first "Amber" series. I'll skip the Black Road, however, and the years in the dungeon without sight.

[MissingAlaska]

Every time I pick up a good book I feel like I'm taking a journey.  That said, it's good to know the ground rules.  Am I just an observer who can't get hurt?  If so, J.R.R. Tolkien's universe would be fascinating, beginning with The Hobbit.   If I can get physically hurt, I'd probably choose something a little more pedestrian -- maybe Little House on the Prairie, where the world is new and exciting with hints of danger, but ultimately safe and comforting, or possibly The Great Gatsby -- what parties those must have been.

[Ann in Arlington]

Well...guess I'd have to go with Corwin's journey throughout shadow, Amber, and eventually to the Courts of Chaos in Roger Zelazny's first "Amber" series. I'll skip the Black Road, however, and the years in the dungeon without sight.

Wait . . . . . not something from Sir Terry! NogDog, you surprise me.

[Linjeakel]

Wait . . . . . not something from Sir Terry! NogDog, you surprise me.

I was thinking the same thing - who is this person and what has he done with the real NogDog? 

[NogDog]

Wait . . . . . not something from Sir Terry! NogDog, you surprise me.

I was thinking the same thing - who is this person and what has he done with the real NogDog? 

Y'all need to play closer attention. Terry Pratchett is my second favorite author, but post-dates Zelazny by at least a couple decades in terms of the ends of their careers. I've probably read the original "Amber" series about three dozen times since I discovered it in the late '70s. I've maybe read a few of my favorite Pratchett books half a dozen times.

On top of that, I can think of no other fictional journey that could compare to Corwin's in terms of the types and numbers of places/worlds/universes visited, the modes of travel, and his personal journey that occurred during those travels.* Pratchett's "Discworld" stories are wonderful, but they tend to mostly take place on just one world. I suppose the best(?) journey in the Discworld to follow would be Rincewind's, as he hits all the continents and even spends some time in a spaceship of sorts above (or below?) the Discworld.
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* Maybe Michael Moorcock's Elric/Corum/Hawkwind/Eternal Champion books would come close?

[lmroth12]

I was thinking the same thing - who is this person and what has he done with the real NogDog? 

Exactly!

[lmroth12]

Every time I pick up a good book I feel like I'm taking a journey.  That said, it's good to know the ground rules.  Am I just an observer who can't get hurt?  If so, J.R.R. Tolkien's universe would be fascinating, beginning with The Hobbit.   If I can get physically hurt, I'd probably choose something a little more pedestrian -- maybe Little House on the Prairie, where the world is new and exciting with hints of danger, but ultimately safe and comforting, or possibly The Great Gatsby -- what parties those must have been.

As you are journeying through the book, you are vulnerable to possibly getting hurt. But that's why adventures are so exciting! 

[TWErvin2]

While NogDog's walking through Shadows to the Courts of Chaos (minus the Black Road) would be interesting, I think The Land in the first Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever trilogy by Stephen R. Donaldson would be very neat. The different cultures and regions would be very neat to experience.

[NogDog]

While NogDog's walking through Shadows to the Courts of Chaos (minus the Black Road) would be interesting, I think The Land in the first Thomas Covenant, the Unbeliever trilogy by Stephen R. Donaldson would be very neat. The different cultures and regions would be very neat to experience.

Can't argue with that*, especially if you can get one of the Ranyhyn to agree to provide your transportation. Just watch out for Ravers and white gold wielders.
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* Well, other than Corwin's travels would cover many more environments/places -- but there's something to be argued for spending time to really get to know one place.

[tessa j jones]

Can I pick a few?

Obviously Middle-Earth

J.R.R. Tolkien's books such as The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings made my childhood.

Oh, and Frodo is my muffin in this journey <3

One of the greatest world builders in my opinion.




Second place, but strangely close is Caligo or The First World

H.S. Crow's world building is seriously on a level that I haven't seen in modern authors. It's detailed and rich, and he's challenging Tolkien in my opinion by bringing every mythos from every culture across the world to life, and utterly it's creative... not some rip off... I got a chance to read this author's sample of the Oathkeeper series coming out in Winter and it nearly made me want to steal his manuscript. (Met him at Supercon where he was helping Zach from Steven Universe... I was getting autographs and that's where i learned about him and found out what he had done.) Enough said, meeting him in person and getting a copy of his first book Lunora and the Monster King made my day, and even till now I'm still thinking about his world and the books. He's pretty poetic and passionate about his work. Below I placed the map of the Kingdom of Nevermore, a tiny fragment of the world he created and the main area of the first book he released.





