A Journey Round My Room (1794) by Xavier De Maistre
"The wise traveler travels only in imagination." A Journey Round My Room is a remedy against the terrors of modern mass tourism. No road-network is as vast as that of the imagination.
[Xavier de Maistre]
Xavier de Maistre (1763 – 1852) was born to an aristocratic family at
Chambéry in Southeastern France (Savoy). He was the younger brother of noted
philosopher and counter-revolutionary Joseph de Maistre and, when young,
served in the army of Piedmont-Sardinia. It may be said that de Maistre
became a writer by chance. When a young
officer at Alexandria, in Piedmont, in 1790, he was arrested for
dueling. Having
been sentenced to remain in his quarters for forty-two days he composed
his fantasy "Voyage autour de ma chambre" ("Voyage Around My Room"). He
added some chapters later, but did not judge the work worthy of being
published; however, his brother read the manuscript and had it
printed (1794).
The delightful essay (or whatever it is) is filled with delicate observations, in which humor and spontaneous wit are wedded to a gentle and somewhat dreamy philosophy. The one room is the writer's eternal, infinite expedition space.
Imprisoned in his room for six weeks, the author looks at the furniture, engravings, etc., as if they were scenes from a voyage in a strange land. He praises this voyage because it does not cost anything, and for this reason it is strongly recommended to the poor, the infirm, and the lazy. His room is a long square, and the perimeter is thirty-six paces.
The delightful essay (or whatever it is) is filled with delicate observations, in which humor and spontaneous wit are wedded to a gentle and somewhat dreamy philosophy. The one room is the writer's eternal, infinite expedition space.
Imprisoned in his room for six weeks, the author looks at the furniture, engravings, etc., as if they were scenes from a voyage in a strange land. He praises this voyage because it does not cost anything, and for this reason it is strongly recommended to the poor, the infirm, and the lazy. His room is a long square, and the perimeter is thirty-six paces.
"When I travel in my room, I seldom keep to a straight line. From my table I go towards a picture which is placed in a corner; thence I set out in an oblique direction for the door; and then, although on starting I had intended to return to my table, yet, if I chance to fall in with my arm-chair on the way, I at once, and most unceremoniously, take up my quarters therein."
Later, proceeding North, he encounters his bed, and in this way he
lightheartedly continues his "Voyage". Xavier de Maistre globetrotters from piece of furniture to piece of
furniture, there is nothing so trivial or it provides an excursion into
the mind. His room leads him to reflections about painting,
about the influence of clothes on character, on revolution, progress in
science, and fashion.
This work is remarkable for its play with the reader's imagination, along the lines of Laurence Sterne, whom Xavier admired. But Xavier de Maistre is not nearly as rowdy as Sterne, he is more jovial: truly a room-sized Sterne.
A slightly melancholy tone prevails in his travelogue, he raises his gaze to
a pleasant object, but in order not to be overcome by melancholy, he often quickly has to seek distraction in a digression, a short essay, a word to the reader.
Voyage autour de ma chambre enjoyed great popularity well into the nineteenth century, as the numerous editions prove - not to speak of the many parodies based upon it.
This work is remarkable for its play with the reader's imagination, along the lines of Laurence Sterne, whom Xavier admired. But Xavier de Maistre is not nearly as rowdy as Sterne, he is more jovial: truly a room-sized Sterne.
A slightly melancholy tone prevails in his travelogue, he raises his gaze to
a pleasant object, but in order not to be overcome by melancholy, he often quickly has to seek distraction in a digression, a short essay, a word to the reader.
Voyage autour de ma chambre enjoyed great popularity well into the nineteenth century, as the numerous editions prove - not to speak of the many parodies based upon it.
Voyage autour de ma chambre is in the public domain, as is the English translation A Journey Round My Room, which was published in 1871.
(Incorporates material from Wikipedia)