Today, nearly forty years after his death, Nobel Prize winner John Steinbeck remains one of Americas greatest writers and cultural figures. Over t...
read full description
reviews
Jan 27, 2010
karen
rated it: 
steinbeck pulverizes me. i'm not the type to get choked up by calling-card commercials or whose heart swells with the violins at the end of a sappy movie, but steinbeck has a heart-seeking missile aimed directly at me, and he knows just how to find my emotional center. this has always been my favorite of steinbeck's works, even though it is a shortish one in which very little actually happens. but steinbeck's strength, for me, has always been his characters, and this is one prolonged character s
More...
12 comments
like
(37 people liked it)
Oct 19, 2008
Lindsay
rated it:
I should put this under poetry. I should put all Steinbeck under poetry.
One of the unfortunate victims of teaching (and especially student teaching) are the books we seek to read outside of scouring the curriculum day-in and day-out. I started this sorry soul about two months ago, and even though my heart swelled each time I picked it up, I was lucky to get a page in between finishing lesson planning at night and passing out as soon as my head hit the pillow. GAH! And so, out of More...
One of the unfortunate victims of teaching (and especially student teaching) are the books we seek to read outside of scouring the curriculum day-in and day-out. I started this sorry soul about two months ago, and even though my heart swelled each time I picked it up, I was lucky to get a page in between finishing lesson planning at night and passing out as soon as my head hit the pillow. GAH! And so, out of More...
3 comments
like
(6 people liked it)
Apr 20, 2008
Kristiina
rated it:
Many people know Steinbeck for the obvious titles like "Of Mice and Men" and "The Grapes of Wrath". However it is in this story that I truly feel in love with this writer. I was instantly drawn to each character, hoping that I could magically be transformed back in time to a broken down bus and it's traveling cargo.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you haven't read much Steinbeck. This is the perfect book to get started with.
I highly recommend this book, especially if you haven't read much Steinbeck. This is the perfect book to get started with.
2 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Mar 11, 2009
Becky
rated it: 
For my third Steinbeck, I chose The Wayward Bus. This is an interesting--though not particularly charming--story of disgruntled individuals brought together by a seemingly-never-ending bus ride. While the book technically revolves around a bus ride, the focus of the story is more on the waywardness of the people. How each of Steinbeck's characters are unhappy each in their own way. The book examines humanity--up, close, and a bit too personal. Each character is distinct in that they all have the
More...
Jan 15, 2012
Stewart
rated it: 
Published in 1947, two years after "Cannery Row," John Steinbeck’s novel "The Wayward Bus" is one of his lesser known novels. And that’s a shame because the book has a great deal to offer on many levels.
A bus trip between “Rebel Corners” (presumably in the San Joaquin Valley) and “San Juan de la Cruz (presumably on the Central California coast) provides a simple plot during which the many passengers are sketched.
"The Wayward Bus" is not as hermeticall More...
A bus trip between “Rebel Corners” (presumably in the San Joaquin Valley) and “San Juan de la Cruz (presumably on the Central California coast) provides a simple plot during which the many passengers are sketched.
"The Wayward Bus" is not as hermeticall More...
Mar 15, 2011
Christopher
rated it:
This rather under-appreciated book is quite a remarkable novel. It's one of the earliest novels I can think of (and one of the only ones by Steinbeck) that shows some of the stylistic and thematic features of postmodernism (the earliest being _The Day of the Locust_ by Nathaniel West, which this novel resembles in certain aspects). The main theme of this novel is constituted by a devastating critique of America's commercialized and commodified post-war (WWII) culture. Much of the plot is spe
More...
Nov 29, 2010
Terry
rated it:
A surprisingly enjoyable little story with engaging characters. Fortunately, my daughter and son-in-law had an edition of "East of Eden" with this story included.
Though the story was light reading, I found some parallels to our current culture and economy. Set in the years immediately following WWII, Passengers and the driver on an old bus offer interesting contrasts.
One excerpt I saved was of a young veteran, working as a traveling salesman, discussing how governme More...
Though the story was light reading, I found some parallels to our current culture and economy. Set in the years immediately following WWII, Passengers and the driver on an old bus offer interesting contrasts.
One excerpt I saved was of a young veteran, working as a traveling salesman, discussing how governme More...