Last world,

Hogwarts!!!

From Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling ^_^

Exploring those corridors filled with magick and unknowns alongside other students just sounds fun and gives me that good ole days feeling.

[BiancaSommerland]

I love questions like this!

There are a few fictional places I'd love to visit, but one that's stuck with me forever is the world in A Wrinkle in Time. I actually need to re-read the book so I can remember why I wished it was real when I was little! lol

Do comic books count? I'd also love to visit the world of Elfquest. <g>

[lmroth12]

I love questions like this!

There are a few fictional places I'd love to visit, but one that's stuck with me forever is the world in A Wrinkle in Time. I actually need to re-read the book so I can remember why I wished it was real when I was little! lol

Do comic books count? I'd also love to visit the world of Elfquest. <g>

Comic books can count. After all, we wouldn't have the mythology of Super Man without those Marvel comic books!

[afshan.jaff]

Nobody mentions Agatha Christie and the famous railway journeys 

[lmroth12]

Nobody mentions Agatha Christie and the famous railway journeys 

I LOVE Agatha Christie! I would love to visit St. Mary Meade and Bertram's Hotel in London and take Miss Marple's coach tour of historic places. And all places Poirot.

[Alberto L Pupo]

Definitely a Journey through Middle Earth! As dangerous as it would it would be picturesque that is for sure.

[lmroth12]

Definitely a Journey through Middle Earth! As dangerous as it would it would be picturesque that is for sure.

Yes, a journey through Middle Earth would be quite an adventure. Encounters with orcs, Sauron, Saruman, giant spiders, and miscellaneous goblins would get your adrenalin going, that's for sure! But then there is also the beauty of Rivendell, the timelessness of Lothlorien, the haunting loneliness of Rohan, and the charm of the Shire to make it worthwhile!

[TT Rankin]

I would absolutely love attending Hogwarts, but having grown up on a steady diet of Dragonlance Chronicles I would be right at home in the world of Krynn.

Wouldn't mind a trip down the rabbit hole with Alice or setting sail with Jim and Silver in Treasure Island. I guess thats why we read, so we can say we already have.

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[V.P.]

I'd like to take a journey through H.G. Wells' The Time Machine. Ever since I first read the book, when I was a kid, I've wanted to have an up close and personal encounter with a Morlock, just to satisfy my curiosity. (It would have to be a virtual journey, though. Otherwise, satisfying my curiosity could = getting eaten by the Morlocks, which just wouldn't be worth it.)

[lmroth12]

I would absolutely love attending Hogwarts, but having grown up on a steady diet of Dragonlance Chronicles I would be right at home in the world of Krynn.

Wouldn't mind a trip down the rabbit hole with Alice or setting sail with Jim and Silver in Treasure Island. I guess thats why we read, so we can say we already have.

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And don't forget Alice's journey through The Looking Glass. I enjoyed that even more than Wonderland!

[AndyWilliams]

I was very impressed with Master of the Game by Sidney Sheldon, I maximally imbued with the plots of this book!

[Jennifer R P]

Man, this is...I couldn't pick just one, but almost everyone has picked fantasy, so how about some science fiction.

I would love to explore the world of Vernor Vinge's space operas - A Deepness In The Sky, A Fire Upon The Deep and Children of the Sky - just not at a time when they have rogue gods trying to kill everyone, please? .

[Rena Arun]

Definitely, Middle Earth and Narnia, but only if like Dante with Virgil, Tolkien and Lewis could be my guides!

[Carlton Isaac]

Robert Erwin Howard's HYBORIA, with sword in hand as a sullen eyed thief, reaver and slayer to tread the jewelled kingdoms under sandalled feet.

[Rena Arun]

Robert Erwin Howard's HYBORIA, with sword in hand as a sullen eyed thief, reaver and slayer to tread the jewelled kingdoms under sandalled feet.

I'll second that. But for shivers, his Solomon Kane's witch-doctor haunted ruins.