Travels With Charley | John Steinbeck

Travels With Charley , a book by John Steinbeck, is a non-fiction account of the author's famous trip with his pooch, Charley. Along the way the two of them meet many new people and discover a lot of new things. Getting to see the sequoias, having a close call with a few bears, and seeing San Francisco are all part of the weaving and evolving nature of their trip.

From a critical standpoint, I felt that this story was in some ways a great masterwork but it was rough around the edges and jumped too far ahead of the reader at points. Aside from those two minor issues -- difference of opinions -- this book was great. Very well written, this expressed a lot of feeling and an almost spiritual depth. Despite the fact that a bit of the manuscript was inked while Steinbeck sat on the beach in the Caribbean, at many points I felt like I was right there in his shoes. On the road with Charley, in the town or in the woods.

An example of Steinbeck's amazing tact and ability was when he talked about midwest mobile homes. To hear such a literary giant talk about such a way of life with praise helped to show me another side of him. It illustrated that past his frustration, guilt, and moments of elation was a great deal of openness to new experiences. I don't think we got all that much "real" Steinbeck; a testament to the intense character and vision necessary in a person of such invaluable talent. His experience seeing these homes and relating to the owners brings me back to the whole point: it is very hard to see your life as anything else than what is typical to you. If you take a chance, risk meeting new people, and rolling the dice on where you'll end up, chances are that things will work out for you.

Some of my favorite lines of the story have stuck with me. I've had to reread a few sections multiple times, which probably means that I have in effect read this book twice, minimum. One of the best descriptions in the book reads:

"Turkeys seem to be manic-depressive types, gobbling with blushing wattles, spread tails, and scraping wings in amorous bravado at one moment and huddled in craven cowardice the next. It is hard to see how they can be related to their wild, clever, suspicious cousins. But here in their thousands they carpeted the earth waiting to lie on their backs on the platters of America." - Steinbeck

Although this quote is ridiculous and not a memorable concept or theme in context, it stuck out in my mind for some reason. Maybe it was just how Steinbeck could personalize trees, days, Charley, turkeys, and everything else with such ease. When I said he was a bit rough around the edges it was because he had a tough time it seems reeling himself back in a true story. There are no tariffs or bounds with fiction. The entire constructed reality within the pages is all there is, all there ever was. No argument. But when an author deals with reality, they must be careful not to push so many limits. But I'll digress from criticizing the skills of Steinbeck.

Travels With Charley is a little overwhelming at times, but the overall effort is powerful and the meaning lasting.