John Steinbeck

Travels with Charley John Steinbeck

In September 1960, John Steinbeck and his poodle, Charley, embarked on a journey across America. A picaresque tale, this chronicle of their trip along scenic backroads and anonymous superhighways is animated by Steinbeck's attention to the natural world and his sense of how the lives of people are intimately connected to the rhythms of nature. His keen ear for the transactions among people is evident, too, as he records the interests and obsessions that preoccupy the Americans he encounters along the way. Travels with Charley, originally published in 1962, provides an intimate and personal look at one of America's most beloved writers in the later years of his life, and is a stunning evocation of a country on the eve of a tumultuous decade.