Novels set on holiday
Some of these fictional holidays aren’t fun, but they might enhance yours
A SEARCH ON Amazon for “novels about holidays” returns thousands of results. That is hardly surprising. A holiday, with its promise of adventure or escape, is an excellent setting for a novel. Many of the authors below were inspired by their own. And the idea of reading about a fictional character’s holiday while on one yourself has an instinctive appeal. But how do you choose from all those options? Like a local guide who steers you away from the tourist traps, The Economist has chosen some of the best novels set on holiday. Be warned, though: these include intellectual and aesthetic adventures, not just easy beach reads.
Discover more
Books that probe the secrets of the Mossad
Seven books on Israeli intelligence agencies, which are spearheading the offensive against Hizbullah in Lebanon
An introduction to Lebanon, perhaps the next front in a wider war
Four books and a film on a pivotal Middle Eastern country
What to read about modern feminism
An introduction to a large, evolving and controversial subject
How Christianity shapes politics in America
Four books and a podcast explain a complicated relationship
What to read about the British economy
Britain used to be the world’s richest country. These six books explain how it came to be, and why it is no longer
Six novels about India, perhaps the world’s most interesting place
Works of fiction about a country whose global clout, already large, is growing