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Travels with Charley
by John Steinbeck | Literature & Fiction
Registered by Xanthe-pup of Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom on Monday, November 14, 2005
Average 8 star rating by BookCrossing Members 

status (set by PokPok): travelling


This book is in the wild! This Book is Currently in the Wild!

8 journalers for this copy...

Journal Entry 1 by Xanthe-pup from Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom on Monday, November 14, 2005

7 out of 10

Steinbeck travelled across America with only his dog, Charley, for company. It is quite a gentle book in places, although I seem to recall that some of Steinbeck's opinions were very much 'of his time'.

I searched high and low for this book a few years ago, finally got hold of this small hardback copy, and am glad I did. Not as enjoyable as his fiction (In Dubious Battle - highly recommended), but still very good. 

Journal Entry 2 by Xanthe-pup from Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom on Tuesday, January 03, 2006

This book has not been rated.

This will be sent out on a bookray to:

flambard (UK)
turbobarge (UK)
Alvhyttan (Sweden)
BlossomU (Portugal)
Hellie (UK)
laurarn (USA)
ayntastic (USA)
PokPok (USA) - who will kindly release this in the Salinas Valley area as part of a mass Steinbeck release.


*** Edited to add ***

10th January - sent to flambard today.

Enjoy! 

Journal Entry 3 by flambard from Horsham, West Sussex United Kingdom on Wednesday, January 11, 2006

This book has not been rated.

It's arrived - many thanks Xanthe-pup! 

Journal Entry 4 by flambard from Horsham, West Sussex United Kingdom on Tuesday, January 24, 2006

9 out of 10

I loved it! I agree with Xanthe-pup, it is a gentle book. Not so much a travelogue as a series of musings and events strung together on a journey of humour and heartache. Being from Dorset, I am one of those people with "aught behind their eyes, hidden away so deep that perhaps even they do not know they have it" (p.49) - or at least I'd like to think so! I really enjoyed the dissection of Lonesome Harry and Lucille, and raged at the Cheerleaders and their lust for infamy. A wonderful read. Many thanks! 

Journal Entry 5 by flambard at mail release in Given to fellow BookCrosser, a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, January 24, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Released 6 yrs ago (1/24/2006 UTC) at mail release in Given to fellow BookCrosser, a fellow bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

To turbobarge! 

Journal Entry 6 by turbobarge from Cairo - Maadi, Cairo Governorate Egypt on Thursday, January 26, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Thanks Xanthepup and Flambard, I look forward to reading this.. 

Journal Entry 7 by turbobarge from Cairo - Maadi, Cairo Governorate Egypt on Sunday, February 05, 2006

9 out of 10

I really enjoyed this book- thank you so much to Xanthe-pup for including me in this ring.
Steinbeck's journey was lovingly told and I found his voice to be very indearing. I like his fiction works, particularly Of Mice And Men, but I think it would be a toss-up between that and this to say which I preferred.
The warmth and humour in the narrative reminded me in some ways of the tone of Bill Bryson's travel writing, although Travels With Charley comes across as much more of a nostalgic memoir than the pure entertainment of Bryson.

I have got Alvhyttan's address and will send this on this week. 

Journal Entry 8 by turbobarge from Cairo - Maadi, Cairo Governorate Egypt on Friday, February 10, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Mailed to Alvhyttan 8th Feb 

Journal Entry 9 by Alvhyttan from Nora, Västmanland Sweden on Monday, February 13, 2006

This book has not been rated.

This little yellow book (really looks like a BX-book) came here, by the postman, today.
Thank you Xanthe-pup for sharing it and thank you turbobarge for sending it to me.
I will put my other books aside and start reading this tonight. Well - I have already taken a peek at the map in the beginning of the book, love that map, and I am really looking forward to read this book.
The pic(click on it): "Rocinante rolls through Oldtown Salinas. On April 1 1998, Rocinante, the truck John Steinbeck drove across America in 1960 and recounted the journey in Travels with Charley was moved into its permanent home...in the main exhibit gallery of the National Steinbeck Center." from THE NATIONAL STEINBECK CENTER 

Journal Entry 10 by Alvhyttan from Nora, Västmanland Sweden on Monday, February 27, 2006

8 out of 10

This is really a time-document from USA 1960.
Steinbeck describes the landscape, tells about small episodes and share his thoughts about the status of his country.
The book is easy to read and written with humor and seriousness.
What will be remembered by me, from this book, are small episodes like the one when Charley meet his first giant redwood (Sequoia) and also the hatred and fear about race-discrimination among the people in New Orleans.

I'm happy to see that more people are joining this bookray along it's way to the Salinas valley where Steinbeck was born.
And hopefully the book will be found there and it will be a joy to follow it on new travels.

