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Choosing the perfect holiday reading material requires a certain amount of consideration.
Not every book is compatible with the mountain chalet, the city break or the
classic sun, sea and sand combination, so it’s worth taking a little time
to check out the best of what’s available before purchasing that holiday
literature.
Clearly, anything heavily academic, didactic or political probably won’t
be conducive to a holiday planned for the sake of some well earned R&R. One
wouldn’t expect to find many tourists busy devouring Dickens’ Hard
Times whilst swanning about on the Riviera, for example. An easier read is usually
preferable, though by no means restricted to the commonplace conception of the
trashy holiday romance novel. There are plenty of far more stimulating options
available. Equally, there’s no need to be over ambitious in quantity – it’s
a holiday after all, not a read-a-thon – and no one wants to be stopped
at the check in desk and charged for excess baggage weight after attempting to
cram The Complete Works of Dostoyevsky in their hand luggage.
So what should we be looking for in a holiday novel? Well, there are no hard
and fast rules as concerns genre and style, those are entirely dependent on personal
tastes but there are a few factors worth taking into consideration. Location,
for example. Reading a novel which is set in and around your chosen destination
can make an illuminating and even productive choice. When jetting off to Cephalonia
Louis de Bernière’s acclaimed novel Captain Corelli’s Mandolin,
not only provides some history of the island but also points out several important
landmarks and spots of exceptional beauty along the way. A book of that ilk can
serve to bring a place to life, with a smattering of historical context and a
sprinkling of engaging characters, creating a much more interesting connection
between you and your location, rendering it more than a mere conveniently attractive
collection of coastal views and cocktails.
Likeable characters make up another important aspect of the holiday novel and
this is probably one of the reasons that Maeve Binchy is such a popular choice
for the beach. Whilst she may not write the most profound or educative tales,
she does write about warm and human characters with whom we can relate and empathise – almost
like taking Emmerdale on holiday, in the form of a 300 page paperback. Whilst
in everyday life it can be interesting to follow a novel based on entirely unattractive
characters, holidays are about pleasure and most of us will agree that an engaging
heroine is more directly pleasurable than a disagreeable or insipid leading protagonist
ever could be.
Still confused? Fear not, help is at hand. The modern media almost always has
an opinion on the summer’s literary offerings and is usually worth a glance,
but one of the most popular and fail-safe outputs of information is Richard
and Judy’s Book Club, which hand picks a few quality novels every summer
for your literary edification. Most bookshops display the summer’s best
holiday reads together to make life easier or for a cheaper option it’s
a good idea to have a look at the supermarkets, like Asda, who also stock a great
variety of books.
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