John Steinbeck. 1962. 223 Pages. (Papaerback.).
The long laudatory introduction makes it clear that this travelogue is not just travel, but greatly embellished with fictional details that suit the famous author’s personality and world view.
In the fall of 1960, the famous author sets out in a truck converted into a home on a cross country trek to explore America, with his beloved poodle Charley. He documents a very diverse country, often interacting with locals while trying to maintain anonymity. The result is a great snapshot of the country as it then existed, and no longer does. From the potato growing fields of Vermont to his beloved Montana and the racist south, he describes a very diverse country, with encounters with an equally diverse group of individuals, making philosophical comments along the way.
The writing is engaging and typical of his writing style.
Not as popular as his fictional Of Mice and Men, or his The Grapes of Wrath, both of which I quite enjoyed, this book is a great reminder of what America once was. I can only speculate about what he would have to say about what America has become. Unfortunately, he died at the age of 66 in 1968.
4/5
Thanks, Lois.
The Passionate Reader 