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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
I am not really into travel books however this somehow really worked for me. A good balance of observation, description and analysis. I particularly enjoyed the human relations developed throughout Steinbeck's adventure, his thoughts on America and the modern way of life, interracial relations and of course his relationship with Charley. The author's style was also very refreshing and new to me.
reflective
pretty solid, I love Steinbeck’s writing
wasn’t too surprised to learn that he was a democrat that came from a family of republicans, it definitely makes sense
interesting cultural commentary on America in the late 50s/early 60s, even if some of it is likely embellished
I have to share this section because I thoroughly enjoyed it
Everybody’s got to have their Russians
“I had been keen to hear what people thought politically. Those whom I had met did not talk about the subject, didn't seem to want to talk about it. It seemed to me partly caution and partly a lack of interest, but strong opinions were just not stated. One storekeeper did admit to me that he had to do business with both sides and could not permit himself the luxury of an opinion. He was a graying man in a little gray store, a crossroads place where I stopped for a box of dog biscuits and a can of pipe tobacco. This man, this store might have been anywhere in the nation, but actually it was back in Minnesota. The man had a kind of gray wistful twinkle in his eyes as though he remembered humor when it was not against the law, so that I dared go out on a limb I said, "It looks then as though the natural contentiousness of people had died. But I don't believe that. It'll just take another channel. Can you think, sir, of what that channel might be?"
wasn’t too surprised to learn that he was a democrat that came from a family of republicans, it definitely makes sense
interesting cultural commentary on America in the late 50s/early 60s, even if some of it is likely embellished
I have to share this section because I thoroughly enjoyed it
Everybody’s got to have their Russians
“I had been keen to hear what people thought politically. Those whom I had met did not talk about the subject, didn't seem to want to talk about it. It seemed to me partly caution and partly a lack of interest, but strong opinions were just not stated. One storekeeper did admit to me that he had to do business with both sides and could not permit himself the luxury of an opinion. He was a graying man in a little gray store, a crossroads place where I stopped for a box of dog biscuits and a can of pipe tobacco. This man, this store might have been anywhere in the nation, but actually it was back in Minnesota. The man had a kind of gray wistful twinkle in his eyes as though he remembered humor when it was not against the law, so that I dared go out on a limb I said, "It looks then as though the natural contentiousness of people had died. But I don't believe that. It'll just take another channel. Can you think, sir, of what that channel might be?"
"You mean where will they bust out?"
"Where do they bust out?"
I was not wrong, the twinkle was there, the precious, humorous twinkle. "Well, sir," he said,
"we've got a murder now and then, or we can read about them. Then we've got the World Series.
You can raise a wind any time over the Pirates or the Yankees, but I guess the best of all is we've got the Russians."
"Feelings pretty strong there?"
"Oh, sure! Hardly a day goes by somebody doesn't take a belt at the Russians." For some reason he was getting a little easier, even permitted himself a chuckle that could have turned to throat-clearing if he saw a bad reaction from me.
I asked, "Anybody know any Russians around here?"
And now he went all out and laughed. "Course not. That's why they're valuable. Nobody can find fault with you if you take out after the Russians."
"Because we're not doing business with them?"
He picked up a cheese knife from the counter and carefully ran his thumb along the edge and laid the knife down. "Maybe that's it. By George, maybe that's it. We're not doing business."
"You think then we might be using the Russians as an outlet for something else, for other things."
"I didn't think that at all, sir, but I bet I'm going to. Why, I remember when people took everything out on Mr. Roosevelt. Andy Larsen got red in the face about Roosevelt one time when his hens got the croup. Yes, sir," he said with growing enthusiasm, "those Russians got quite a load to carry. Man has a fight with his wife, he belts the Russians."
"Maybe everybody needs Russians. I'll bet even in Russia they need Russians. Maybe they call it Americans."
He cut a sliver of cheese from a wheel and held it out to me on the knife blade. "You've give me something to think about in a sneaking kind of way."
"I thought you gave it to me."
"How?"
"About business and opinions."
"Well, maybe so. Know what I'm going to do? Next time Andy Larsen comes in red in the face, I'm going to see if the Russians are bothering his hens. It was a great loss to Andy when Mr.
Roosevelt died."
Now I don't say that an awful lot of people have this man's sense of things. Maybe they don't, but maybe they do--also in their privacy or in non-business areas.”
as hard as it was for me to picture steinbeck with a poodle.. he eventually won me over. although as a hefty chunk of this book is devoted to musings on charley's inner workings, i can see how his thoughts would strike non-'dog people' as odd. steinbeck applies his usual straightforward yet poignant style to describe his drive across america in 1960. it's perhaps even more interesting to read now, some 50+ years later as a way to see what's changed, what's stayed the same and what became of his predictions for the future of the country. as a side note, steinbeck also possesses that rare gift of being able to be self-effacing even as he describes the more impressive aspects of his life (he was at this point, of course, a rather well-known author and quite well traveled) which makes the small insights into his own life seem fascinating rather than pretentious.
I was really disappointed to learn that much of this book was fabricated. It's a shame that writers feel the need to deceive us. Even so, it's a lovely read about America.
Travels with Charley is a very relaxing read but it is not especially interesting or exciting. Steinbeck captures a good picture of what was 1950's America and how different parts of the country was from each other and from what that same region is like now. It's a good road trip novel and Steinbeck is an engaging writer so it's never unpleasant reading his ramblings.
A book you read for fun. A book which just passes through the enormous USA. A book which pokes at your wanderlust but a book which does not force anything on you. Steinbeck is getting to be one of my favorite authors.
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
I love how Steinbeck shows us America during a time of big social changes through his observations on people, culture, the environment, and nature. I think I’d really appreciate it if I were American, but even as a non-American, I’m still captivated by the story and some of its themes still hit home.
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
