Behind the stage of a literary text ‘A wish from place to place to roam…’

Abstract

The article deals with problems that plagued travellers in the mid-18th to early 20th cc., which often began as soon as they left their house and only got worse on their short- or long-distance journeys. The topic of travel looms large in the literature of the period. Most characters populating Russian or Western European books undertake journeys, be it to a country estate or the capital city; to a spa resort or for a stay at a friends’ house; they head to a ball or for a spot of shopping. Their real-life contemporaries, however, tended to travel even more frequently, almost permanently, while literature often downplayed disruptions caused by travel in favour of a smooth plot. This itch ‘from place to place to roam’ is particularly baffling given the extreme discomfort of travel back in the day. The author examines historical evidence to identify as many travel plights as possible which were omitted by writers who assumed the reader’s familiarity with the situation. Depictions of historical travel routines are contrasted with celebrated works by A. Pushkin, J. Austen, Ch. Dickens, and other writers whose characters live a seemingly realistic life.