Travels with Charley in Search of America

Good Read, but Best for Target Demographic

In Travels with Charley, John Steinbeck with his poodle, Charley, sets out to rediscover the country he is known for writing about. In their pickup truck and camper, the duo embarks on a journey that spans from New England to California, from Midwest to Southwest, and from Yellowstone to New Orleans. On his journey, Steinbeck reflects on what makes America "America" and how our country had changed in the 1960's. As you may have guessed from the other reviews, this was overall a good read, it's John Steinbeck writing it after all. He gives plenty of details about all of the sights he sees and uses his great word choice to describe them, plus it's pretty entertaining, especially if you have a dog like Charley (I do). However, as a high school student, I found it hard to relate to. It deals with pretty universal themes, travel and what makes America "America". But, it also deals quite a bit with less universal themes, like aging and changing times. These themes are evident by Steinbeck's crotchetiness towards things like highways and vending machines. So as you could imagine, I couldn't always pay attention whenever he was complaining about plastic wrap or just being old. I suppose then the target demographic I would be referring to is anyone who can relate to a world that has changed dramatically in their adult lifetime, so you'd probably have to be a bit older than I am. Some major events have happened since I was born, but I was just a little kid who didn't really understand it and what it meant as far as change goes. You'd have to be someone who is old enough to compare one decade to another because you've lived as an adult through them. But don't lose hope if you're not old and crotchety! You will enjoy it if you're the kind of person who likes to travel or just are interested in the history of America in the 1960's (like I am), but maybe not as much as the former. If you do like Travels with Charley, it'd be worthwhile to read Steinbeck's other works or anything by similar authors, specifically Earnest Hemingway and The Old Man and the Sea.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Discovering America

I'm sure that at some point in one's life Steinbeck was a mandated read for any student who found themselves thrown into a high school literature course. Like most, I, too, received the dreaded assignment and begrudgingly cracked open the book, struggling to get through the mind numbing task in an effort to at least gain enough knowledge for the following week's class discussion, or the even more dreaded written book report. Now, decades later, with s few gray hairs and approaching the same age as Mr. Steinbeck when he penned this story, I have made my own choice to return to Steinbeck. In all truth, I chose this book as I believe all visionaries and dreamers like myself have, at least at one time in their life, planned a trip to explore beyond their immediate borders; whether the borders are real or imagined, and whether the trip comes to fruition or only remains in their mind. I also happen to like dogs. :)

This story, however, is more that simply a journal of a man and his dog on a 3 month trek across the country. Steinbeck paints a picture with his words that you can visualize with such clarity, as if you were a stowaway in his customized van and were personally witness to all that he experienced. He describes places and people that are from a different era than we now know, and yet, these descriptions also hold elements that ring true today. Steinbeck takes you through the sad, scary, laughable, heart-warming and awesome moments with the people and landscapes he met along the way, along with the feelings for a love one left behind and the anxious yearning that we all feel when we've been away from home too long. Steinbeck's vocabulary has a richness and depth that is so singular in style that there is no doubt he rightfully earned his title as one of the Great American Writers.

DLB2

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Funny and captivating

I absolutely love this book. I enjoyed very much everything that John Steinbeck wrote, but it was all fiction. This is a more or less a factual account of one trip across America. Apart from the fact that I am planning such a trip myself, I could not put the book down, he is so entertaining, you laugh, you muse and you enjoy the beautiful stops with him along the journey. I recommend this book to everyone that enjoys traveling.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

 Reading the work of a literary giant is an experience in unders

 Reading the work of a literary giant is an experience in understanding what writing truly can be.  To have the occasion to hear the words of a legend read aloud adds to the experience while lowering “the fourth wall” between the writing and the reader.  When John Steinbeck gave expression to his thoughts, they were found to be concise, intelligent and had the ability to bring the reader to explore parts of her/him that were previously unknown.  When I found this audiobook in one of my sources, I was expecting a quality “read,” and one that would bring hours of reflection, frequent smiles and a few moments of “oh, My!”  I was not disappointed.
When he was nearing 60, John Steinbeck purchased a 1960 GMC pick-up truck, had a custom camper made for it (maybe the first such camper in existence), took his Blue Standard Poodle, Charley, on a eleven-week, 10,000 mile journey across America.  He hoped to learn “what America really is (was)” by traveling the small roads, visiting the towns and talking to the people he met.  The unique camper and his “ambassador” (Charley) opened the way for him to meet people whom he would have had little opportunity to meet. What he found on this journey was that Americans were people, unique as individuals but not distinctive from other Americans. On this trek, he meet: Canadian migrant workers in New England, farmers in Wisconsin, an actor in the Northern Plains, old friends in Salinas, family in Texas and bigots and civil rights workers in the South.  All were people very real and very much alive.
The majority of the book was delightful.  His conversations with Charley are the stuff of cherished friendships.  His thoughts on the things he saw reflect his powers of observation and his ability to effectively convey those thoughts to his readers.  The nights he spends in “Rocinante” (the name of Don Quixote’s horse and the moniker given his truck) were relatively few (the book indicates he suffered insomnia as well as he frequented motor courts) but it served as a place to entertain his new friends.  
The painful part of the book was his account of his experience in the segregated South.  My “home” region has much to offer – beautiful landscapes, great food, distinct music, exceptional literature – but its history is not without serious stains.  When Mr. Steinbeck visited on this trip, the South was in the early skirmishes of the Civil Rights movement.  He saw the ugliness of those who were frightened of equality because they knew only how to be slaves to themselves.  He met quiet heroes who “forgot” to see color and therefore saw only fellow human beings.  He witnessed kindness and cruelty, beauty and depravity, tranquility amid chaos.  Then he wrote of what he saw so well the reader could feel the humidity, see the craziness and hear the groans of the labor pains of a culture being reborn.
I look forward to reading many (perhaps all) of Mr. Steinbeck’s 32 published books.  But I doubt any will top the road trip I completed with him and Charley.

