John Steinbeck is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. I first read Of Mice and Men in school and liked it fine, probably would have liked it more if it hadn’t been assigned. I read Cannery Row recently (while working at a cannery, it felt appropriate) and it was fantastic. I felt had to read travels with Charlie as the solo cross country road trip across the United States is a familiar undertaking for me.
It is an absolutely gorgeous book. I have no idea if it succeeds in capturing the essence of the United States, but I doubt it, and Steinbeck himself iterates his doubt of this. It’s almost definitely an impossible task. The thing I find incredible is how well it captures the essence of the road trip across the United States. The changes in landscape, drastic or gradual. The fleeting interactions, good and bad people, some meaningful to you and some less so. And the loneliness, I’ve never traveled with a pet, but even with Charlie, Steinbeck so clearly illustrates the isolated feeling of traveling through rural America by yourself. The highs and lows are so real and he talks about them so genuinely. Just incredible. And an unexpected bonus I found were his experiences of returning to his childhood home, both the joy and the difficulties of returning to a place you grew up are amazing. Really incredible.
Just wanted to share, and felt I needed to vent a little about this. I’ve met people with shared experiences, but I’ve never read anything so descriptive that was in line with my own experiences. I cannot recommend it enough, especially to people who frequently travel alone.
by KeeneMachine