For lovers of travel and great writing | Travels with Charley in Search of America: (Centennial Edition) |...

A wonderful read | Travels with Charley in Search of America: (Centennial Edition) | John Steinbeck

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	• Travels with Charley in Search of America: (Centennial Edition) John Steinbeck Penguin (Non-Classics), 2002 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 212 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

great travels

a wonderful book by the worlds great author, and very insightful on his travels and people he met along his journey, and such a great dog to go along with.

For lovers of travel and great writing

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. 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. In particular, I found his choice of words in his description of driving in city traffic to be absolutely brilliant and simply perfect. "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. 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. As usual I panicked and got lost. 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.

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. Though I found it interesting, it wasn't quite what I expected. 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. And some of his insights and musings were almost prophetic. 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. Here in Maine a great many were French Canadians who came over the border for the harvest season. 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 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. 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.

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A wonderful read

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.

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Very entertaining.

I don't read a lot of novels and I am not a literary critic by any stretch. However I really enjoyed reading Travels with Charley. It is full of insights and kept me interested and laughing.

The Best Book I Read in 2009

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."

With his dog Charley, John Steinbeck set out in his truck to explore and experience America in the 1960s. As he talked with all kinds of people, he sadly noted the passing of region speech, fell in love with Montana, and was appalled by racism in New Orleans.

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