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Travels with Charley: In Search of America

John Steinbeck, 1962

At the age of 58, in 1960, John Steinbeck leaves Sag harbor, NY, and his loving wife to travel across America with his French poodle, Charley.

“We find after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.” Pg 4.

He got a 3/4 ton pick-up with a “little house” on top. He named it Rocinante, Don Quixote’s horse.

Pg 26: “The mountains of things we throw away are much greater than the things we use…I do wonder whether there will come a time when we can no longer afford our wastefulness…”

Regarding hunting, pg. 57, “They shoot at anything that moves or looks as though it might…”

Pg. 61, the word charm to not be afraid of evil spirits: “In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.” (In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit)

Charley says “Ftt” when he needs to go pee.

Wisconsin, pg. 125: “Why then was I unprepared for the beauty of this region…” Pg 126: “…I saw it for the first and only time in early October…butter-colored sunlight…I’ve seen that kind of light elsewhere only in Greece…The land dripped with richness.”

The Badlands, pgs. 156-157: “And the night, far from being frightful, was lovely beyond thought, for the stars were close…This is one of the few places I have ever seen where the night was friendlier than the day…In the night the Badlands had become Good lands.”

Montana, pgs. 158-159: “The next passage in my journey is a love affair. I am in love with Montana…I did not rush through the towns to get them over with. I even found things I had to buy to make myself linger…Of all the states it is my favorite and my love.”

Redwoods, Southern Oregon, pgs. 188-189: “The redwoods, once seen, leave a mark…from them comes silence and awe…they are ambassadors from another time…a spell of wonder and respect…One feels the need to bow to unquestioned sovereigns.”

“San Francisco put on a show for me…The afternoon sun painted her white and gold…This gold and white acropolis rising wave on wave against the blue of the Pacific sky…I’ve never seen her more lovely…She leaves a mark.”

Texas = hospitality.

The South = Racism – ugly, ugly.

Then home.

Oh yes – mobile homes – a new thing @pg. 102.

Pg. 140 – “I found I was talking aloud to Charley. He likes the idea but the practice makes him sleepy.”

The Time Traveler’s Wife

by Audrey Niffenegger, 2003

Clare waits for Henry, her time-traveling husband, never knowing when he’ll disappear or reappear. Clare always drives because Henry doesn’t-never knows when he’ll disappear. Henry cooks-Clare doesn’t know how since she had a cook, Nell, while growing up (rich girl). Henry recruits Dr. Kendrick, a geneticist, to try and find a cure for his time-traveling, a genetic disorder, because he’s sure it’s going to kill him, and after they have Alba, and she has inherited it, he wants to save her from a life of time traveling.

(more…) “The Time Traveler’s Wife”

Hawaii

by James Michener, 1959

First 1/2 – excellent!

Second 1/2 – hard to get through.

First-Polynesians from Bora Bora. Then skipped to missionaries from New England. They were good people but prejudiced. Then the Chinese came to work in sugar. Learned about leprosy and Molokai. Then the Japanese came to work. Then WWII – Japanese Hawaiians fought in Italy then France.

Great book! Especially the first half.

Memoirs of a Geisha

by Arthur Golden, 1997

Intricate tale about a young girl (Chiyo) with beautiful gray eyes, sold to be a geisha from her seaside home. Separated from her sister (Satsu) in Kyoto, raised in an “okiya” with Hatsumomo, an evil geisha who tries to ruin her life. Crying by the Sirakawa stream one day, she meets a kind man who gives her his handkerchief. She keeps it, decides to become a geisha, and does. She meets him about 5 years later as an apprentice geisha. His partner, Nobu, falls in love with her and works for many years to try and become her Danna. She knows if she becomes Nobu’s, she will never be able to be the Chairman’s, so she betrays Nobu with another man on the island of Amima(?). The disgusting Minister, and Pumpkin, leads the Chairman to see her, rather than Nobu. Sayuri (Chiyo’s geisha name) feels her plan has backfired but the Chairman (of Iwamuri Electric) forgives her where Nobu cannot, and becomes her Danna. Most of the story takes place in “Gion” district of Kyoto. Set in 1940’s – present. Geisha are entertainers, mostly, in teahouses. They pour sake, tell stories, jokes, drinking games. They are not prostitutes. If a man wants one, he becomes her “danna” and keeps her like a mistress. Her virginity was sold to the highest bidder, Dr. Crab, called “mizuage.” Mameha was the geisha who became Chiyo-Sayuri’s older sister and trains her up. Loved the kimonos!!

