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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Even Juan laughed then. Everyone laughed. And suddenly the bus was not full of strangers. Some chemical association was formed.
it’s steinbeck, of course it was good. started this while visiting california which was perfect - saw the bus on each dusty road we drove through in big sur. wish i would have read this in an english class, so much to unpack for such a breezy little book.
Rebel Corners is just a diner and a gas station, but the bus stops here on its way to Los Angeles. The stop is full of anything but rebels, people stagnating in life, still with some illusions of past dreams of how life could be. The passengers on the bus who are passing through aren’t much better. They’re stuck in their lives, too.
Not much happens in this book, but the characters are so good. They’re revealed just a little at a time. It’s a snapshot of a bunch of people, the majority of whom have never met. But here, in the span of days, they’re revealed completely for who they are.
I liked the slow pace and the full characters so much, I’m starting Steinbeck’s Cannery Row today.
Not much happens in this book, but the characters are so good. They’re revealed just a little at a time. It’s a snapshot of a bunch of people, the majority of whom have never met. But here, in the span of days, they’re revealed completely for who they are.
I liked the slow pace and the full characters so much, I’m starting Steinbeck’s Cannery Row today.
I absolutely loved the first 80% of The Wayward Bus. The pacing is slow, but the attention given to each character is detailed, creating a natural, everyday kind of tension. It brought to mind Jim Jarmusch's 1986 film, Down By Law, which focused attention on subtle movements and interactions.
So, (slight spoiler) when Juan decides to run the bus off the road, and hell breaks loose for all the characters, it feels like a quick illegal left into oncoming traffic. One could say that the characters' subtle machinations and artificial facades had reached the breaking point and that Juan's decision forced a change. But to this reader, it all felt a bit too rushed and weirdly packaged.
Still, it's a fun read for those liking Steinbeck's style and hankering for a 1940s-era drama.
So, (slight spoiler) when Juan decides to run the bus off the road, and hell breaks loose for all the characters, it feels like a quick illegal left into oncoming traffic. One could say that the characters' subtle machinations and artificial facades had reached the breaking point and that Juan's decision forced a change. But to this reader, it all felt a bit too rushed and weirdly packaged.
Still, it's a fun read for those liking Steinbeck's style and hankering for a 1940s-era drama.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Been too long since I read Steinbeck! Missed ya bud
4 - solid steinbeck. beautiful, poetic writing-- i saw everything so clearly. one of my favorite things was how non-judgmental he was of the characters, i found that really refreshing. this isn't necessarily one i'd go about recommending to people, but i happy to add it to my steinbeck shelf.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Fantastic character writing. Reading this felt voyeuristic.