Reflections on Travel Literature

To prepare for our trip to Europe, Bob Lossman and Nick Schevera, trip coordinators and instructors at the College of Lake County, gave us a reading list. I thought I’d share the ones I’ve read so far.



The Leaky Iron Boat by Hart Massey
In retirement, Massey and his wife succumb to the allure of traveling by barge from the Netherlands to southern France. While I enjoyed the information regarding barge and canal travel, I found that I wanted more. More what? I think less information regarding the technical difficulties in maneuvering through a canal and more information regarding local flavor.



Daily Life in Holland in the Year 1566 by Rien Poortvliet
While I didn’t read every word in this book, it has a strong historical context. The text is readable and the illustrations appear to be highly authentic. Out of all the information presented, the section on how “witches” were labeled was appalling and terrifying. I had just read Vreeland’s book, and this work made it clear how easily one could be labeled a “witch.” While I didn’t condone the mother’s decision in Vreeland’s book, I empathized a little more.



Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland
I enjoyed Vreeland’s book quite a bit. I also watched Hallmark’s Hall of Fame “Brush with Fate” after I finished. I thought the chapter focusing on the farmer’s wife was quite beautiful in book form. The chapter on the “witch” and her young lover was stronger to me in the movie form.

It’s interesting how the painting reaches out to the female characters' perception of beauty and on technical execution and sensual attraction felt by the male characters.



Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
To see a Vermeer in person will certainly be more entrancing now that I’ve read Vreeland and Chevalier's books. I enjoyed the historical context and the maid’s perspective. How easy it was for the aristocracy to ruin a person’s life. It is also fascinating to me that so little is known about Vermeer.



Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
This is a recommended title, related to the two above, focusing on the story of two adolescents who are bent on solving the theft of a Vermeer painting and a centuries old riddle. The book is set in Hyde Park,Chicago.



The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
It was somewhat difficult to find a copy of this title but I managed and immediately bought a copy for our library.

Corrie Ten Boom shares her experiences in Holland from the early 1900s to the late 1940s. She shares personal reflections focusing on daily life, Nazi occupation, and the horrors found in a concentration camp. However, for me, the real beauty of her story shared her journey of spirituality and faith.



Lust for Life by Irving Stone
While critics of Stone appear to be many, his ability to bring history to life is enjoyable. The historical detail and accuracy in the description of the daily life and work of miners, weavers, and farmers was eye-opening.

I realize that Stone gathered much of his information through interviews and researching Vincent’s and Theo’s letters to one another. Vincent’s continued failures in employment, romance, and painting caused me grief while reading; one can only imagine how it effected Vincent Van Gogh at the time.



The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

I must be the last person on earth who hasn’t read this book! I just started it last night and am enjoying it. I can barely wait to see the parquet floor in the Grand Gallery of the Louvre that the author describes in the first few chapters.

That's it for now. Au Revoir