Rome: Angels and Demons
There are so many books inspired by cities and, certainly, Dan Brown’s Angels and Demons is one of our favorite famous novels set in cities. Filled with intrigue and adventure, the story is set in Rome and in Vatican City, as well as at the CERN laboratory near Geneva, Switzerland. Robert Langdon, the book’s protagonist, is a Harvard University professor who, after discovering a plot to destroy the Vatican, sets out on an electrifying pursuit through the streets of Rome with his colleague, Vittoria. As the two search for clues in Rome’s churches, you’ll feel the gripping excitement of their journey.
Istanbul: Huzur
Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar’s classic work Huzur (A Mind at Peace) marks the Istanbul stop of our curated list of book recommendations by city. Set in Istanbul during the Republican era, the novel centers on the journeys of four main characters as they seek personal and societal harmony. The narrative explores themes of love, loneliness, and moral dilemmas by way of the interactions between the novel’s main characters, Mümtaz, Nuran, Suat, and İhsan. In Huzur, set amid the historical districts of Istanbul, readers are invited to embark on a journey through time. In terms of famous novels set in cities, Huzur is also a distinctive resource for readers seeking to grasp the cultural essence of Istanbul and experience the city’s evolving identity.
Paris: Les Misérables
Paris has long been among the iconic cities in literature and Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables, a true classic of world literature, presents yet another perspective. The narrative guides readers through a profound emotional experience by means of its captivating plot, addressing themes like society and justice as Jean Valjean, incarcerated for the theft of a loaf of bread intended for his sister and her children, navigates the shifting realms of light and shadow in 19th-century Paris.
London: White Teeth
Zadie Smith’s White Teeth offers readers an invaluable opportunity to explore cities through novels, with London being the city in this case. Considered a significant literary work on the concept of post-colonialism, White Teeth delves into these issues, navigating the diverse identity landscape of England through the lens of various families and the issues they face as migrants from colonial countries, including identity, belonging, and the struggle to adhere to values.
St. Petersburg: White Nights
White Nights, the short story by Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky, is a notable intersection of books and cities. As the unnamed narrator explores the themes of loneliness and unrequited love, White Nights also offers readers a beautifully evocative portrait of 19th-century St. Petersburg.
Barcelona: The Shadow of the Wind
Our literary travel guide continues with Spanish writer Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Shadow of the Wind. Set in Barcelona, the novel, a combination of mystery, thriller, and drama, unfolds as a story within a story. Following the war, the protagonist embarks on a journey with his father to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books in Barcelona. Within this collection of rare books, the protagonist stumbles upon Julian Carax’s The Shadow of the Wind and begins to read it, coming to the realization that Carax’s books have mysteriously vanished. Our protagonist subsequently embarks on a thrilling quest to uncover this mystery.
Tokyo: After Dark
Tokyo is another of our iconic cities in literature. In After Dark, a story of two sisters by Haruki Murakami, we are plunged into a realm that shifts between the tangible and the dreamlike. One sister encounters individuals with diverse life narratives following a violent event she observed at a hotel, while the other succumbs to a profound slumber that transports her to an alternate dimension.
Cairo: Death on the Nile
In Agatha Christie’s world-renowned Death on the Nile, the characters embark on a cruise along the Nile River, departing from Cairo. During the course of the journey, which also includes stops in Aswan, Luxor, and Abu Simbel, detective Hercule Poirot must solve a series of murders that take place on the lavish vessel.
