Riding Toward Everywhere
by William T. Vollmann
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 141)
recommends it for:
citizens, hobos, and fauxbeaux
I just finished reading this a few minutes ago and in about 30 minutes that madman Vollmann will be here talking about catching out.
This book is pretty amazing.
What's it about?
A lot of things. The decline of the American West. The decline of the American hobo. The decline of dreams. At times this, to me, is a very depressing book. A particular section titled, "I've got to get out of here" was tough to get through. Even though its only 6 pages.
Lines like, "Reconsi...more
This book is pretty amazing.
What's it about?
A lot of things. The decline of the American West. The decline of the American hobo. The decline of dreams. At times this, to me, is a very depressing book. A particular section titled, "I've got to get out of here" was tough to get through. Even though its only 6 pages.
Lines like, "Reconsi...more
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14 comments
Vollmann is one of those writers who's incredibly frustrating to read, as he's so good at his craft, it makes you feel like a kid with Crayolas describing your summer vacation for teacher everytime you sit down to write something.
Even worse, it's nearly impossible to pick apart his writing and determine exactly what it is that makes it so good. All the standard elements are there, of course, but the main oddity is the different elements he uses to make one point, and the seemingly randomnes...more
Even worse, it's nearly impossible to pick apart his writing and determine exactly what it is that makes it so good. All the standard elements are there, of course, but the main oddity is the different elements he uses to make one point, and the seemingly randomnes...more
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Read in June, 2008
Well, 2 3/4 stars.
Embittered by the policies of the Bush Administration, disillusioned by the general fear growing within our society and slowed by age and poor health, Vollmann takes the reader with him as he catches out on a series of train rides throughout the western United States. He has no destination in mind, only a yearning to discover something pure within this country, something American in the best sense of the word.
He is not looking for this purity in the life of hobos, who...more
Embittered by the policies of the Bush Administration, disillusioned by the general fear growing within our society and slowed by age and poor health, Vollmann takes the reader with him as he catches out on a series of train rides throughout the western United States. He has no destination in mind, only a yearning to discover something pure within this country, something American in the best sense of the word.
He is not looking for this purity in the life of hobos, who...more
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3 comments
Read in January, 2008
Life got you down? Maybe you need to become a hobo!
Vollmann's optimism about people and his search for freedom in hopping trains infuses a book that might be seen as depressing. Because most of these people have nothing, and are shunned by the "citizens" they meet, to say nothing of the train bulls who arrest them, kick them off freights, and run them from yard and camps.
But for Vollmann, a little kindness goes a long way, and the feeling of sneaking onto a boxcar as it leave...more
Vollmann's optimism about people and his search for freedom in hopping trains infuses a book that might be seen as depressing. Because most of these people have nothing, and are shunned by the "citizens" they meet, to say nothing of the train bulls who arrest them, kick them off freights, and run them from yard and camps.
But for Vollmann, a little kindness goes a long way, and the feeling of sneaking onto a boxcar as it leave...more
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Read in February, 2008
William Vollmann will be reading from his latest - and signing - at Book Soup in West Hollywood on Feb 6 at 7 pm.
Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., L.A.; Wed., Feb. 6, 7 p.m. (310) 659-3110.
William Vollmann's adventurous streak turns to freight-jumping in his new book, his energetic writing as infectious as his output is daunting. Riding Towards Everywhere is a quick sweetheart of a book full of optimism in man's ability to be good without the hope of a reward, even among those posses...more
Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Blvd., L.A.; Wed., Feb. 6, 7 p.m. (310) 659-3110.
William Vollmann's adventurous streak turns to freight-jumping in his new book, his energetic writing as infectious as his output is daunting. Riding Towards Everywhere is a quick sweetheart of a book full of optimism in man's ability to be good without the hope of a reward, even among those posses...more
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recommends it for:
hobos and fauxbeauxs
The 1st Vollman book I've read, so I didn't know what to expect. It is easy to dig into the spare beauty of his descriptive writing here, especially the impressionistic rendering of catching out on trains, and the rumbling impulses behind it. All of that is good stuff. I wished there was more interlacing of characters, both literary and real, into a better, more cohesive overarching narrative about rail riding. Because of the personal focus it's obvious Vollman was intentionally trying to av...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in April, 2008
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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Read in February, 2007
The astonishingly prolific William Vollmann channels London, Kerouac, Thoreau, and Twain in his newest book. Here, he catches freights and tries to catch a glimpse of those hobos and train-hoppers who live the lives of 'non-citizens'. Along the way he describes the danger, joy and freedom of catching out.
