The Art of Travel
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9
Themes
All Themes The Familiar and the Foreign Expectations vs. Reality Art, Travel, and the Search for Happiness The Receptive Self
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Alain de Botton M. Duc des Esseintes Charles Baudelaire  Edward Hopper Gustave Flaubert Alexander von Humboldt William Wordsworth Edmund Burke God Job Vincent van Gogh John Ruskin Xavier de Maistre Friedrich Nietzsche Blaise Pascal
Terms
All Terms Traveling Places The Orient The Exotic Spots of Time The Sublime Word-Painting Aesthetic Traveling Mind-Set
Symbols
All Symbols Clouds
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The Art of Travel

by Alain De Botton
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Introduction Intro
Plot Summary Plot
Summary & Analysis
  • Chapter 1
  • Chapter 2
  • Chapter 3
  • Chapter 4
  • Chapter 5
  • Chapter 6
  • Chapter 7
  • Chapter 8
  • Chapter 9
Themes
  • All Themes
  • The Familiar and the Foreign Theme Icon
    The Familiar and the Foreign
  • Expectations vs. Reality Theme Icon
    Expectations vs. Reality
  • Art, Travel, and the Search for Happiness Theme Icon
    Art, Travel, and the Search for Happiness
  • The Receptive Self Theme Icon
    The Receptive Self
Quotes
Characters
  • All Characters
  • Alain de Botton
  • M.
  • Duc des Esseintes
  • Charles Baudelaire 
  • Edward Hopper
  • Gustave Flaubert
  • Alexander von Humboldt
  • William Wordsworth
  • Edmund Burke
  • God
  • Job
  • Vincent van Gogh
  • John Ruskin
  • Xavier de Maistre
  • Friedrich Nietzsche
  • Blaise Pascal
Terms
  • All Terms
  • Traveling Places
  • The Orient
  • The Exotic
  • Spots of Time
  • The Sublime
  • Word-Painting
  • Aesthetic
  • Traveling Mind-Set
Symbols
  • All Symbols
  • Clouds Symbol Icon
    Clouds
Theme Wheel Theme Viz
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Traveling Mind-Set

The Art of Travel Symbols

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Clouds

Clouds

Alain de Botton and his fellow travelers have sublime encounters with clouds throughout The Art of Travel, and these encounters demonstrate the overwhelming force of nature in addition to the myriad ways people can…

read analysis of Clouds

Clouds Symbol Icon
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Traveling Mind-Set
Previous
Traveling Mind-Set
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Clouds
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Clouds

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