Good, but not what I expected

In this book, Steinbeck decides to cure his "restless urge" to travel and drives cross-country in a camper top attached to three-quarter-ton pick up truck with companion, french poodle, Charley. His journey spans from New England to California, from Midwest to Southwest, and from Yellowstone to New Orleans. All throughout, Steinbeck attempts to "re-discover" America and realizes all the common changes throughout the country and also the attributes that make each destination unique. The book also highlights the relationship between Steinbeck and Charley as well as Steinbeck's fascination with the concept of travel. Overall, I thought this book was pretty good but it was not what I was expecting. after reading Of Mice and Men, I was expecting a book with awesome use of literary devices and allusions as well as powerful twists (I now realize this was a lot to expect from a non-fiction novel, but I thought Steinbeck could pull it off). The fact that Steinbeck was traveling with a dog made it even more appealing to the avid animal lover that is me, however, I thought the book was excruciatingly boring at parts and had an inadequate amount of references to Charley (not enough for me, anyway). I did like Steinbeck's opinionated, artistic point of view, however. I also agreed with a lot of his opinions about America in the 60's. I think the book could be appreciated more if it were read slowly, to savor all the details, but am not a slow reader and frankly, would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a short-read, or anyone with a limited amount of patience either. However, if you choose to give this book the time it requires to be enjoyable, then you may think otherwise.

In the early sixties, Steinbeck, in his fifties, felt out of tou

In the early sixties, Steinbeck, in his fifties, felt out of touch with America, so with poodle Charlie, he set out in camper Rocinante to renew contact. This is his telling of that journey, roughly circular from his east coast home to Maine, across the northern states, down the western states, and east through Texas and Louisiana. Within these travels, Steinbeck is very self-revealing, discussing his social interactions, his traveling experiences, his responses to social changes when visiting places he had been before, and providing his one-man’s-look at things, not to be confused with attempts to make broader general conclusions. He does, none the less, manage more than a few general observations about a number of places, events and opinions that cross his path. For this reader, some of his talk about his own past and family brought “AHA” connections to some of his other works, particularly how family members had been in East of Eden, and a visit with an old crony who has a central role in Tortilla Flat. Notably cogent were Steinbeck’s experiences and observations in Maine, Montana, Seattle, Monterey, California, and in Louisiana. As a novel-reader, this turned out to be an interesting journey and provided valuable insight into Steinbeck’s life, thought processes, and other works, but left me feeling like there was not a lot of sense of Steinbeck’s meeting his goal of re-connecting, or any general conclusion beyond some fascinating glimpses of how life was in America fifty years ago. The writing is terrific, as expected, and others would probably enjoy it. I’m glad I read it.

Highly Recommended

I enjoyed traveling with Charley and John. I couldn't put the book down.A great read.

Excellent reading

John Steinbect has long been one of my faorite authors but had somehow missed this book. Finally read it and was glad I did. He had the ability to write in such a way that made you feel you were there with him. All of his books are excellent.

I admire Steinbeck a great deal.

I was most impressed by his insight into civil rights. The grapes of wrath happens during the depression and this is set during the civil rights movement. I loved how natural his relationship with Charley feels and it reminded me of my grandpa!

Highly recommended.

I love this book. I've always felt this book gives a look into the man unlike any of his other works. He talks about his bad heart and his doctor recommending that he not make the trip. He goes anyhow saying that his wife married a man and he preferred to be man not a patient. That"s not an exact quote but it's pretty much what he expressed. He observed America, it's grandeur, it's people and a bit of it's history being made. I remember his chapter on Montana where he says "this is a love story". Having lived there I couldn't agree more. My heart broke for him when he saw the horrible women shouting at the black children integrating the schools in the deep South. It seemed to me that the joy of his trip ended there and he just wanted to go home.

