Traveling in place
- 253bladzijden
- 9 uur lezen
Armchair travel may seem contradictory, as it typically suggests leaving home. Yet, anyone who has immersed themselves in a novel or film knows the sensation of exploring a different place or time without moving an inch. This accessible form of travel requires no passport or security checks. In this work, Bernd Stiegler celebrates the magic of armchair travel through twenty-one short chapters, starting with Xavier de Maistre’s 1794 account of his forty-two-day “journey around his room” during house arrest. Stiegler is captivated by the idea of viewing the familiar as if it were new and strange. He engages with a diverse range of writers, including Roussel, Beckett, Perec, Robbe-Grillet, Cortázar, Kierkegaard, and Borges, who illustrate how the mundane can be transformed into something extraordinary. Rather than focusing solely on physical travel, Stiegler emphasizes travel as a state of mind, reflecting on how the experience has evolved in modern times through literature, film, and the Internet. Reminiscent of Sebald's meditative style yet infused with Calvino's intellectual playfulness, this work serves as a creative guide to exploring the concept of journeying from the comfort of home.