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 C...moreA 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 forgotten how masterfully he recreates settings through tiny details (like a fly buzzing around the lunchroom) -- each scene rose vividly before my eyes as I read.
Across the course of the novel, the point of view shifts back and forth from one character to the next, and I loved the way these characters interpret and often completely misread each others' words and actions. Very few characters are sympathetic, and there is no grand narrative here about post-war American society or class struggle or racism or anything like that. It is a simple and beautifully written little book that pulls you in and in the end you are quite glad to have spent a few hours riding the bus with Pimples and Norma and Ernest and Camille and all the rest. Also, there is an excellent album by the Magnetic Fields of the same name. (less)
A perfect little gem of a book that will take you only hours to read, but leave you with much to think about. O'Nan is a master at recreating a scene...moreA perfect little gem of a book that will take you only hours to read, but leave you with much to think about. O'Nan is a master at recreating a scene through attention to small, intimate details, and of showing you much about a character or event while telling you very little. And he managed to make a Red Lobster restaurant come across as a homey, appealing place, which is a miraculous feat in itself. (less)
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