PCC#14 "Places, Everyone!" (Nov. 2, 2023)

[pchow13]

Finally getting around to posting my old puzzles here on this forum.

Please see below for PCC#14 - "Places, Everyone!" originally posted on Crosshare 11/02/23

[Level 1] Meta prompt: The answer to the meta is the name of the city where I'll be spending the next week on holiday

Note: the level is the intended difficulty I had in mind when I designed the puzzle, but may play differently since every solver has their own area of expertise... what one person may find easy, another may find difficult.

Have fun and keep in mind if you're ever lost at sea, google is your best friend (actually, I don't know if you'd get internet service in the middle of the ocean)
-Phil

Places, Everyone!
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Nudges below:

Hint #1: There are quite a lot of names and books in the puzzle

Hint #2: The literary characters and corresponding books (see clue for 46-Across) share something in common

Hint #3: Where do all these novels or books take place?

Solution below - SPOILER ALERT:

Answer explanation: Answer explanation: The long-winded clue on BOOK and the title word "places" would hopefully lead you to figure out that we should focus on where these novels took place. The following books all take place in London: Mary Poppins, Mrs. Dalloway, Bridget Jones Diary, Canterbury Tales, The Picture of Dorian Gray, A Christmas Carol, Sherlock Holmes, Oliver Twist, About a Boy, White Teeth... and so I'm off to London ta-ta!