Excellent

I remembered reading this as a youngster. It was as good the second time around. Aside from a few references to evolution as a fact instead of theory, it was very entertaining. The descriptions of our country were refreshing. I highly recommend Travels (specially on Nook!)

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Loved It!!

While reading this book, I felt very connected with Steinbeck in his travels. I felt that he wrote this book for everyone. His "straight-forwardness" in this novel makes it great for any reader in all types of literature. He starts off the book great; "When I very young and the urge to be someplace else was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure this itch. When years described me as mature, the remedy prescribed was middle age. In middle age I was assured that greater age would calm my fever and now that I am fifty-eight perhaps senility will do the job" (Steinbeck 3). I feel that the story was meant for everyone; a pleasure reading, dog lovers and owners, and people who understand or long travel. I loved the title and think that it suits the book very well. It gives it meaning- Charley is a very important part of Steinbecks life, and his trip. His companion is with him through the entire journey and i feel that he is a very important aspect to the story and made it more of what it is. Charley helped "round" the story. One of the most exciting events was Steinbeck encountering bears at yellowstone. I think that one of the most interesting aspects of the book was that the novel really put in to perspective how society has changed. It showed how the landscape has changed, and how society changes from different states in the United States. It also showed, probably most importantly, how people have changed; their generosity, and their ideas and ways of life. I also liked how many aspects of history were incorporated, like the Civil War (pg. 198) and many different presidents. I feel that Steinbeck's style is unique and i would recommend the book to anyone. I liked how I could relate to many events, but also recall many historical events that I have learned about. I loved this book and would read it again

A book for all Americans

I loved this book! It is an intereting and entertaining tale of what America is like, and I believe anyone who has done any traveling will find much to relate to.

Escaping and Exploring

Steinbeck had had a dream of getting out of his usual routine and exploring America since he was a boy and he finally did it! He sets off with his French poodle named Charley who is his trusty companion throughout the entire adventure. They go around all of America observing lifestyles and events, talking to many different people, and having fun along the way, even with a few bumps along the road. They return home safely with a lot of knowledge about the world around them.
At the beginning of the book, Steinbeck talks about wanting to escape and explore everything. As he talks to people on his journey he realizes that this is a common dream among many different Americans. Reading this book made me think about escaping what I know and exploring what is around me. I think that everyone has a little piece inside them that wants the same thing. Travels with Charley lets the reader see what it is like to leave everything for a little while and pursue your dreams. It shows you the joys and the hardships that come with any journey. Not only did this book bring forward some hidden dreams, it also brought up topics about America that are sometimes hard to see from an American perspective. There are amazing things that he and Charley experience. But with that they also observe loneliness and enmity. All of these things I enjoyed about the book. I did not like the main character's attitude toward his journey at certain parts. It became a little bit depressing more than it was educational and enjoyable. Although this was not one of my favorite books, it did make me think. And for that I give Steinbeck's Travels With Charley credit. Overall, I think that this book is worth reading, especially if you are an explorer.

How did I go so long without reading this?!

First of all, this is not a "Marley and Me" for an earlier time. That's not a criticism, but merely an observation. It's about the travels of Mr. Steinbeck, and his take on America, with a canine's "take" on the people and events along the way. Brilliant, and an insight into a legendary author. I wish I'd read it earlier, and I wish it had been longer.

Travels - 7th Pd.

John Steinbeck does a great job of writing his adventures of his times exploring our beautiful nation. He leaves his home with his french-poodle, Charley and sets out to see the nation and world that he has been living in for fifty-eight years. He wants to see all the realism that he has been writing about and bragging about for such a long time. As Steinbeck sets out, he drives the seemingly endless interstates in search for anything that may catch his attention or interest him. On his explorations, he finds time to dine with truckers in the middle of his trek across the nation. Steinbeck encounters bears at the known Yellowstone National Park and then old friends once he reaches the open arms of the San Francisco city. <BR/><BR/>On his travels, he reflects on the character of America and Americans themselves. He sees the racial hostility that still exists and he also sees an American loneliness that he finds almost every place he goes. One of the most notable and coolest things that he finds, is the unexpected kindness out of everyone he encounters. This he realizes is the face of Americans. The best part for Steinbeck, is knowing that kindness is the real face and true identity our nation upholds. Steinbeck delivers a great message, exploits the meaning of being an American, and the greatness of being an American and part of this country.

Makes me want to run

Fun and witty, Steinbeck is such a descriptive writer. I enjoyed the reflections of a time past. It made me want to replicate the snapshot.

It was okay

It was fun at times, but it would get off topic for a while and I would almost take a nap. I liked Charley a lot though, he was funny!

Completly Exquisite

John Steinbeck has such a way of words. His style of writing flows so well, and it has such depth to it. He is so passionate and gives of such positive energy.

Steinbeck ... great author!

Excellent book! I was unable to put it down for one second. Steinbeck has a way of describing landscapes, people, and events with much attention to detail. At some points I found myself laughing out loud, and he enticed me into getting a dog... great book!