10 Books That Take Us On A journey Without Leaving The Couch
Who says we need to board a plane to see new horizons? Some novels transport us to faraway destinations or immerse us in fascinating cultures in just a few chapters. Whether it’s adventure, exotic locales, or wide-open spaces, books that take us on a journey offer the perfect escape without ever leaving the comfort of home. Discover our selection now!
Why are books that take us on a journey so good for us?
In general, reading offers us what everyday life doesn’t always allow: a change of scenery. By immersing us in another world, it helps us step away from daily life and reduce our stress. Some studies even suggest it promotes relaxation by slowing heart rate, easing physical tension and stimulating memory.
Literary journeys may also invite us to see the world differently. By experiencing the point of view of characters from other countries or time periods, we may become better able to develop our empathy and our ability to decode the emotions and experiences of others; what some researchers also call “theory of mind.”
This accessible and deeply human form of escape might help explain why some books stay with us long after we’ve closed them…
Around the World in Eighty Days – Jules Verne (1872)
Genre: Adventure novel
Country: France
Destination: Europe, Africa, America, Asia
Summary: Phileas Fogg, an English gentleman known for his composure, bets that he can travel around the world in just eighty days. Accompanied by his faithful servant Passepartout, he sets off on a thrilling race across several continents.
From London to Bombay, via Suez, Hong Kong and New York, the scenery changes at every stop on the eccentric dandy’s journey. More than 150 years after its publication, this classic of French literature remains a celebration of discovery and curiosity. Jules Verne shows all his talent for inspiring wonder and the desire to explore new lands.
Solal – Albert Cohen (1930)
Genre: Literary novel
Country: Greece
Destination: Greece, France, Switzerland
Summary: On the Greek island of Cephalonia, Solal, son of the chief rabbi, dreams of a destiny greater than the one his background seems to have in store for him. Causing scandal and embarrassment among those around him, this ambitious and brilliant young man decides to leave his island to conquer the world…
With Solal, Albert Cohen immerses us in a Mediterranean radiant with light. The villages perched above the sea, the family traditions and the warmth of the island communities give this novel a unique flavour. Albert Cohen’s Greece is not just visited: it is felt.
The Leopard – Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (1958)
Genre: Historical novel
Country: Italy
Destination: Sicily
Summary: Garibaldi’s troops have just landed in Sicily and revolution is flaring up. As Italy unifies, the Prince of Salina, a Sicilian aristocrat, watches helplessly as the aristocratic world to which he belongs crumbles. Caught between political ambitions, family alliances and threatened traditions, he tries to find his place in a society undergoing profound transformation.
Few books that take us on a journey do so with as much elegance as The Leopard. Set against the backdrop of Sicily’s palaces, sun-drenched landscapes, and political upheavals, Lampedusa’s masterpiece transports readers to a pivotal moment in history. Through the decline of one world and the emergence of another, the novel explores themes of change and resilience that remain strikingly relevant today.
One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel García Márquez (1967)
Genre: Novel, magical realism
Country: Colombia
Destination: Colombia
Summary: In the fictional village of Macondo, several generations of the Buendía family experience the joys, tragedies, wars and miracles that will mark their destiny. Impossible loves, quests for power and inexplicable phenomena intertwine in a family saga as fascinating as it is deeply moving.
This Ibero-American masterpiece is considered one of the greatest novels of the 20th century. Gabriel García Márquez recreates a Colombia that is at once real and mythical, populated by unforgettable characters and landscapes, with astonishing fluidity. It is a journey where imagination serves as a compass.
Friday, or, The Other Island – Michel Tournier (1967)
Genre: Philosophical novel, adventure
Country: France
Destination: A lost island in the Pacific
Summary: After a shipwreck, Robinson Crusoe washes up on a desert island off the coast of Chile. For years, he learns to survive alone in this wild world he desperately tries to tame. The arrival of Friday, a man of mixed heritage, will however challenge his certainties and transform his worldview.
The setting of Friday, or, The Other Island is dreamlike: deserted beaches, lush vegetation and an infinite horizon. Yet this journey is nothing like a simple exotic getaway at an all-inclusive. Michel Tournier turns the island of Speranza into a character in its own right and ultimately pushes us to reflect on freedom, solitude and human nature. It’s a book that invites you as much to explore your own thoughts as a distant territory.
