Now’s the time to start thinking about your travel plans for 2020. And, whether you intend to backpack solo through Europe or fancy taking a trip to Asia in pursuit of tasty food and a life-changing spiritual experience, reading during your journey can help to enhance your trip.
CarRentals.com did a study regarding the quest for wanderlust and how literature plays a role in modern-day adventure. And, they found that while travel guides and even online publications like ours exist, when you’re on the ground, there are few better ways to immerse yourself in the local culture than by talking to locals about their national literature or diving straight into one of the country’s most famous books.
These are the seven books that you should read before travelling to Asia. All of them are written from a native’s perspective and will help you understand the culture from their eyes. Get ready for a whole new wave of literary travel.
For more literary travel recommendations, check out the full list and map of World Travel Through Literature.
Books To Read Before Travelling To Asia
How do these rankings work?
1. A Strange Kind of Paradise
Best to read before travelling to: India
What it’s about: “An exploration of India’s past and present, from the perspective of a foreigner who has lived in India for many years. Sam Miller investigates how the ancient Greeks, the Romans, the Chinese, Arabs, Africans, Europeans and Americans came to imagine India.”
2. The Rainbow Troops
Best to read before travelling to: Indonesia
What it’s about: “Indonesian author Andrea Hirata recalls his childhood on the island of Belitong, off the coast of Sumatra. The narrative captures some undeniable social facts of Indonesia: poverty, social injustice and education in remote villages.”
3. A Woman of Angkor
Best to read before travelling to: Cambodia
What it’s about: “A historically accurate and a very imaginative telling of the history of World Heritage site and famous temple, Angkor. Told through the eyes of mother Sray, who lives a typical rural life of that era. One day her family is invited by the King to the palace because he heard Sray’s husband is a master of making silk parasols.”
4. The Art of War
Best to read before travelling to: China
What it’s about: “An ancient Chinese text about military strategist Sun Tzu, various aspects of warfare and how it applies to military strategy and tactics. Highly revered as a manual for business success and guide to boardroom battles and achieving success.”
5. I Am a Cat
Best to read before travelling to: Japan
What it’s about: “I Am a Cat is the chronicle of an unloved, unwanted, wandering kitten who spends all his time observing human nature – from the dramas of businessmen and schoolteachers to the foibles of priests and potentates.”
6. The Sympathizer
Best to read before travelling to: Vietnam
What it’s about: “The story of a man whose political beliefs clash with his individual loyalties. In dialogue with but diametrically opposed to the narratives of the Vietnam War, this novel offers an important and unfamiliar new perspective on the war: that of a conflicted communist sympathizer.”
7. In Our Image: America’s Empire in the Philippines
Best to read before traveling to: Philippines
What it’s about. “Traces the history of the Philippines, discusses the influence of Spain and the United States, and looks at the problems facing the Philippines today.”