The Shack

by William P. Young, 2007

I HATED this book! Here’s my book report from September 2008: Had a very hard time with this book but Jenifer said to not stop reading and it did turn around when Mack is led to “Sophia” (wisdom) and asked to judge his children – 3 to hell, 2 to heaven. Mack couldn’t do it. He’d rather he go than any of his children. He starts to understand. Then he gets to see Missy through a waterfall and she sees him. Then Jesus tells him He was with Missy the whole time. He never left her; not for a moment. Then God asks Mack o forgive the murderer, and Mack does. Then God (Papa) takes Mack to where Missy’s body is hidden. Jesus had constructed a beautiful coffin for her with scenes of her life, even when she’s coloring in the pop-up camper, and of her in heaven. Mack later has a car accident and realizes that Missy’s body is probably still there. He leads the sheriff, who calls in Forensics, and they then get Missy’s body and discover clues to catch the murderer. All set in Oregon about 75 miles from Hood River – Wallowa Lake State Park.

(more…) “The Shack”

The Moonstone

by Wilkie Collins, 1868

Fantastic mystery published in 1868. Story takes place in 1840’s England. Herncastle steals an Indian diamond, the Moonstone, and wills it to his niece on her 18th birthday. Franklin Blake delivers it (her cousin). There is a curse associated with the Moontsone because it is guarded by 3 Indians in perpetuity. Three Indians show up soon after but the diamond gets stolen by someone in the house. Franklin Blake hires Sergeant Cuff to try and find out. Sgt. Cuff accuses Rachel (the niece) but it wasn’t her and she acts like she knows. She’s become very angry at Franklin.

(more…) “The Moonstone”

The Kalahari Typing School for Men

by Alexander McCall Smith, 2002

A rival detective agency run by a man, The Satisfaction Guaranteed Detective Agency, opens up. Mma Ramotswe is visited by a man who has deep regrets about 2 things he did as a young man: got a girl pregnant and stole a radio to sell so she would have an abortion. He asks Mma Ramotswe to find the people so he can apologize and make amends.

Mma Makutsi needs more money so she opens The Kalahari Typing School for Men. It meets in a church. One of the men falls in love with her. She likes him too. He tells her he is divorced. His wife comes to Mma Ramotswe because she suspects he is having an affair. Mma Ramotswe finds out he is seeing Mma Makutsi. She visits the man at his flat and gets him to go back to his wife and do so without hurting Mma Makutsi, and without Mma Makutsi ever knowing he was married and that Mma Ramotswe knew anything about it.

Beautiful, sweet, precious.

Water for Elephants

by Sara Gruen, 2006

Jacob Jankowski’s parents are killed in an automobile accident. He is forced to join a circus – couldn’t finish his vet school exams.

Gets hired as the circus vet. Falls in love with Marlena, who is married to August, a cruel, psychotic, animal trainer. He (August) tries to have Jacob killed but doesn’t succeed.

There are lots of animals: Marlena’s horses, monkeys, lions, and the circus eventually gets Rosie, an elephant. August is so mean to her until Jacob discovers she only understands Polish. He teaches August how to say things in Polish. In the end, August is still mean to her and Rosie ends up pulling up her own stake and killing August in the middle of a stampede, which the circus workers started because they weren’t getting paid. Very cruel circus owner, Uncle Al, he ends up strangled and wrapped in his big tent.

Book started out pretty nasty and dark: 1930’s depression era. But, about 1/2 way through, it started getting very good and I liked the way it turned out. I guess she wrote this novel during the National Novel Writing Month.

Lord Jim

by Joseph Conrad, 1900

Jim, English sailor, on board a steamship bearing 800 pilgrims to Mecca. Ship runs over something, is bound to sink and storm rolling in. Jim jumps. Never forgives himself. Stands trial. His certificate is taken away. Befriends Marlowe, an old sea captain gentleman. Marlowe narrates most of the story. Jim finally finds happiness in Patusan on an out-of-the-way island. He ends up earning respect and love of the natives. Then a horrible crew of crooks lands and makes their way upriver. Due to treachery and deceit among a very few of the natives, Jim meets his end.

This author philosophizes too much. He ruins a good story. Jim took his one mistake too hard. I was glad when I finally finished the book. If this is his best novel, won’t be reading any more!

Emma

by Jane Austen, 1815

“Courtship Fiction”

Emma, spoiled little rich girl, befriends illegitimate Harriet Smith, prevents her from marrying Robert Martin, a gentleman farmer, who truly loves Harriet and instead set her up to marry Mr. Elton, a rich-boy wanna-be who would never consider marrying Harriet. Then comes Frank Churchill, a very rich boy, who is secretly engaged to Miss Jane Fairfax, unbeknownst to everyone. Emma grows up immensely and feels deep regret for everything she does in trying to manipulate Harriet’s life, because in the end, Harriet falls in love with Emma’s true love, Mr. Knightley, a true gentleman in every sense of the word. Emma has known him since she was a child, and he is her dearest friend. He is a voice of reason to Emma and he scolds her soundly twice – when she prevents Harriet from marrying Robert Martin and when she is mean to Miss Bates. When Harriet professes to love Mr. Knightley, Emma realizes she truly loves him and all is right in the end. Mr. Knightley truly loves Emma, Harriet marries Robert Martin in the end, and Frank Churchill and Miss Fairfax wed.

