These are not 100% recommended, but if you’re interested in Renaissance Florence, look at these, all written from a woman’s point of view:

The Birth of Venus
The Secret Book of Grazia Dei Rossi
The Passion of Artemisia

If you are interested in 1990s expat Budapest, look at the ironically-titled Prague by Arthur Philips.

There are so many great Russian novels that I hardly know where to start, but take a look.

Ivo Andric’ books are great for former Yugo, especially "bridge over the Drina" (I’m not 100% sure about the English title).

Its a dutch childrensbook but whatever (triomf van de verschroeide aarde, by thea beckman). I was in Bretagne last year (mont saint michel, dinan etc) and the book took place just there, but then a few hundred years ago. she writes fiction mixed with non-fiction history, so i could just look up all the places in the book and know what happened there. It was about this important breton guy (Bertrand du Guesclin) in the hunddred year war, and every time id step into a church, the same story was told in the stain-glass windows. she wrote my fav. book of all times too, too bad she past away.

I’m going to second ‘The Birth of Venus’. It reignited my passion to visit Florence, and now I’m planning a trip to Italy this fall.

Also, ‘Girl with a Pearl Earing’ by Tracy Chevalier. About Vermeer (fiction, though), set in the Netherlands.

‘The Pillars of the Earth’ by Ken Follett. Set primarily in England and France, about medieval cathedral-building.

‘The Agony and the Ecstasy’ by Irving Stone. "Biographical novel" about Michaelangelo, set in Italy.

‘Hagar the Horrible’, by Dik Browne

how about the first modern novel?
Don Quixote

hello

How about The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera. It is set in Prague during the late 60’s. It’s a great read!

I loved the divince code, but that was set in western europe as well.

Pippi Longstocking…no contest.

It makes me wish I could kick it in Sweden with a Monkey and Horse as my only housemates, while flying hot air balloons and pissing off policeman with my two friends in the day…and we are fully funded by a load of gold coins I store at home in a secret hiding place.

LOL yes there is something about pipi. i used to watch the shows when i was a kid.

For light fare, Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith is a fantastic adventure in Soviet era Moscow. His follow ups sometimes are based in Europe such as Red Star.

seraphim was almost right about the title of the Andric novel but it is "Bridge Over the RIVER Drina." I really need to read that, bought it 3 years ago…

James Michener is the perfect companion for travelling. Well researched (he had a team doing it for him, apparently)and interesting it will shed a lot of light on the history of where you are going. His book Poland is my personal favourite.

And of course, Trainspotting, Filth, Porno and Glue by Irvine Welsh.

Historically, In The Name of the Rose by Umberto Ecco is great too.

I miss all the spy novels set in 1960s Berlin (Elmore Leonard, Len Deighten, etc…). It’s too bad the walls not still up… its really put a dent in the spy novel shtick.

quote:
Pippi Longstocking…no contest.

It makes me wish I could kick it in Sweden with a Monkey and Horse as my only housemates, while flying hot air balloons and pissing off policeman with my two friends in the day…and we are fully funded by a load of gold coins I store at home in a secret hiding place.

I love Pipi, i used to act like her when i was a kid haha.

quote:‘The Pillars of the Earth’ by Ken Follett. Set primarily in England and France, about medieval cathedral-building.

I’d second that, but reader beware that book is about 1000 pages.

1000 pages makes it about perfect for a transatlantic plane ride. Thanks for the tip – I think I’ve vaguely heard of it before, but will look it up now.

I know its kinda topical right now, but I LOVED Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. It makes it so much better when u’ve been to the places being described, and it also makes u wanna go back to see whats truth and whats fiction.

Bridget

I agree with Bridget.
I know it’s western Europe, but the good thing about dan brown’s books is how specific they are. If you’re looking a book that’s just set in europe, you will find good books but not necessarily one’s that go into detail of different museums, churches and monuments. If you read the Davinci Code and Angels and Demons, I assure you’ll get a kick out of seeing the different sites his characters visit and you’ll appreciate your trip even more. It makes siteseeing a lot more fun than just a obligatory checking off of another monument on your to-do list.
Hope you like them.
Soph

i liked picture of dorian gray, by oscar wilde

it doesn’t have that much about the setting (London), but its a good book

Wow, my Amazon wishlist has gotten a lot bigger thanks to all of you. I got a few of them from the library last night (The Secret Book of Grasia del Rossi and The Unbearable Lightness of Being). I was also trying to find The Bridge over the Drina, which was listed on the library’s website but was nowhere to be found.

It’s nice to hear which books everybody enjoyed—I went on Amazon and read about them. They all sound very good.

Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears

Story takes place in three different eras in the Provence region of France. During the fall of the roman empire, the renaissance as the plague is starting, and during WWII. Story of how three men in different eras were similar and is a good study and portrait of philosophy of the men.

Only part of the Unbearable Lightness … is set in Prague. Other parts take place in Switserland, the US and some nameless small town in Czechoslovakia. Another book by him I really liked is The Joke (once again, I’m not sure that is the correct English title).

Ivo Andric’s novels can be surprisingly hard to find considering he won the Nobel prize. I’ve read Bridge over the River Drina several times from the library, but have yet to find it at a bookstore.

A good non-fiction book to read is Travel in early modern Europe by Antoni Maczak.

I really liked Wuthering Heights for England. Don’t remember which of the Brontë sisters wrote that. Also check out King, Queen, Knave by Vladimir Nabokov, set in Berlin. And In a Glass Darkly by Sheridan Le Fanu, which has short stories in various European countries.

quote:
Dream of Scipio by Iain Pears

Iain Pears also does an art history mystery series. According to some reviews on Amazon, this series is apparently ‘lighter’ than his other books, but I haven’t read them so I can’t compare.

I was thinking of reading Les Mis when I’m travelling next month…anyone else ever done that?

I thought of another favorite…

Blood Tie by Mary Lee Settle. The book is set in a fictional Aegean Sea resort town in Western Turkey, but for anyone who’s been there, the town totally resembles Bodrum.

the cask of amontillado (sp)- short story by edgar allen poe
metamorphosis-kafka
jane eyre- forgot which bronte

If you haven’t already seen the movie, read "Under the Tuscan Sun". I was about 4 pages in before I started planning to buy my own villa. I know it’s not Eastern Europe, but it’s a fabulous book for getting you pumped about Italy!

"Girl with a Pearl Earring" has been mentioned already – definitely worth a look. And it’s non fiction and 14 years old, but Bill Bryson "Neither Here Nor There" has some good tips.

I found "Almost French" by Sarah Turnbull quite boring but it’ll get you psyched for France.

I really liked Brian Thacker’s Rule No. 5: No Sex On The Bus.
His confessions of a tour leader are abso-fuckin’lutely hilarious. Planes, Trains and Elephants is good fun as well.
Link’s right here: http://www.amazon.co…

I also really liked My ‘Dam Life by Sean Condon, a pretty funny look at ex-pat life in Amsterdam. Great read.
Link: http://www.amazon.co…

all the little animals. it was also later developed into a movie with christian bale. i didnt read bridgette jones but i loved both movies.

Someone’s already mentioned Bill Bryson, but not specifically his book Notes from a Small Island. It is great fun to read before a trip to the UK, but even more fun to read once you’ve gone, especially if you’ve spent any considerable time there and traveled to many of the places he mentions. For the most part, his descriptions are spot on and, more importantly, very funny.