--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On the plane, I like to read fiction set…" description: "\"On the plane, I like to read fiction set in the location I'm going to. Fiction is in many ways more useful than a guidebook, because it gives you those..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/baa/anthony-bourdain-649_books_on-the-plane-i-like-to-read-fiction-set_1462728.jpg" --- # On the plane, I like to read fiction set in the location… ![“On the plane, I like to read fiction set in the location I'm going to. Fiction is in many ways more useful than a guidebook, because it gives you those little details, a sense of the way a place smells, an emotional sense of the place. So, I'll bring Graham Greene's The Quiet American if I'm going…” quote by Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/baa/anthony-bourdain-649_books_on-the-plane-i-like-to-read-fiction-set_1462728.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/baa/anthony-bourdain-649_books_on-the-plane-i-like-to-read-fiction-set_1462728.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/baa/anthony-bourdain-649_books_on-the-plane-i-like-to-read-fiction-set_1462728.jpg) > “On the plane, I like to read fiction set in the location I'm going to. Fiction is in many ways more useful than a guidebook, because it gives you those little details, a sense of the way a place smells, an emotional sense of the place. So, I'll bring Graham Greene's The Quiet American if I'm going to Vietnam. It's good to feel romantic about a destination before you arrive.” [Anthony Bourdain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-bourdain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading fiction about a destination enriches travel experience by providing sensory and emotional context beyond factual guides. **In simple terms:** Fiction adds feeling to travel. Key Takeaway Read local stories before journeys. Themes travel culture storytelling imagination Mood curious adventurous thoughtful Type advice personal inspirational When to use this quote - vacation planning - pre‑trip preparation - cultural immersion Key Concepts literary tourism sensory immersion empathy Questions to Reflect On - How does story shape your travel expectations? - What sensory details do you seek in a new place? A Different Perspective Fiction may romanticize and mislead expectations. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Destination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/destination/) [Emotional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Planes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planes/) [Smell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smell/) [Vietnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam/) ## Related quotes > [I really need to know where I'm going with fiction to write it in a way that at least I'm happy with. 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