Jrobertus's review

Jrobertus's review

Travels with Charley: In Search of America (Centennial Edition) Travels with Charley: In Search of America (Centennial Edition)
by John Steinbeck

196037 Jrobertus's review
rating: 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars

I am not a great fan of Steinbeck's novels, but I do enjoy his travel writing. He is very observant, thoughtful, and has a wry sense of humor. In Travels with Charley he fits out a camper RV and sets out to find America in the company of his old dog Charlie. It is generally good fun as he wheels through the northeast, mid west, and mountain west. He has a very reflective section on his return to Salinas CA, his ancestral home. The mood turns darker as he enters the deep South, which in 1960 was a violent and hate-filled place. He observes a virulent mob in New Orleans trying to stop black children from attending school, and it is quite a jolt. America seems to have made some progress in the past 40 years though.

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