Jul 29, 2009
Kevin
rated it:
John Steinbeck's The Wayward Bus reads like a series of dour character sketches. Having a character-oriented book is definitely not a bad thing, but there does seem to be something missing in making The Wayward Bus and enjoyable and fulfilling novel. What is missing? Basically, a plot or any reason to care for these characters at all. After all, the reader/writer relationship should be rewarding for both the reader and the writer. In The Wayward Bus, it seems that Steinbeck is flexing his writer
More...
Sep 17, 2009
jeremy
rated it:
as steinbeck wrote the first synopsis of the wayward bus in spanish, he had originally chosen el camión vacilador as the book's title. he writes, "the word vacilador, or the verb vacilar, is not translatable unfortunately, and it's a word we really need in english because to be 'vacilando' means that you're aiming at some place, but you don't care much whether you get there. we don't have such a word in english. wayward has an overtone of illicitness or illegality, based of course on med
More...
4 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 24, 2009
Juliana
rated it:
I loved this book. Around midnight last night, I was torn between reading the last few chapters despite my 6 a.m. alarm that was set or saving a treat for myself in the morning. I ended up saving the book as a treat, but I had trouble falling asleep with the characters still dancing in my head.
The book starts slowly and builds as the characters are more fully drawn out. The plot of the story is simple on the outside, but infinetely complex as you look inside each character. I was gla More...
The book starts slowly and builds as the characters are more fully drawn out. The plot of the story is simple on the outside, but infinetely complex as you look inside each character. I was gla More...
Nov 14, 2010
Susan
rated it:
Juan Chicoy and his wife, Alice, run a little lunchroom at Rebel Corners, where the sleek Greyhound bus stops. Juan also drives a patched-up old bus, nothing like a Greyhound, on a local, connecting route that the Greyhound riders need to continue their journeys. WWII is over now, and people have places to go, things to see. And they are not at all happy when the bus is delayed because of a mechanical problem and may be further delayed because of storms.
The passengers are a cross- More...
The passengers are a cross- More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Oct 29, 2010
Marialyce
rated it:
John Steinbeck is a master when it comes to his presentation of character and setting. He had the innate ability to mix the two and produce writing that is compelling in its simplicity, but ever so enriching in its focus.
In this novel, he manages to turn a bus ride into an in depth character study of people caught in the confines of a bus together. From Juan, the man who so wants to escape, to the Pritchards so bogged down by their everyday manipulations of one another, Steinbeck crea More...
In this novel, he manages to turn a bus ride into an in depth character study of people caught in the confines of a bus together. From Juan, the man who so wants to escape, to the Pritchards so bogged down by their everyday manipulations of one another, Steinbeck crea More...
May 16, 2011
Joell
rated it:
Fiction therapy - of the best kind. Sometimes, the only way for me to step off the crazy train of running a non profit is to lose myself in the pages of a great book.
Today I blazed through The Wayward Bus - start to finish. Steinbeck always delivers and this one is no exception; fantastic characters and a skillfully woven story - not a parable like he often does, this is simply a story. A story where Steinbeck celebrates the human spirit with humor and compassion and wisdom and insight a More...
Today I blazed through The Wayward Bus - start to finish. Steinbeck always delivers and this one is no exception; fantastic characters and a skillfully woven story - not a parable like he often does, this is simply a story. A story where Steinbeck celebrates the human spirit with humor and compassion and wisdom and insight a More...
Nov 30, 2008
Sandy
rated it:
I ADORE Steinbeck and The Wayward Bus is no exception. If I were a writer, I'd wish to be able to write in the masterful style and beauty and honesty of Steinbeck.
This book is greater than "Character Study" - and he has created characters with depth and layers and identities that are fully dimensional and dark and beautiful all at the same time. More than the Character Study it is the self discovery, both by the reader and the character, as the story unfolds. I love Steinbeck's More...
This book is greater than "Character Study" - and he has created characters with depth and layers and identities that are fully dimensional and dark and beautiful all at the same time. More than the Character Study it is the self discovery, both by the reader and the character, as the story unfolds. I love Steinbeck's More...
Aug 22, 2009
Elizabeth
rated it:
I can see why this book didn't work very well as a movie. Steinbeck tells us the story of these seemingly boring people and he makes them interesting but much of it is just internal dialogue. It is about the travelers in a diner at a cross roads in Steinbeck Country, San Ysidro rural California right after World War II.
