Let's take a moment to flashback to high school English class when the teachers would assign a new fictional book. Or if you are closer to those high school days, pretend to flash back to you know, last month...
How often was that first assignment a basic list of characters and locations?
Yeah? Your teachers did that too?
Mine always did... Read the first 3 chapters, and write down every character and every setting. Oh, and there was usually a "surprise" quiz on those lists.
Did you all groan over that flashback?
Those first assignments were always my favorite. Searching those early chapters of books to discover new places and people. To copy down those names with details into my notebook so that I might ace that pop quiz that was never announced, but everyone knew would come. The discovery of the new in a fictional story was like an appetizer to a great meal, it could set up a fabulous experience, or hint at the chore the experience may be.
Even today characters and setting stand out to me, and set the bar for the entire plot and pace of the book. So the chance to come up with fictional locations to visit was a bigger challenge than necessary... and don't mind me, but this list will probably show of a level of book geek you didn't know existed...
10 Fictional Settings We Wish We Could See
- Narnia - Clearly I would pick Narnia first - I mean the Chronicles of Narnia might be my favorite as far as fantasy epic stories - the imagery, the characters, the sheer size of the story... it's all so mesmerizing and fascinating.
- Cair Paravel - the seats of power, the castle, the government, this iconic location seemed different in the movie from how I pictured it as a kid, but still, I'd want to see the book's version where the Pevensie kids ruled... well for a period...
- Aslan's Country - And because for anyone who knows Narnia, how could I not put Aslan's country on here? Isn't this the place of dreams?
- Rivendell- There are many locations in Middle Earth I would never ever EVER want to visit, but there is a magic in Rivendell that would be marvelous to see... to capture with a camera, to dream up stories for...
- The Shire - While I'm thinking Middle Earth, the Shire has to be part of this list. The cozy green hills, full of homes of hobbits who love to enjoy life... who wouldn't want to visit?
- Velaris - Don't get me wrong, there is a ton of potential in all the courts and locations of Prythian, but Velaris calls to the artistic side of me every time someone mentions it. The locations for all types of artistic expression, in so many mediums... Besides, who doesn't want to visit a place called the City of Starlight, or see the Rainbow?
- Hogwarts- I might have been late to the game of Harry Potter, but the allure of Hogwarts is immediate once you begin to read the books. The staircases, the artwork, the classrooms, the hallways, the grounds... seriously it's a dream school, even if it is a boarding school far away from home!
- Neverland - Now, don't get too upset here, I wouldn't want to live in Neverland. you see there are actually some good reasons to grow up, and too many of the reimaginnings seem to make this a place of torture, but for a trip, for a visit, this would be so fun! Only the fun of childhood, I mean seriously!
- Gatsby's Mansion - Oh my the extreme riches of Gatsby, the opulence, the never-ending luxury... no more words are needed... (Yes, I know this fictional mansion is based on a real place, and that place is actually visitable... but could it really be as amazing as the book???)
- Illea - There are probably more than a few of you who have no idea where this is... this is the world of The Selection, and this YA series capture my heart back when I was pregnant for the third time, chasing two little kids, trying not to fall asleep in the middle of the day every day. And so this kingdom became a dream of possibilities - the exact reason I love fiction - a chance to see another world when our real world feels a bit too heavy.
And a few bonus places...
- Hogsmeade
- Diagon Alley
- Asgard
- Pemberly
- Oz
Call out to hosts
Thank you, The Broke & the Bookish for this fun weekly prompt and chance to interact with the Bookish Blogger community.
I so wanted to add Green Gables, but I hear that Prince Edward Island has done a tremendous job to keep this inspirational setting alive for all of use die hard Anne fans all these decades later. So maybe this isn't really a good one to have on my list... even if Gatsby's Mansion is also technically still standing....
And then when I started to think about Asgard, and all the comic book places... of course movies came to mind... so this list could be endless, right?
Alright, I know I missed some... which places would you want to see?
10 coment�rios
DEfinitely any place in the Harry Potter world, well, other than Voldemort scary spots, and probably not the forest where the spiders are. :-) Great picks!
ReplyDeleteCheck out my TTT
Ugh yeah, no spider homes!
DeleteI would absolutely go for Rivendell and the Shire. I would go for most of these, actually. The funny one, for me, is Illea. I love The Selection books (the original three). I really do. I don't know that I would want to go to Illea though. I think I would find the stress of the social distinctions to be too much. I suppose if I was guaranteed to be present in the palace and not out in the streets I'd go for it. Haha.
ReplyDeleteYes, the palace... I was thinking more of Illea after all the books... I wasn't a huge fan of the story for the last two, but the setting is so pretty
DeleteI think Hogwarts is on every list today. I’d love to go there, too.
ReplyDeleteAj @ Read All The Things!
I was thinking that too! It must be because the setting was so well described by JK Rowling
DeleteNarnia, Hogwarts and Velaris were all on my list this week too!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT: https://jjbookblog.wordpress.com/2017/12/05/top-ten-tuesday-136/
Yay! They are all so beautifully described!
DeleteGreat list! We have a lot of bookish destinations in common!I was so close to adding Lord of the Rings in general because I love it but, it just got pushed back a bit! But, I'd gladly visit Middle Earth itself any day and at any time! Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteElena @ Book Lady's Reviews
It was so hard to pick! Which is why I cheated and added in so many extras
DeleteI love comments!!
Let me know what you thought of this one... don't forget to share your blog link so I can stop by!