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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
I loved this book because it made me understand and respect John Steinbeck as a man and as an author. Separated from the depressing, demoralizing tales that we all read in High School (that's how I viewed the Grapes of Wrath when I was 17--and I'm not about to revisit that book any time soon...), his words ring clear and true and his abilities to craft phrases and invoke time and place and feel are fabulous. This for me, was more a collection of Steinbeck's thoughts and feelings about the state of America and Americans in 1960 and a glimpse into his character and values than a true travelogue, but all the more wonderful because of this fact.
The money quote appears early in the book when Steinbeck is musing about a recent bout of ill-health and the possibility that this trip may be too much for him:
"For I have always lived violently, drunk hugely, eaten too much or not at all, slept around the clock or missed two nights of sleeping, worked too hard or too long in glory, or slobbed for a time in utter laziness. I've lifted, pulled, chopped, climbed, made love with joy and taken my hangovers as a consequence, not a punishment. I did not want to surrender my fierceness for a small gain in yardage.... And in my own life I am not willing to trade quality for quantity. If this projected journey should prove too much then it was time to go anyway. I see too many men delay their exits with a sickly, slow reluctance to leave the stage. It's bad theater as well as bad living."
The money quote appears early in the book when Steinbeck is musing about a recent bout of ill-health and the possibility that this trip may be too much for him:
"For I have always lived violently, drunk hugely, eaten too much or not at all, slept around the clock or missed two nights of sleeping, worked too hard or too long in glory, or slobbed for a time in utter laziness. I've lifted, pulled, chopped, climbed, made love with joy and taken my hangovers as a consequence, not a punishment. I did not want to surrender my fierceness for a small gain in yardage.... And in my own life I am not willing to trade quality for quantity. If this projected journey should prove too much then it was time to go anyway. I see too many men delay their exits with a sickly, slow reluctance to leave the stage. It's bad theater as well as bad living."
Not sure why I expected anything less than 5 stars from my favorite author, but, alas! This is a new favorite for me, surely in my top 5? His descriptions are just (IMHO) unparalleled. I audibly laughed at a lot of lines and found myself feeling like I was literally along for the ride. This gave me a new love for my fav author and I’m thankful. Be right back while I drag my family to Salinas to revisit the Steinbeck museum.
I recommend this book for anyone that's ever taken a road trip, yearns to take a road trip or just really likes John Steinbeck. I really, really enjoyed it and look forward to rereading it sometime in the near future.
Steinbeck. That's all I can say. The most moving chapters were those of his travels through the South on the 60s. The rest were fairly uninteresting but the words put together were so much Steinbeck that it gets another star in my reading.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
reflective
slow-paced
Not my style of book, but definitely a must read for Steinbeck fans.
EFelt a kinship
Enjoyed his tales of this trip with this dog. Remind me of my husband and my trips with our dog in various parts of this country. Being from Alabama, the account of his experiences and the South was very disturbing. I hope we're past all that now.
Enjoyed his tales of this trip with this dog. Remind me of my husband and my trips with our dog in various parts of this country. Being from Alabama, the account of his experiences and the South was very disturbing. I hope we're past all that now.