Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Lonely Planet, $34.99.
Beat the inability-to-travel blues that have denied us the opportunity to become immersed in the culture of countries overseas by being there. Now you can explore the world from the comfort of your home with Lonely Planet’s Armchair Explorer.
Colour coded and well illustrated, this compact hardcover book is one of the best ways to break COVID-19 lockdown dejection and discover the best books, films and music from more than 120 countries.
Books, too, are windows into the world … right here … to Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Europe, North America, South America and Oceania.
Whether it’s the sensory overload of a Bollywood movie in Mumbai or singing along to a French pop song, experiencing the local culture is a great way to get in tune with a new country’s general approach to life.
Lonely Planet’s Chris Zeiher says: “You don’t have to pack a suitcase to read, listen and view the books, music and movies from other countries you can do it from the comfort of your own armchair. And it’s a great way of researching a country before you go or simply enjoying of the finest qualities of travel – gaining an understanding of a faraway place and its people and being enriched by their creative expression”.
Tune into chilled-out Ethiopian jazz or bob along to Icelandic synth-pop with Björk. Sit down and sample effortlessly stylish French New Wave cinema or be spirited away by Japanese animae. Tour Russia via Dostoevsky, explore love and loss in 1960’s Tokyo with literary genius Haruki Murakami or sample the wonders of New Nordic cuisine.
Lonely Planet writers have “Shazam’ed local radio, picked up reading tips from local booksellers and attended countless film festivals to help create these eclectic lists”.
If you know where to start, then the world can come to you.
From how many countries around the world do you get to discover the best music, film and literature in Lonely Planet’s Armchair Explorer? If your answer is correct, you could be one of three winners of a copy of the book. Entries should be sent to [email protected] by Monday, 27 September 2021. Names of the winners will be announced in Frank Cassidy’s PS-sssst…! column on 28 September 2021.
