A Motor-Flight Through France
📘 About This Book
"Those who have been charmed with Mrs. Wharton's novels will not be disappointed by her venture into the unfamiliar role of a travel writer." —New York Times, 1908 A trailblazer among American women at the turn of the century, Edith Wharton set out in the newly invented "motor-car" to explore the cities and countryside of France. As the Whartons embark on three separate journeys through the country in 1906 and 1907, accompanied first by Edith’s brother, Harry Jones, and then by Henry James, Edith is enamored by the freedom that this new form of transport has given her. With a keen eye for architecture and art, and the engrossing style that would later earn her a Pulitzer Prize in fiction, Wharton writes about places that she previously “yearned for from the windows of the train." A Motor-Flight Through France captures the riches and charm of France during the Belle Époque in gorgeous, romantic prose. With the automobile in its infancy, Wharton experienced the countryside as few people ever had, liberated from the tedium and passivity of train travel. “The motor-car has restored the romance of travel,” she writes. Seeing through Wharton’s eyes, readers are sure to have their own appreciation for the road trip reawakened. Now published for the first time as an illustrated ebook with photographs reproduced directly from the 1908 first edition, with a new introduction by acclaimed travel writer Lavinia Spalding, the Restless Books edition of A Motor-Flight Through France kicks off an eye-opening new series of women writing about travel, with fresh introductions by some of our best contemporary travel writers. This overlooked classic will inspire current and future generations of readers and adventurers. Praise for A Motor-Flight Through France "Edith Wharton's graceful sentences create dramatic, populous tableaux and peel back layer after layer of artifice and pretense, of what we say and how we wish to appear, revealing the hidden kernel of what human beings are like, alone and together." —Francine Prose, New York Review of Books "Those who have been charmed with Mrs. Wharton's novels will not be disappointed by her venture into the unfamiliar role of a travel writer." —New York Times (1908) "Wharton's reflections will still charm those who've been and those who dream. A nice addition to American literature as well as travel collections." —Library Journal "A portrait of a long-forgotten France, a country that, when Wharton ranged over it in her 1904 Panhard-Levassor, was largely unchanged from medieval times." —New York Times Book Review Edith Wharton (1862–1937) was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Having grown up in an upper-class, tightly controlled society known as “Old New York” at a time when women were discouraged from achieving anything beyond a proper marriage, Wharton broke through these strictures to become one of that society’s fiercest critics as well as one of America’s greatest writers. The author of more than 40 books in 40 years, Wharton’s oeuvre includes classic works of American literature such as The House of Mirth, The Custom of the Country, The Age of Innocence, and Ethan Frome, as well as authoritative works on architecture, gardens, interior design, and travel. Lavinia Spalding is a writer, editor, teacher, and lapsed luddite. She’s the author of Writing Away: A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Writing Traveler, named one of the best travel books of 2009 by the LA Times, and With a Measure of Grace: The Story and Recipes of a Small Town Restaurant. She is also the series editor of The Best Women’s Travel Writing. Lavinia is a regular contributor to Yoga Journal, and her work has appeared in many print and online publications, including Sunset, Post Road, The San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco magazine, Tin House, Gadling, Overnight Buses, Every Day with Rachael Ray, and The Best Travel Writing Volume 9. Lavinia lives in San Francisco, where she’s a resident of the Writers’ Grotto and co-founder of the award-winning monthly travel reading series Weekday Wanderlust.
📖 Summary
Edith Wharton's A Motor-Flight Through France captures a pivotal era of transition at the turn of the twentieth century, documenting the author's journeys across the French countryside and cities via the newly invented motor-car. As a trailblazer among American women of her time, Wharton undertook three separate expeditions through France during 1906 and 1907. Accompanied at various points by her brother, Harry Jones, and the renowned writer Henry James, Wharton revels in the profound sense of freedom that this modern mode of transportation affords the traveler. Rather than being confined to the rigid schedules and predetermined routes of traditional railway travel, she and her companions are able to pause at whim, veer down unexpected country lanes, and explore remote destinations that she had previously only been able to yearn for from the windows of a train. Throughout the 232 pages of this engaging travelogue, Wharton applies the same keen, observant eye for architecture, art, and human character that would later earn her a Pulitzer Prize in fiction. Her prose style is both sophisticated and engrossing, painting vivid portraits of the towns, cathedrals, landscapes, and local customs she encounters along the way. Readers who have already been charmed by Wharton's celebrated novels will find that her venture into the unfamiliar role of a travel writer loses none of her characteristic literary brilliance. She reflects deeply on the interplay between history and landscape, offering observations that transcend simple itinerary reporting. The automobile acts not merely as a mechanical conveyance, but as an intellectual lens through which Wharton re-examines the geography and cultural heritage of France. By trading the enclosed monotony of the railway for the open-air agility of the motor-car, she pioneers a modern aesthetic of travel, demonstrating how speed and autonomy can fundamentally alter one's appreciation of a foreign land. A Motor-Flight Through France stands as a testament to an adventurous spirit, marrying the thrill of early motoring with the refined sensibilities of a master novelist.
🎯 Key Lessons
⚖️ Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
Written with the engrossing style of a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist
Provides a fascinating historical look at early twentieth-century motoring
Showcases a keen appreciation for art, architecture, and geography
Features notable literary companions like Henry James
⚠️ Cons
Reflects the turn-of-the-century perspectives which may feel dated to some modern readers
Focuses primarily on specific regions rather than a comprehensive guide to all of France
✍️ About the Author
Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was an American author and the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, known for novels of Gilded Age society including 'The Age of Innocence'.
View all books →❓ FAQ
When did Edith Wharton take these journeys through France? +
She undertook three separate journeys through the country in 1906 and 1907.
Who accompanied Edith Wharton on her travels? +
She was accompanied first by her brother, Harry Jones, and later by Henry James.
How does the motor-car change Wharton's travel experience? +
It gives her the freedom to visit places she previously only yearned for from train windows and allows for spontaneous stops.
What elements of France particularly catch Wharton's attention? +
She focuses heavily on architecture, art, and the diverse landscapes of the cities and countryside.
How many pages long is this edition of the book? +
This edition spans 232 pages.