From page 169-170 (I think it must have been J. S. last sight of the Salinas valley):
Here on these high rocks my memory myth repaired itself. Charley, having explored the area, sat at my feet, his fringed ears blowing like laundry on a line. His nose, moist with curiosity, sniffed the wind-borne pattern of a hundred miles.
"You wouldn't know, my Charley, that right down there, in that little valley, I fished for trout with your namesake, my Uncle Charley. And over there - see where I'm pointing - my mother shot a wildcat. Straight down there, forty miles away, our family ranch was - old starvation ranch. Can you see that darker place there? Well, that's a tiny canyon with a clear and lovely stream bordered with wild azaleas and fringed with big oaks. And on one of those oaks my father burned his name with a hot iron together with the name of the girl he loved. In the long years the bark grew over the burn and covered it. And just a little while ago, a man cut that oak for firewood and his splitting wedge uncovered my father's name and the man sent it to me. In the spring, Charley, when the valley is carpeted with blue lupines like a flowery sea, there's the smell of heaven up here, the smell of heaven."
I printed it ones more on my eyes, south, west, and north, and then we hurried away from the permanent and changeless past where my mother is always shooting a wildcat and my father is always burning his name with his love.

Have sent PM to BlossomU to get her address, March 01.
Gott her address and sent the book March 03. 

Journal Entry 11 by BlossomU on Tuesday, March 07, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Just arrived, thanks so much! I got no other rings/rays but am in the mid of a few books. I hope to have this read by next week. Thanks! 

Journal Entry 12 by BlossomU on Saturday, March 18, 2006

8 out of 10

Finally finished, and it was such a lovely read. Steinbeck´s fiction can seem a little heavy handed to me at times, but here the balance is perfect, it´s wistful and lovely and full of personality. The prose is a bit dated now and then, but the observations and the sense of the sadness of change is pretty resonant. And Charley makes a perfect travel companion for road or read.

I have been trying to contact Hellie for a week, now will try again to pass the book along to her. Thanks for this ring I really really enjoyed it . 

Journal Entry 13 by BlossomU on Monday, March 20, 2006

9 out of 10

Hellie asked to be skipped since she found a copy of this book, so Laurarn is next, book is now on its way to her. I sent it bookrate so it might take a few weeks to arrive in the USA. Thanks for the ring, really loved this book! Alvhyttan thanks as well for the lovely bookmark.
 

Journal Entry 14 by amoenus from Tulsa, Oklahoma USA on Monday, April 10, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Recieved in the mail today, I will begin tonight. 

Journal Entry 15 by amoenus from Tulsa, Oklahoma USA on Tuesday, April 25, 2006

This book has not been rated.

I am really loving this book! Sorry I have had it so long, I had to take an exam to get my teaching certificate so haven't been able to read as much "fun reading" as I'd like. I will finish in the next couple of days, so I am PM'ing the next on list for an address. 

Journal Entry 16 by amoenus from Tulsa, Oklahoma USA on Saturday, April 29, 2006

10 out of 10

I really loved this book. I am going to buy a copy for myself. Two of my favorite parts are page 101 when he is in a hotel in Chicago, waiting for a visit from his wife, and he is in a room that hasn't been cleaned yet. He walks through the room and creates an image of the man who was there before based on clues left. Very interesting how he goes about it. My most favorite part is at the end when he is in New Orlands and it is during the racially charged time of 1960 with the black girl tring to go to the desegragated school. He describes the people outside yelling at her. He also writes of a white man, in a suit who walks his own little white daughter into the building, and all the things they scream at her. I didn't learn about part. Why did the news of the time leave that out?
Well, I am mailing it to the next person today. Thanks for your patience. 

Journal Entry 17 by ayntastic from Woodland, California USA on Monday, May 08, 2006

This book has not been rated.

Recieved it in the mail on Saturday - can't wait to read it and send it on to its final destination. Thanks for starting and participating in this ray everyone!
~Ayn 

Journal Entry 18 by ayntastic from Woodland, California USA on Wednesday, June 14, 2006

9 out of 10

A truly charming tale. Made me want to get up and go on an adventure of my own! Especially since I recieved it right before my final exams! :) Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful story with me - so glad I got a chance to read it! It increased my love of all things Steinbeck. Will send to its final destination as soon as I get an address! 

Journal Entry 19 by PokPok from Vista, California USA on Friday, June 23, 2006

This book has not been rated.

I read this in high school many years ago, when we had to do a book report on any Steinbeck book. Grapes of Wrath didn't grab me in the first 15 pages or so, so I jumped ship and read Travels with Charley instead. I remember enjoying it very much.

I'm not going to read/review this now. I will keep this copy until my next trip to Salinas county, then wild release it there. 

Journal Entry 20 by PokPok from Vista, California USA on Monday, December 04, 2006

This book has not been rated.

I wanted to check in. 2006 was the first year, literally in 15 years, when I did not make at least one trip to Monterey. This was indeed unexpected. I still plan on saving this book for my Monterey mass release; I am sure I'll make it there sometime in 2007. Thank you for being patient; your book will be released in Monterey or Salinas area. 

Journal Entry 21 by PokPok from Vista, California USA on Monday, December 04, 2006

This book has not been rated.

I wanted to check in. 2006 was the first year, literally in 15 years, when I did not make at least one trip to Monterey. This was indeed unexpected. I still plan on saving this book for my Monterey mass release; I am sure I'll make it there sometime in 2007. Thank you for being patient; your book will be released in Monterey or Salinas area. 

Journal Entry 22 by PokPok at Cannery Row in Monterey, California USA on Saturday, June 23, 2007

This book has not been rated.

Released 4 yrs ago (6/21/2007 UTC) at Cannery Row in Monterey, California USA

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

RELEASE NOTES:

 



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