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I purchased this book for my grandmother and after she read it she loaned it to me. It's an excellent read, even if you have never read Steinbeck before, and very humorous and entertaining. I doubt it will appeal much to an under 30 crowd but if you like to read about an already popular author reflecting on life, offering up his view of Americana during the 1960's with a critical eye toward racism, then this book is definitely for you. Charley and his truck are additional "characters" to this book, each with their own personality and quirks, and this camraderie keeps Steinbeck's narrative rolling along.
As usual I panicked and got lost. Though this book is more of a travel journal than a novel, the great storyteller within still shines through with his wonderful and unique prose that makes places and people come alive with each sentence read. Though I found it interesting, it wasn't quite what I expected. "First traffic struck me like a tidal wave and carried me along, a bit of shiny flotsam bounded in front by a gasoline truck half a block long.
And some of his insights and musings were almost prophetic. Behind me was an enormous cement mixer on wheels, its big howitzer revolving as it proceeded. On my right was what I judged to be an atomic cannon. Steinbeck, best known for his novels 'The Grapes of Wrath', 'Of Mice and Men', and 'East of Eden' among others, is a great American novelist. It occurs to me that, just as the Carthaginians hired mercenaries to do their fighting for them, we Americans bring in mercenaries to do our hard and humble work. I chose this book to read because I thought it would be enlightening, considering the fact that I, too, am traveling across the country in an RV - and with my dog.
The writing seemed to ramble a bit and definitely gave me more insight into John Steinbeck than the America he was in search of. There were times when he was spot on regarding a particular place/people that I too had been to and come in contact with, but more often than not I felt that he didn't go into enough detail - just skimmed the surface before moving on too quickly to the next place or stray thought.What I did find interesting was, though we've come a long way since his journey in 1960, a lot of things never change.
I hope we may not be overwhelmed one day by peoples not too proud or too lazy or too soft to bend to the earth and pick up the things we eat." Wow. In particular, I found his choice of words in his description of driving in city traffic to be absolutely brilliant and simply perfect.
For example, he describes the potato fields in Maine and observes the people picking the crops: "I've seen many migrant crop-picking people about the country: Hindus, Filipinos, Mexicans, Okies away from their states. Like a weakening swimmer I edged to the right into a pleasant street only to be stopped by a policeman, who informed me that trucks and such vermin were not permitted there.
He thrust me back into the ravening stream." Now that's a master writer at work. Here in Maine a great many were French Canadians who came over the border for the harvest season.
Almost fifty years later and his words couldn't be more true to our current circumstances.I found this to be an interesting and likable book and would recommend it to those who appreciate the craft and skill of good writing as well as to those who are interested in travel - just don't expect it to be a travel guide.
Steinbeck manages to perfectly capture the loneliness and quiet desperation he comes across during his cross-country trip. As well as the aching wanderlust so many of us live with."And after dark he came into Rocinante and admired her facilities and we drank some whiskey together and had a nice visit and told each other a few lies."
The book ends with a mad dash from the South to New York in record speed with blured insights and forgetfulness through West Virgina. The endless bouncing from one coast to another in post war America. We are told of a sinister night in the parking lot of a recently abandoned hotel replete with dishes still in the sink.after two days no one ever showed up. This book is not ON THE ROAD.
The South gets its chapter as Steinbeck views the horrible school desegregation battles of 1960. It is a introspective much slower look at a changing America written by a great writer nearing the last chapter of his life. Steinbeck overloaded his specially built truck to travel with his poodle Charley from New England to the Midwest to his boyhood Salinas and, finally, an ominous end journey to the segregated South in 1960. Do you remember ON THE ROAD by Jack Kerouac. The rest of the story progresses rapidly.too rapidly through the mountain states. Steinbeck tells us about the daily struggle with being lost and the pitfalls of overloading his truck named after Don Quixote's horse.
Steinbeck tells us much history about the transient culture of 1960: disposable eating utensils, the benefits of trailer camp life and the possible consequences of our wasteful practices. The marine biologist peeks at us from behind the writer when the author describes nature, the glory of Montana, and ecological problems.
Despite the scenery skipped the story remains compelling."Travels with Charley" is a trip well worth taking. The seminal hedonistic beat book.
The South also raises a disturbing aspect to this otherwise good book.the characters seem oddly media stereotyped. The story has a strange entropy to it.
The beginning vividly describes the rich New England Fall and a Maine potato harvest. The old black sharecropper, the young arrogant loser white racist he picks up as a hitchhiker and forces out of his truck only to be followed by a young radical black revolutionary.The characters seem like characters from a hastily written movie script.
i've always loved this story.sent the book i recently purchased to my brother-in-law who has just retired and is planning a trip across the u.s. with his two dogs.perfect present.
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