This is my first Vollmann, and is probably a safe choice for anyone who is a newcomer to his work. It seems a little more accessible than some of his other stuff. It's not a book that bl...more
This is my first Vollmann, and is probably a safe choice for anyone who is a newcomer to his work. It seems a little more accessible than some of his other stuff. It's not a book that bl...more
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Read in March, 2008
This book really deserves 2.5 stars. I thought it was excellent at times and also dragging and self-involved at times.
Good: It mentions and quotes from a couple of my favorite books; On the Road by Kerouac and Hobo by Eddy Cotton. You should read those two instead of this one; I think Vollmann would agree.
Bad: Vollmann tries to BE Jack Kerouac here. There are obvious attempts at Kerouac's improvisational "first thought= best thought" writing style. Hell, for all I know this...more
Good: It mentions and quotes from a couple of my favorite books; On the Road by Kerouac and Hobo by Eddy Cotton. You should read those two instead of this one; I think Vollmann would agree.
Bad: Vollmann tries to BE Jack Kerouac here. There are obvious attempts at Kerouac's improvisational "first thought= best thought" writing style. Hell, for all I know this...more
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2 comments
I love this book because it told me something about America I didn't know, and now will do my best not to forget. As for its formal, aesthetic virtues as a text, it is a nearly ideal demonstration of how to frame an intensely personal experience within a literary, political and socio-economic context without abrading any of its numinous qualities.
I have also read J. R. Moehringer's scathing review of this book in the NY Times, and found it wonderful: delicious, punchy and hilarious.
I recom...more
I have also read J. R. Moehringer's scathing review of this book in the NY Times, and found it wonderful: delicious, punchy and hilarious.
I recom...more
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2 comments
Read in July, 2008
3.5 stars would be closer, but I'll round up because we need more books like this that value freedom in America over "homeland security." Vollmann's elegy to trainhopping has plenty of sharp commentary and poetic self-reflection--with more meat, either facts or story or sustained characters, this could have been really great. But you won't find too many other middleaged literary geniuses doggedly pursuing the tedium and terror of catching freight trains these days, so my hat's off
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to Jenny by:
ericrecommends it for: trustafarians
I kind of hated this book because the author seems like an uppity stuck up rich person. It's really easy to talk about how much "freedom" riding the rails affords when you know you can call your friends to pick you up and take you to your nice house, or a supermarket where you can buy food. I liked reading it because the people he meets are interesting, and even they sometimes point out what an asshole "citizen" he is.
Basically Vollman reminds me of trust fund kids who
Basically Vollman reminds me of trust fund kids who
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Read in February, 2008
A decent book, especially for those who wish to escape being a "citizen" without having to escape: armchair hoboing, if you will. However, a better book about hoboing and "catching out" is Ted Conover's "Rolling Nowhere." Vollmann's work is not as cohesive as Conover's. Furthermore, it's not as readable and at times seems flat. Read it if you are somewhat fascinated by hoboes AND like Vollmann's other writing. But if you want the real deal, read Conover's "Roll
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Read in July, 2008
Is it possible Vollmann is a long lost Beat...conjuring Ginsberg's stark, angelic prose exalting the eternal Other (the god's of men who are starved and naked, dwelling in tunnels, underneath bridges, in hobo jungle lairs), or walking barefoot over the Road(s) which Kerouac made his journeys of self-discovery of the ultimate freedom?
Great book.
Great book.
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
bowery bums and english majors
The best parts of the book are the ones where he is talking to train hopping hobos or remembering his reading on the topic. The lest interesting are his descriptions of hanging out like a cockroach to jump onto a stopped train. Too much about Cold Mountain and Citizens. Still. Its Vollmann so, its better than most other stuff.
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Read in March, 2008
A beautiful, modern day tale of On the Road but instead of hitching, the characters train hop. Vollmann's prose is romantic, reality based, and will forever change the way you view those freight trains idle in the yards as you pass them in a blur from your commuter train window.
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Read in June, 2008
Not up my alley. He comes off as wanting to be Kerouac and uses quotes from other authors too much. I would have preferred a story, as opposed to the rambling here. I did like the chapter on the women on the rails. Really it just scared me about my boyfriend doing this soon.
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a 2.5 on a scale of 1-10. vollman is all over the place in this book, its kind of hard to follow. I feel like he tries too hard to make deep, poignant statements to the reader instead of just telling a story. On top of that, the book was utterly depressing
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Vollman manages to pack so much more meaning into his prose by simply telling a story about full-blooded, messy characters who live achingly painful yet often times, thrilling lives.
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Read in February, 2008
recommends it for:
other vollmann fans
not vollmann's best but even second rate vollmann is of some interest. If you had any doubt about him being more than slightly crazy this book would dispel those fears
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