Two Reasons Travels with Charley was tough to read: Whether some of this actually happened is all up for debate but Steinbeck was a brilliant writer in his time and this book does produce reminders of that throughout the read. From Charley wanting to find a good spot to pee even on a cold night off the side of the road to many people telling John “I want to hit the road” it brings forth the spirit of the road trip in a way that hasn’t changed. If you like road trips and/or dogs in any capacity there will be moments and times when you will smile. Our innovations are amazing to consider how quickly they have happened.

It’s interesting to read about how quickly things like the interstate system, social media, and more reliable cars have changed “the road trip.” This book was written in the early 1960’s but some points you could have thought it was 4,000 years ago.

Well that’s now apparently up for debate as you can read HERE! The book centers around John and Charley’s musings on the road, John’s thoughts, and their encounters with many walks of USA residents (many of whom get invited into John and Charley’s vehicle for some booze spiked coffee.ĭid all of these coffee in the van convo’s actually happen to Charley the poodle and John? Some of John’s fears like having enough spare tires are long gone, however on the other side free camping was much more an okay thing to ask a stranger and have them say they’d love to let you sleep on their property. It really brings to light just how easy accessible we have items at our disposal now. It seems like minimalism was impossible for a van lifer in the 1960’s.

The book is fun and flavorful early on in their description of items that John and Charley must pack. However later in his writing career he yearned for social change and the great road trip in books like this and “The Winter of our Discontent.” I read a lot of Steinbeck in high school and he is of course known The Grapes of Wrath and countless other fictional pieces. Charley the poodle was born in France so this is a great chance for him to “search for America” as well! From there his dog Charley and him leave Maine and hit the road for several months for John to rediscover “the America he had been writing about for years”. John Steinbeck leaves behind his novels in this non-fiction account of him securing a fully loaded truck/sleeper from a US Truck Manufacturer long before they were called camper vans. This book takes you back to the 1960’s in the US.

Adventures with charley