Written in 1814-1815, Jane Austen died in 1817 of Addison’s disease. Born 12-16-1775. Other books by Jane Austen: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, Persuasion.

Death in the Andamans

by M. M. Kaye, 1985

Murder mystery set in the Andamans, tropical islands in the Bay of Bengal off Burma. Copper visiting her friend Valerie on the tiny island of Ross. They go for a picnic on the bigger island, South Andaman, on Mount Harriet. While there, a hurricane blows in and they barely make it back to Ross. On the way back, one person drowns, it turns out got murdered, and the next 3 days are spent stranded on Ross in the big home, Government House, with a murderer. They try to figure out who did it: John Shilto (fat cousin to Ferrers Shilto, the man who was murdered); Nick Tarrent, handsome British Navy man who Copper has fallen in love with, Ruby or Leonard Stock; Ronnie or Rosamund Purvis. Dan Harcourt, a very nice British Navy doctor goes to examine the body and ends up getting murdered, then John Shilto ends up dead with a suicide note pinned to his pillow. It ends up being Leonard Stock, a small man married to a philandering Cleopatra, Ruby, who has been holding a grudge for so long. He murdered Ferrers Shilto to get his newfound pearls and make a new life. He ends up falling down the stairs and accidentally shooting himself.

Loved her description of these beautiful islands, late 1930’s, sart of WWII.

“Three weeks of glitteringly blue days and incredibly lovely star-splashed nights. She had bathed in the clear jade breakers of Forster Bay and Corbyn’s Cove, fished in translucent waters above branching sprays of coral from the decks of little steam launch Jarawa, and picnicked under palm trees that rustled to the Song of the Trade Winds.”

So Brave, Young, and Handsome

by Leif Enger, 2008

Monte Becket, a postman in Minnesota circa 1910, writes a best0selling novel, Martin Bligh, and then tries to write another one. He starts 7 novels, doesn’t finish any of them. He and his wife, Susannah, a painter, and son, Redstart, live by a river. One day out of the mist rows Glendon, a boatmaker-hobo, rowing, standing up. Monte seeks him out and befriends him. Glendon decides he must go back to Mexico to apologize to his wife, Blue (Arandeno) for leaving her about 16 years ago. He asks Mone to go with him. Susannah says it’s okay. Monte and Glendon get on a train. There begins the adventure.

(more…) “So Brave, Young, and Handsome”

The Winds of War

by Herman Wouk, 1971

Historical novel about the years 1939 to 1941 and the start of WWII as seen through the family of Pug and Rhoda Henry. Victor (Pug) is Navy attache in Germany and then Russia. He has 2 sons, Warren and Byron, and a daughter, Madeline. They are grown children. The 2 boys in the Navy; one is a pilot, the other (Byron) a submariner. America is not in the War until Pearl Harbor on 12-7-41. Up to that point, Roosevelt wanted to help England but the Americans were strongly against it. He came up with “Lend-Lease” to try and get boats and equipment to England. Byron ends up in Poland (with Natalie, a Jewish girl living in Siena, Italy, with her scholarly Uncle Aaron Jastrow) because she insisted on going to see another uncle (Jewish) living there. While there, the Germans attack Poland and take it. They get out of Poland, finally, during an arranged cease-fire, escorted by Germans to a train to Stockholm. Byron and Natalie grew very close. Byron is young and brave. Natalie falls in love with him and out of love with Slote, American embassy man, a coward. The book takes you through the fall of France, the bombing of England, and the attack on Russia by Hitler’s Germany. Also learn about Mussolini, a very short, incompetent dictator. Learn a lot about Hitler and Stalin and Roosevelt and Churchhill. Much tension in the book because Natalie and her Uncle Aaron Jastrow end up stuck in Italy. First because Aaron sees no reason to leave, doesn’t see Hitler as a threat, plus he no longer has an American passport. Then, when he finally sees that it is dangerous for a Jew to be in Italy, it is too late for them to leave easily. They get tangled up in red tape that even the President (Roosevelt) can’t undo, though he tried because Byron mentioned the problem at a dinner at the White House! Finally, they get out, on a Turkish freighter, right after Pearl Harbor and Hitler and Mussolini have declared war.

