Mary Shelley’s “Rambles in Germany and Italy in 1840, 1842, and 1843” as a Digressional Specimen of the Italian Tour Sub-Genre

Magdalena Ożarska

Magdalena Ożarska The Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce

Keywords: women’s travel writing; English Romanticism; Italian tour

Abstract

The article presents Mary Shelley’s Rambles in Germany and Italy in 1840, 1842, 1843 as a specimen of the sub-genre known as the Italian tour. Rambles is replete with digressional features, in accordance with its title (cf. the two meanings of “rambles”, i.e. “wanderings” and “incoherent utterances”). The text’s generic characteristics are discussed against the background of contemporary travel-writing conventions, cultural trends as well as selected aspects of verifiability of the travel experience.

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