Books as Travel Companions: On Literary Escapism

Travelling is one of the best ways to embrace other cultures and languages, explore new ideas and views, all whilst learning about yourself in the process. A travel companion, however, can be few and far between. Supportive, endlessly interesting, open for adventure – an ideal travel companion is certainly a challenge, but not impossible.

Really, if we think about it, the perfect accompaniment for your next vacation may be a little less human and a little more…literary. Travelling is important and often necessary for growth, but a voyage can alight emotions that are difficult to process. Feelings like the Portuguese concept of saudade, feelings that may be remedied by the comforting words of a bookish companion.

What Is Saudade? A Feeling Beyond Translation

The Portuguese concept of saudade was said to have originated perhaps around the 13^th century, and encapsulates a feeling of melancholy for something or someone that does not and cannot exist in the present moment. A word, and concept, like saudade, cannot be translated, for it has a variety of meanings and interpretations across many generations of people.

However, words like nostalgia, melancholy, and longing are all thought of as aspects of what is generally considered to be less of a word, and more of a feeling or way of life. Saudade is not necessarily a happy emotion, nor something desolate. It just is, somewhere in between, bittersweet. Bitter because you understand it is no longer attainable, it is out of reach, and will remain so. Sweet because it is a beautiful memory, something that gets your heart beating, bleeds color.

Literature as Emotional Refuge

When we experience saudade, we become aware of the transient nature of life. Some see saudade as something like the feeling of looking back at old photos, when you were just a child and your back garden was as big as a forest, when the world felt made for you.

You and the child are one and the same, but worlds apart, and even if you love your life now, you know the sweetness of that youth can never be attained again. Often, these moments are overwhelming to face, even if the feelings that are evoked are necessary.

They can aid us in accepting that life is always changing, even if we yearn for a sense of permanence. The use of books can help us feel this sense of saudade in a space that is safe and less confronting. Literature has been used to help readers explore complex emotions for as long as it has existed.

Literary escapism connects us to feelings of nostalgia and longing through other characters, stories, and actions, instead of the harshness of our realities.

How Literature Creates a Safe Space for Longing

Travelling is often a moment in our lives where we may come face to face with these feelings of nostalgia, perhaps noticing things that are reminiscent of something we can’t have or cannot get back. These bittersweet feelings, when explored, can have meaningful conclusions. 

We can see how life has changed, how people have grown, and accept the beauty that is impermanence. To reap these positive outcomes, we must have a safe space to do so, but how can we achieve this as we travel in foreign spaces? The answer, of course, is literature. Books may not be the same as humans, but they are nevertheless fantastic travel companions.

Reading as a Remedy: The Psychology Behind Books and Travel

Psychology also emphasizes the stress-relieving power of reading, lowering blood pressure, and our heart rate. Travelling and experiencing saudade can be stressful as well as rewarding. Losing yourself in a good book can help you find a familiar place, draw in your mind to an imaginary world, where you can safely process all these new emotions or realizations.

Further, travelling with a book can mark the places you go, like how a perfume may remind you of a romantic dalliance with a partner. Literature is transformative anywhere it is read; the pages of a book can feel as comforting as an old friend.

Around the World in Eighty Days: A Literary Exploration of Saudade

Jules Verne’s acclaimed novel, Around the World in Eighty Days, may not overtly be about saudade, but its central themes of longing, transience, and the importance of human connection all reflect this Portuguese philosophy.

The novel follows a growing group of travelers who support the meticulous Phileas Fogg on his wager to travel the world in just 80 days. Throughout the journey, the travelers realize that although they may wish to dominate time and its passage, that ultimately, they cannot.

More poignantly, although time may indeed pass, there are things like love and friendship that can come through this passage. Some characters are caught between two worlds – the ones they have left behind, and the ones they are coming into, feeling caught and overwhelmed. Verne depicts the playful and often reckless spirit of adventure, capturing readers’ hearts whilst allowing them the space to ponder often complex ideas.

Books as Emotional Anchors in a Transient World

Books are ideal travel companions, not just because they are intelligent, captivating, and a little familiar, but also because they are a safe space for us to explore the complexity of transience. They remind us, gently, lovingly, that sadness and endings are just as much a part of our lives as all the happiness and novelty. That, without all that bitterness, we may never learn how to recognize the sweet.