A review by bennought
Riding Toward Everywhere by William T. Vollmann

3.0

A very, very interesting book. It has Vollmann's typical wordy, sometimes ethereal prose coupled with and interesting dose of intimate reality, as he is recounting his own personal experiences. While I never found myself getting stuck at any point in the book, it flowed fairly slowly (even considering that it was a quick read, something hard to understand unless you read the book) and I often found my mind wandering a bit. As per usual, this book is pretty intellectual and heady, though Vollmann does a great job of getting to the heart of his own feelings and drives, as well as the potential underlying motivations and truths of the stories told him by the various personalities he meets along the way. He also does an incredible job of conveying the physical sensations of catching out, and the emotions which it inspires in him. Truly, I'd like to rate this at 3.5, and it is definitely worth reading if you are a fan of Vollmann or interested in what it might be like to ride illegally on freight trains.