Flash ou le Grand Voyage – Charles Duchaussois (1971)
Genre: Autobiographical account
Country: France
Destination: France, Middle East, Asia
Summary: It is the late 1960s. Charles, a young European, can no longer stand the routine of his existence. In search of meaning and new experiences, he embarks on a long journey to the East. His travels take him to India and Nepal in particular, where he discovers a world as fascinating as it is destabilizing.
A true literary phenomenon when it was published, Flash ou le Grand Voyage recounts a journey along the roads of Asia, at a time when this part of the world held a powerful attraction for a whole generation of travellers. It appears here in all its complexity: inspiring, colourful, disturbing and deeply spiritual. The author’s encounters, the landscapes and the cultural contrasts give the narrative a particular intensity that leaves no one indifferent.
The Thorn Birds – Colleen McCullough (1977)
Genre: Family saga
Country: Australia
Destination: Australian Outback
Summary: On the vast Drogheda estate, in the heart of the Australian Outback, Meggie Cleary grows up under the watchful eye of Father Ralph de Bricassart. Over the years, their bond turns into a love as powerful as it is impossible, tested by social conventions, life choices and destiny.
The Thorn Birds is much more than a love story: it’s a true dive into the soul of Australia. The herds crossing endless horizons, the isolated farms and the challenges of rural life are as important as the characters themselves. It’s no wonder this novel became the best-selling Australian book in the world, with 30 million copies sold worldwide.
Leo Africanus – Amin Maalouf (1986)
Genre: Historic novel
Country: Lebanon
Destination: North Africa, Mediterranean
Summary: In 1518, Hassan al-Wazzan, a North African scholar and diplomat, was captured by pirates in the Mediterranean as he was returning from a pilgrimage to Mecca. Presented to Pope Leo X, he became Jean-Leo de Medici, soon known as Leo Africanus. From Granada to Fez, from Cairo to Rome, his exceptional journey takes him to the heart of the great upheavals of the 16th century.
Inspired by a real historical figure, Leo Africanus is a reflection on identity, exile and encountering other cultures. Amin Maalouf finely recreates the bustling markets, the palaces, the caravans and the confluence of civilizations. The cultural richness of this story is a reminder that the most memorable journeys are often those that broaden our view of the world.
Medicine Walk – Richard Wagamese (2014)
Genre: Anishinaabe Ojibwe Canadian novel
Country: Canada
Destination: British Columbia (Canada)
Summary: At sixteen, Franklin Starlight is called to his father Eldon’s bedside – ravaged by alcohol and close to death. At his father’s request, the two men embark on one last journey into the mountains of British Columbia to give him the burial he wants. As Eldon recounts the joys, regrets and sacrifices of his life, father and son get to know each other before it’s too late.
Richard Wagamese, an important figure in Indigenous Canadian literature, delivers a moving story about family ties, forgiveness and the passing on of knowledge. The majestic landscapes of Western Canada provide the backdrop for a particularly touching novel that lingers long in the memory.
Feral – Gabrielle Filteau-Chiba (2019)
Genre: Quebecois novel
Country: Canada, (Quebec)
Destination: Kamouraska (Quebec, Canada)
Summary: In the wild lands of Haut-Kamouraska, Raphaëlle watches over the forest, the rivers and the wildlife around her. The day her dog Coyotte is seriously injured by a snare illegally set by a poacher, the young woman decides to track him down in turn…
No need to cross the Atlantic or head off to the islands to feel worlds away. In Feral, Gabrielle Filteau-Chiba takes us deep into the forests of the Lower St. Lawrence, where spruce trees, rivers and mountains still set the rhythm of daily life. Her writing is so evocative you can almost smell the damp wood after the rain. For nature lovers, it’s a beautiful invitation to rediscover this region of Quebec through a poetic and wild lens.
Your next destination is just a page away
Emily Dickinson once wrote: “There is no Frigate like a Book to take us Lands away.” The novels featured here prove her right. Each opens a window onto different landscapes, cultures and sensibilities you might never have imagined. This list is, of course, only a tiny sampling – but it’s a wonderful invitation to get away.
If you have a taste for literary travel, be sure to browse our other reading suggestions. Whether you’re drawn to Quebecois authors, summer reads, holiday season stories or spine-chilling tales for Halloween, there’s always a new world to explore!