Loved this book. Learned a lot. He tells the German side through a fictitious German general, Von Roon. He tells the rest of the world’s side through Pug Henry, who deals with all the world leaders. The book is accurate as far as they are concerned and the events. Loved it. Now want to read War and Remembrance.

The Secret Garden

by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1911

Sweet story about two 10 year-olds who turn from being ugly, hateful, unhealthy, spoiled creatures into beautiful, happy, healthy children by the Secret Garden. Mary, the girl, and Colin, the boy, are cousins. Mary is sent to live in the Misselthwaite Manor on the Moor of Yorkshire after her parents die of cholera in India. She discovers the secret garden that has been shut up 10 years because that is where Colin’s mother died from a fall from a tree. Colin has been shut up in a room inside the house for 10 years, told he was sickly and was going to die. Mary finds him one rainy day and, with the help of Dickon, a 12 year-old boy from the Moor, who loves animals and nature, they change the garden and themselves with magic. They sing the Doxology of Praise of it. Beautiful, sweet tale about love of life and growing things and beauty and nature.

The Pillars of the Earth

by Ken Follett, 1989

From Karma. Wow! What a book, 973 pages!

It was set in England from the years 1123 to 1174. Ken Follett’s preface says this book was out of character – a story about building a church. “What’s more, I don’t believe in God.”

He fell in love with Peterborough Cathedral. Took him 3 years, 3 months to finish the book. He wanted to write a novel about cathedral builders. Here’s how he writes: “I begin by writing an outline of the story, saying what happens in each chapter, and giving thumbnail sketches of the characters.” Also, “The problem of the end of the book, which I had not outlined, was solved by a flash of inspiration, when I thought of involving the principal characters in the the notorious real-life murder of Thomas Becket.” (Archbishop)

(more…) “The Pillars of the Earth”

The Last Battle

by C. S. Lewis, 1956

I LOVED THE NARNIA BOOKS!!!

Here, in order of most favorite to least:

  1. A Horse and His Boy
  2. Voyage of the Dawn Treader (very close second to A Horse and His Boy)
  3. The Silver Chair
  4. The Last Battle
  5. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
  6. The Magician’s Nephew
  7. Prince Caspian

We saw the movie, Prince Caspian, on 5-17-08. Next movie will be in 2010 and it will be The Dawn Treader. Not sure I want to see it. Wayne doesn’t, for sure.

C.S. Lewis describes heaven in The Last Battle so wonderfully and so beautifully that you want to cry. It goes on for about 2 1/2 chapters in The Last Battle. These books are a treasure!!

In The Last Battle, an ape in Narnia dresses up his donkey, Puzzle, in a lion skin, passes him off as Aslan. He fools many of the talking beasts and starts taking over Narnia. He invites the Calormen and they start cutting down trees, using the talking horses to pull them.

King Tirian and his Unicorn, Jewel, go to investigate and end up captured. Jill and Eustace come to Narnia and save him.

(more…) “The Last Battle”

The Silver Chair

by C.S. Lewis, 1953

Eustace Scruggs and Jill Pole are at school, Experiment House, and are being chased by bullies. They go uphill to a gate that is usually locked but is open and find themselves on Aslan’s Mountain. Jill pushes Eustace off a huge high cliff, then meets Aslan as he blows Eustace safely away (to Narnia)Aslan gives Jill 4 signs:

  1. Eustace must greet an old and dear friend at once.
  2. Go north out of Narnia to the ruined city of the giants.
  3. Find a writing on a stone and do it.
  4. The lost prince will be the 1st person to ask you to do something in the name of Aslan.
(more…) “The Silver Chair”

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

by C.S. Lewis, 1952

Eustace, Lucy, and Edmund get sucked into a picture in Eustace’s house of a ship at sea, back to Narnia, where Prince Caspian is at sea on the Dawn Treader. He rescues them and they go with him and his crew in search of 7 Lords that Miraz sent off to explore the unknown Eastern Sea.

  1. First they went to the Lone Islands. Landed on Felimath and pirates were there and kidnapped them to sell as slaves. Caspian gets bought by one of the 7 lords, Lord Bern, and they rescue the others and set those islands right. Lord Bern then is set in charge of them. Caspian makes him a Duke. The rest go on their journey, get caught at sea
  2. in a storm. Then land on another island. Eustace didn’t want to work in repairing the ship so goes off exploring and finds a dragon and his lair. The dragon is very old and dies. Eustace falls asleep on top of its gold and wakes up a dragon! It is that experience that brings him to Aslan and Aslan cures him. Removes his scales, and he’s a boy again. Much nicer now. They called that island Dragon Island and surmised that Lord Octesian died there.
(more…) “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader”