▁well ▁as ▁his ▁conversation ▁with ▁other ▁people ▁such ▁as ▁his ▁fellow ▁travel ers . ▁It ▁included ▁elements ▁of ▁fiction ▁such ▁as ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁places , ▁situations , ▁and ▁people , ▁reflect ing ▁the ▁author ' s ▁own ▁thoughts ▁and ▁out look . ▁Contempor aneous ▁reviews ▁noted ▁how ▁his ▁background ▁allowed ▁him ▁the ▁bread th ▁of ▁ins ights ▁to ▁author it atively ▁describe ▁people ▁even ▁when ▁there ▁are ▁instances ▁when ▁he ▁committed ▁eth nic ▁general izations . ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁The ▁Great ▁Railway ▁B az aar , ▁Ther oux ▁lived ▁in ▁Africa , ▁Singapore , ▁and ▁England . ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁article , ▁Ther oux ▁out lined ▁several ▁inspir ations ▁that ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁emb ark ▁on ▁his ▁journey ▁and ▁publish ▁his ▁experiences . ▁These ▁include ▁his ▁fasc ination ▁for ▁trains , ▁which ▁offered ▁what ▁he ▁described ▁as ▁an ▁opportunity ▁to ▁break ▁monot ony ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁resp ite ▁from ▁work . ▁He ▁wrote : I ▁could ▁think ▁clearly ▁on ▁the ▁London ▁trains ▁and ▁when , ▁on ▁the ▁rare ▁occasions , ▁I ▁travel led ▁out ▁of ▁London ▁– ▁on ▁the ▁Ex eter ▁line ▁via ▁Sher bor ne , ▁Ye ov il , ▁and ▁C rew ker ne , ▁to ▁visit ▁my ▁in ‑ la ws , ▁or ▁on ▁the ▁F lying ▁Sc ots man ▁on ▁a ▁journal istic ▁assignment , ▁my ▁spirits ▁rev ived ▁and ▁I ▁saw ▁with ▁clar ity ▁that ▁it ▁might ▁be ▁possible ▁to ▁conce ive ▁a ▁book ▁based ▁on ▁a ▁long ▁railway