At first you get the image each person projects to the world, then we learn more about each person, how they lie to themselves and others, to cope with their imper More...
At first you get the image each person projects to the world, then we learn more about each person, how they lie to themselves and others, to cope with their imper More...
Apr 08, 2010
Inuitdebonair
rated it:
Pretty disappointing compared to the wondrousness of East of Eden if I'm allowed to speak truthfully. They say it's 'unsentimental,' and it is, but what they don't know is that it was probably intended to be sentimental but failed because it doesn't move anyone - it didn't really move me. It also appears he invented a word, 'semenous,' which is sort of cool but I don't know what it means. Speaking of EoE (the book, not the computer game!), perhaps I really was going too far when I called it one
More...
Oct 15, 2010
Amanda
rated it:
Only a master could write a story where almost nothing happens and hold you spellbound. This is such a book.In essence, the story is about a handful of characters from all walks of life who find themselves first stuck in a roadhouse, then together in on a bus (which also inevitably gets stuck). The characters are irritating, funny, tragic, loving, compassionate, lustful and even mysterious. Several of them I hated - but that only added to the book's appeal.
Any budding writer looking to More...
Any budding writer looking to More...
Mar 30, 2009
Michael
rated it:
I have read 2 of Steinbeck's books and I know why he was a depressed alcoholic. Don't get me wrong, I think he is a great writer and creates real characters in real situations that I can relate to even though I live in a different time, but none of the characters in this book have any redeeming qualities and if this is the way Steinbeck saw the world then I feel bad for him. This story takes place in one day as several characters prepare for and take a bus trip. It is a character driven novel wi
More...
Oct 18, 2010
Ayman
rated it: 
رواية تدور احداثها في يوم واحد طويل لمجموعة من البشر تجمعهم رحلة أتوبيس في ظروف صعبة. ويسلط الكاتب من خلالها الضوء على خلفياتهم الاجتماعية و النفسية كاشفا عن اوجه الشبه والاختلاف. وقد يجد القارئ نفسه او جزءا منها مصورا في هذا العمل.
عمل جيد ربما اضرت به الترجمة "الحرفية" التي جعلته مملا في بعض الاحيان، كما ان الاطالة في وصف الحالات النفسية و احاديث النفس قد نالت من التشويق More...
عمل جيد ربما اضرت به الترجمة "الحرفية" التي جعلته مملا في بعض الاحيان، كما ان الاطالة في وصف الحالات النفسية و احاديث النفس قد نالت من التشويق More...
Oct 29, 2010
Tanya
rated it: 
Koгато четох, че Стайнбек казва, че "На изток от Рая" е творбата, в която събира всичко, което е научил при писането на предишните си произведения, си помислих, че е прекалено. Но сега, като чета по-ранни негови творби, имам чувството, че наистина всичко преди това е било просто подготовка, загрявка за "На изток от Рая". =)
(Е, изключвам, разбира се, "Гроздовете на гнева") More...
(Е, изключвам, разбира се, "Гроздовете на гнева") More...
May 13, 2010
Suzy
rated it:
An enjoyable read, but...a non-ending. (Is that a spoiler?) Steinbeck's great descriptions and characters are here. The characters are flawed but sympathetic, with the possible exception of one who is perhaps all good, but nothing really comes of that. There's no real losers or winners, just a bunch of people that go through an experience together that alters them all, at least momentarily. It is like tossing up a jar of marbles: In the end, some fall back into the jar, some land somewhere e
More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
Oct 12, 2009
Marte
rated it:
This is only my second Steinbeck novel, after Of Mice and Men, which I read in college. I loved Of Mice and Men, and I really enjoyed this novel, too. Both of them are relatively short, and apparently among his easier reads. At some points I did wonder whether there really are people like these characters out there - I don't know anyone so flawed and strange (!) - but I guess there are. Some of the characterisations are really long and a bit laboured, but they set the scene well. I was drawn in
More...
Feb 12, 2012
Claudia
rated it:
I really liked this book. There's not much happening in terms of plot, the story is secondary and the bus trip only functions to 'get the characters moving' and fleshes out their relationships among each other. So, if you're looking for action - look elsewhere. However, Steinbeck does a great job of bringing out the qualities of the characters and their relationships. Much of this is done by the thoughts of the characters/internal monologue (there is no single main character) and shift of viewpo
More...
