Travels with Charlie
by John Steinbeck
Author’s website
I’m sure I read Grapes of Wrath in high school, but haven’t read anything by Steinbeck since. I remember liking Grapes of Wrath, but it didn’t leave a deep impression on me. I’m guessing I stormed through the book just to get through it, and didn’t take the time to let it work its way into me.
I say this because in reading Travels with Charlie, I found many sections that I needed to read through quickly because they weren’t speaking to me or holding my attention, but other sections that were pretty dense. With this in mind, I’m guessing his other writing is full of the dense stuff.
This is a fairly short read that chronicles a trip across the country Steinbeck took in a camper in the early 60’s. Some good stuff, and a few dense parts, but generally just an OK read.
I picked it up because I’m in the midst of writing about a cross-country trip myself – one I took on my bicycle – and I thought I might pick up some good ideas on style and voice from a master like Steinbeck. I did that for sure, and while I was a bit disappointed in the book as a whole, reading it kindled in me a desire to read more Steinbeck. I think I’ll pick up East of Eden and read that soon.
Anybody suggest a different Steinbeck novel as a “firstâ€? (I’m ignoring my early reading of Grapes of Wrath, since I must have slept through it…)
