Travels with Charley in Search of America

Book Description

Critics

• The Rescue of John Steinbeck

  The extraordinary thing about John Steinbeck is how good he can be when so much of the time he’s so bad. There are talented writers who grow into their full maturity and then decline, slowly or precipitously. But that isn’t Steinbeck. You can divide ... (read full critics)

  nybooks published on Thu, 26 Aug 2010

4 Reviews

• 

  Now, there is not any question that Charley was rapidly becoming a tree expert of enormous background...But from the first I had withheld from him any information about the giant redwoods. It seemed to me that a Long Island poodle who had made his devoirs to Sequoia sempervirens or Sequoia gigantea ... (continue)

  Now, there is not any question that Charley was rapidly becoming a tree expert of enormous background...But from the first I had withheld from him any information about the giant redwoods. It seemed to me that a Long Island poodle who had made his devoirs to Sequoia sempervirens or Sequoia gigantea might be set apart from other dogs-might even be like that Galahad who saw the Grail.

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  ossyan said on Sep 23, 2011 | Add your feedback

• What are Americans like today?

  This question, together with his urge to travel since childhood, set off the trip the American nobel prize winner John Steinbeck, who is also the acclaimed author of the Grapes of Wrath, undertook in 1960. This resulting travelogue features his candid critique of contemporary America, such as the lo ... (continue)

  This question, together with his urge to travel since childhood, set off the trip the American nobel prize winner John Steinbeck, who is also the acclaimed author of the Grapes of Wrath, undertook in 1960. This resulting travelogue features his candid critique of contemporary America, such as the loss of regional differences, the booming of ruthless infrastructure, the use of so much plastics that eventually led to waste and inhuman affection, and the intricate racial tension when he travelled deep south. Ironically, his observations still ring true today. If these are depressing, his vivid tales of interactions with people on the road, and of course, Charley, the poodle, are most enlightening.

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  minneville said on Aug 26, 2010 | Add your feedback

• 

  Sometimes reading the personal account of the travel of one's favourite novelist is dangerous: you could find out that the author is the kind of person you do not like (or even worse you hate). This did not happened to me and I enjoyed traveling with Charlie.

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  Seba said on May 23, 2010 | Add your feedback

• 

  An Honest Travelogue

  The best thing about this book is Steinbeck's honesty. In my opinion, most travel accounts I've read lean too heavily on promoting the excitement. Being fond of travelling myself, I appreciate the accounts of excitement at discovering novelties, but I do admire Steinbeck's more realistic tone. Wh ... (continue)

  The best thing about this book is Steinbeck's honesty. In my opinion, most travel accounts I've read lean too heavily on promoting the excitement. Being fond of travelling myself, I appreciate the accounts of excitement at discovering novelties, but I do admire Steinbeck's more realistic tone. While he talks of the excitements, he does not shy away from describing moments of isolation and loneliness when he yearns for home. Steinbeck might be preachy and sentimental at times, especially at the last section, where he sees the South during the Civil rights movement. However, this is still a very enjoying read overall.

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  Meem said on Aug 16, 2007 | Add your feedback

Book Details

• Rating:
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• English Books
• Paperback 224 Pages
• ISBN-10: 0142000701
• ISBN-13: 9780142000700
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
• Pub date: Feb 05, 2002
• Dimensions: 1419 mm x 903 mm x 129 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Hardcover, Audio CD, Audio Cassette, School & Library Binding, Unbound, Others and eBook
• In other languages: other languages 繁體書, Libros en Español, Livros em Português, Libri Italiani, Česká kniha

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