The Last Riders on Route 66

by Chet Nichols

Book by Nichols, Chet

480 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

Reviews

[Bob Van Arsdale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up a copy of Chet Nichols' "Last Riders on Route 66" and laughed myself silly reliving my fortunately-misspent youth through the agency of Buck'n'Pete, Chicago-Oklahoman brothers in the Tribe-of-Thumbs, as they wend their spring-break way to California and back on America's Highway under the gathering stormclouds that only later would be understood simply as "the sixties". Charged by lightning bolts of sexual awakening and Huxleian self-discovery under the pall of an ever-increasing Vietnam involvement and the gloaming of the non-elective "selective service", this book honestly and effectively showcases the emotional conundrae of the Road-and-Thumb clan as they ritually seek to witch the brewing storm down upon themselves. Each chapter is a group wine-and-spaghetti event, to be shared and enjoyed with others and savored for its now-exotic smells, flavors, textures, and braided conversations. For my part, I wolfed those chapters down, only stopping for breath when the next page was to be the book's back cover. Rest assured, I'll be back for seconds.
A wonderful, wonderful job, Chet -- congratulations... And thanx...