Panopticon is a word that was not in my vocabulary before reading this intriguing collection of short stories and thoughts. I don't know why. It's a great word, and so relevant. I had also never heard of travel psychology. People travel for a variety of reasons, and perhaps those reasons do not become clear until they do travel. Perhaps getting away from it all is to get closer to oneself.

Though I found many of these pieces fascinating, there were some that left me feeling as if I were missing something (perhaps flights of fancy inserted here to illustrate human randomness). Overall, I seem to be missing the connection between the maps of places and all the information about mapping the human body. Both involve the quest to see everything, I suppose...

I enjoyed the piece called Chopin's Heart, another educational interlude. There is a short story told in two parts and separated in the book, Kunicki: Water (I & II) that I personally found thought-provoking. I was amused by Trains for Cowards, because I would love to do more of that sometime--and yes, I have met people who do it because they won't fly. The beautiful, sad letters written by Josefine Soliman are poignant and eye-opening. Near the end, there is a short essay called On the Origins of Species that is quite clever--and alarming. It's the plastic bag depicted as the most migratory of creations. (Personally, I try not to take any more of these from stores, but they seem to find their way into my home and environment by other means.)


This does not read like a novel at all. Sometimes, it reminded me of For the Time Being, by Annie Dillard. Both contemplate the human condition, though Dillard's book is much shorter.


I recommend this--just don't expect a novel. I admire the writing, insight, and quirkiness of some of the stories. In hindsight, I might have enjoyed this more if I'd read some of these flights in a different order, too.