Nov 11, 2010
Mad Dog
rated it:
I loved this book. It held me in suspense in that it was both entertaining and thought-provoking. While reading the book and after I read the book, I spent a lot of time wondering what was going to happen to many of these characters.
Are they going to be happy? successful? There was a real tension (for some of these characters) that 'things' could go real bad or they could go well. It all 'hangs in the balance', largely depending on the support that they get from the people that they More...
Are they going to be happy? successful? There was a real tension (for some of these characters) that 'things' could go real bad or they could go well. It all 'hangs in the balance', largely depending on the support that they get from the people that they More...
Mar 01, 2010
Diane
rated it:
I'm so glad I finally read The Wayward Bus, as it did not disappoint. The entire story takes place over a two day period in post WWII (1947). A group of very different people board a bus driven by 50 something, Juan Chicoy, Juan and his wife Alice operate a small luncheonette at Rebels Corners. Juan also is a mechanic, and drives a bus from Rebels Corners to San Juan de la Cruz. Juan is bored with his life and routine, and on this particular trip, heavy rains and an unsafe bridge, has Juan taki
More...
Jan 01, 2011
Brixton
rated it:
Oct 2007: As always, a brilliant allegorist, incredibly keen on the simple and the complex, sometimes entirely perverse or wholly innocent, sometimes silly or sensible inner life of people, without ever resorting to the judgment of his characters. As always, pretty landscapes, words I've never seen before (useful ones too!), and a well-drawn portrait of a little place in that little window of time during which the old West became new. Unusual for Steinbeck: an amused narrator, which I quite like
More...
4 comments
like
(4 people liked it)
Aug 19, 2008
Abby
rated it:
A wonderful if lesser-known work by Steinbeck. Rebel Corners is a tiny, imaginary crossroads 42 miles south of San Ysidro, CA where Juan & Alice Chicoy run a small truck stop and Juan drives the titular bus back and forth from the fictional town of San Juan de la Cruz. Steinbeck takes the reader through one day in the lives of the Chicoys, and the random strangers who ride the bus together. It's been a while since I had read any Steinbeck (I think the last time was high school) and I had forgott
More...
Mar 08, 2010
Mayday
rated it:
About 3.5 stars....
I've read a much better Steinbeck (Cannery Row) and pretty much established the fact that most Steinbecks are snippets of space and time in other peoples' lives.These peoples' live weren't very interesting and they're all really mean and/or awkward and/or just stupid. An interesting mix.
This one, though purchased at the Shakespeare & Co. dans PARIS, wasn't as good as the Pocket Full of Rye purchase. :)
This book is good for a really, really b
I've read a much better Steinbeck (Cannery Row) and pretty much established the fact that most Steinbecks are snippets of space and time in other peoples' lives.These peoples' live weren't very interesting and they're all really mean and/or awkward and/or just stupid. An interesting mix.
This one, though purchased at the Shakespeare & Co. dans PARIS, wasn't as good as the Pocket Full of Rye purchase. :)
This book is good for a really, really b
Mar 09, 2011
King Dinösaur
rated it:
Lesser-known (by me, anyway) Steinbeck work that really shows his gift for character interaction. I really liked the descriptive passages as Steinbeck wonderfully interweaves the setting with the characters.
Juan Chicoy and his wife run a bus service in San Ysidro, California where several interesting passengers get stranded. Not a whole lot of plot but a great blending of character-driven narrative. I liked it a lot. I'd actually put it up there with "Tortilla Flats" an
Juan Chicoy and his wife run a bus service in San Ysidro, California where several interesting passengers get stranded. Not a whole lot of plot but a great blending of character-driven narrative. I liked it a lot. I'd actually put it up there with "Tortilla Flats" an
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Apr 03, 2010
Kacey
rated it:
The Wayward Bus is John Steinbeck at his best--with descriptions so perfect, so vivid, I could picture each person, each place, each conversation exactly in my mind. He's one of my favorite authors, not because of his stories or plots, but because I feel as if I understand each character perfectly by the end of the book. I might even like this more than The Grapes of Wrath...which is like sacrilege for me to even admit!
