Have a great weekend!!
Recommendation
May 9, 2006
I just finished reading Travels with Charley for the second time and was throughly pleased with the experience. This book happens to be among my favorites, not only for its content but also for the experience that brought me into possession of the book. I do intend to speak about the content but will deviate for a moment to expand upon the latter.
While living in upstate NY I spent plenty of time engrossed in readings about the human body, healthcare, wellness, diagnostics, techniques, patient communication....an endless list of topics devoted to my professional aspirations. On occasion I would find the need to escape this thrilling environment and exchange my vast collection for something a bit more leisurely. When I was really feeling overwhelmed or exhausted by the process I would make this desire into a days adventure.
Ithaca was less than a hours drive along a beautiful stretch of Cayuga Lake. It was a charming community...best described as free spirited. The drive alone was enough to clear you head and bring a certain sense of grandeur back to life. I made the trip often in all seasons and for many reasons. Some trips I would make with a roommate or even a car load of other victims looking to shun their present responsibilities. We would often find good hiking spots, doing a little shopping in the crafty downtown area, or grab lunch at one of the local restaurants.
However, my favorite trips were the ones I made solo...particularly on chilly day where there was spark in your breath as it hit the air. This made the drive fascinating. The lake would be iced over at the edges, sparkling. I would sneak out early in the morning to avoid any possible Q&A about my plans. Upon arriving in Ithaca, I would spend the day bouncing between a local coffee shop and a used book store. This particular used book store seemed to captivate me on ever affair. I could spend literally hours upon hours wondering among the rows, shifting through pages, crouched in the corner reading through piles of novels. This is how I came to find Travels with Charley. It is actually a farely famous novel written by John Steinbeck, although I was not familiar with it before stumbling upon it. The copy I own is a tattered paperback. The pages have that soft feeling of thin, delicate paper, the cover is worn in and not as stable as it should be. The price is marked 75c. It's appearance is one of the reason I was initially attracted to it.
It is the captivating account of Steinbeck's personal journey across America in 1960. Steinbeck found that even at the approach of 60, he could not settle his reless nature and is neverending quest to understand. He set out to capture the spirit of our country accompanied only by his French poodle Charley. He prepared a special vehicle for the journey, which he comes to name Rocinante. This comes about from the name of Don Quixote's horse in a fictional 1960s Spanish novel. Quixoite has come to mean idealist or dreamer, which was the word many of Steinbeck's friends/family used regarding his quest.
Steinbeck captures a true sense of many aspects in our culture, even after a span of almost 5 decades. The perceptive nature of the novel was intriguing and innocent. I highly recommend this book and believe that each reader will take away a different account of the story. It's a leisure read...do not be frightened away by a previous experience with Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men.
While I'm in the mode of recommendations...pick up a Mason Jennings albumn. He's awesome!
While living in upstate NY I spent plenty of time engrossed in readings about the human body, healthcare, wellness, diagnostics, techniques, patient communication....an endless list of topics devoted to my professional aspirations. On occasion I would find the need to escape this thrilling environment and exchange my vast collection for something a bit more leisurely. When I was really feeling overwhelmed or exhausted by the process I would make this desire into a days adventure.
Ithaca was less than a hours drive along a beautiful stretch of Cayuga Lake. It was a charming community...best described as free spirited. The drive alone was enough to clear you head and bring a certain sense of grandeur back to life. I made the trip often in all seasons and for many reasons. Some trips I would make with a roommate or even a car load of other victims looking to shun their present responsibilities. We would often find good hiking spots, doing a little shopping in the crafty downtown area, or grab lunch at one of the local restaurants.
However, my favorite trips were the ones I made solo...particularly on chilly day where there was spark in your breath as it hit the air. This made the drive fascinating. The lake would be iced over at the edges, sparkling. I would sneak out early in the morning to avoid any possible Q&A about my plans. Upon arriving in Ithaca, I would spend the day bouncing between a local coffee shop and a used book store. This particular used book store seemed to captivate me on ever affair. I could spend literally hours upon hours wondering among the rows, shifting through pages, crouched in the corner reading through piles of novels. This is how I came to find Travels with Charley. It is actually a farely famous novel written by John Steinbeck, although I was not familiar with it before stumbling upon it. The copy I own is a tattered paperback. The pages have that soft feeling of thin, delicate paper, the cover is worn in and not as stable as it should be. The price is marked 75c. It's appearance is one of the reason I was initially attracted to it.
It is the captivating account of Steinbeck's personal journey across America in 1960. Steinbeck found that even at the approach of 60, he could not settle his reless nature and is neverending quest to understand. He set out to capture the spirit of our country accompanied only by his French poodle Charley. He prepared a special vehicle for the journey, which he comes to name Rocinante. This comes about from the name of Don Quixote's horse in a fictional 1960s Spanish novel. Quixoite has come to mean idealist or dreamer, which was the word many of Steinbeck's friends/family used regarding his quest.
Steinbeck captures a true sense of many aspects in our culture, even after a span of almost 5 decades. The perceptive nature of the novel was intriguing and innocent. I highly recommend this book and believe that each reader will take away a different account of the story. It's a leisure read...do not be frightened away by a previous experience with Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men.
While I'm in the mode of recommendations...pick up a Mason Jennings albumn. He's awesome!
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