Travels with Charley in Search of America

Written by John Steinbeck

Narrated by Gary Sinise

An intimate journey across America, as told by one of its most beloved writers
 
To hear the speech of the real America, to smell the grass and the trees, to see the colors and the light—these were John Steinbeck's goals as he set out, at the age of fifty-eight, to rediscover the country he had been writing about for so many years.

With Charley, his French poodle, Steinbeck drives the interstates and the country roads, dines with truckers, encounters bears at Yellowstone and old friends in San Francisco. Along the way he reflects on the American character, racial hostility, the particular form of American loneliness he finds almost everywhere, and  the unexpected kindness of strangers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Jun 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781101530979

John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck (1902–1968) was an American novelist best known for The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men. His debut novel, Cup of Gold (1929), is a romanticized historical fiction based loosely on the life of pirate Henry Morgan, featuring lush, lyrical prose that foreshadows the social concerns and deep character empathy of his later work. Set in the 17th century, the novel recounts Morgan’s assault on Panama and his quest for “La Santa Roja,” blending adventure with thematic explorations of disorder and longing. Throughout his career, Steinbeck combined imaginative realism with keen social perception, earning a Pulitzer Prize and, in 1962, the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Reviews for Travels with Charley in Search of America

[diegogt0 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Since I read The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl, I declared myself a fan of Steinbeck's magical way of storytelling, and it was delightful when I came across this book, which I was determined to acquire. The effort was worth every second of the search and wait; it had been a long time since I had a book like this. In this one, the writer decides one day to buy a truck and convert it into a mobile home, filled with books, food, a typewriter, liquor, etc., to travel all over the United States with his dog Charley, with whom he has a relationship that develops into a telepathic and reflective conversation, discovering different landscapes, states, towns, people, customs, accents, foods, traditions, accidents, etc. However, the beauty of the book lies in the reflections of everything Steinbeck learns in this wonderful experiment he carried out during that magical time. I dare say this is his best book, considering that the others are gems, and this one, being less known, is even more enjoyable. (Translated from Spanish)

[Nina Lucia · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this book at the age of 10. At that age, it was a true pleasure. It is somewhat dense in descriptions, but at the same time, it's not a book you just abandon. I remember it fondly even though I can no longer refer to specific paragraphs or even describe the plot. It’s that kind of book that played a significant role in shaping oneself due to the images and representations it conveyed, as well as the quality and message it left me, much beyond the story itself. I remember having recalled it a lot when I read, many years later, Lolita. For some reason, I keep both on the same shelf in my heart. (Translated from Spanish)