Comments on: Top 5 American Road Trip Books and The List

By: Davis

Davis — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:41:18 +0000

Noticing your mention of John Steinbeck — whose creativity has lately come to be more appreciated, as has that of other masters of the field — I wonder how important factual accuracy is to the genre of travel literature. Or is travel literature distinguishable from other forms of writing about travel by the diminished importance of strict factuality?
Davis would like you to read..Iowa by car, pt. 3. (dofollow)

By: Davis

Davis — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:38:36 +0000

The rigors of the trip ruined Parkman’s health and led eventually to his death. But then people regularly ruin their health to much less good result, and he did get a classic out of it, so who am I to cavil.
Davis would like you to read..The Adventures of Tintin (dofollow)

By: Sensibletraveler

Sensibletraveler — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:56:44 +0000

Great list. I love to read and travel, and now I have more books to add to the list. Anything by Bryson is great. On the Road, for sure.
Sensibletraveler would like you to read..Labadee Haiti

By: Kerry Dexter

Kerry Dexter — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:02:58 +0000

this got me thinking that most of my favourite road trip books are about trips by foot. however, one that've liked that's by motorized transport (scooter) is Peter S.Beagle's I See by My Outfit. cross country trip in 1963. .-= Kerry Dexter hopes you will read blog ..patrick season: music and mist =-.

By: pen4hire

pen4hire — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:40:03 +0000

Thanks for your contribution. I’m with you on three of your choices, but I must admit that I never heard of Air-Conditioned Nightmare by Henry Miller. Sounds interesting. But I still have a hard time including Kerouac’s On the Road in a list of road trip books. I think it is more of a coming of age memoir. He’s not so interested in the things he sees, and places he rolls through as he is in his own life and that of his pals. Plus, I have yet to find anyone who loves that book who read it after their twenties.

By: Brent Smith

Brent Smith — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 20:35:14 +0000

I’m an old road trip fan–and a booklover. My favorites are:
- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (Robert Pirsig)
- Travels with Charley (John Steinbeck)
- On the Road (Jack Kerouac)
- Air-Conditioned Nightmare (Henry Miller)
- Blue Highways (William Least Heat Moon)

By: pen4hire

pen4hire — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:27:24 +0000

Todd:

You always have such good ideas. Desert Solitaire is on my list for a series on Southwest literature. Somebody else mentioned Grapes of Wrath to me as a road trip book–had not thought of it that way. And I’ve never read any of Richrd Ford, or Lamar Herrin let along Rock Springs or Lies, so I need to get to work. Huge thanks, anyhow. Maybe we should have you back to talk about road trip books one of these days?

By: Todd Felton

Todd Felton — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:21:17 +0000

I used to teach a course called, “The Great American Road Trip” and included many of the books listed above. I also recommend The Lies Boys Tell by Lamar Herrin, Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey (or Fool’s Progress, which is more of a road trip and less of a book), Richard Ford’s Rock Springs, and The Grapes of Wrath. And that’s just the start — I could keep on going for days!
.-= Todd Felton´s last blog ..Tours to Go =-.

By: pen4hire

pen4hire — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:19:24 +0000

I agree that those pioneer trips are fascinating. The journals of the Conquistadors, Lewis and Clark, our great-great-grandfather….
But perhaps I should better stick to books that will be more applicable to today’s traveler? What do you all think?

By: Travler's Bro

Travler's Bro — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:17:00 +0000

Reach back a little and you will find Francis Parkman’s Oregon Trail is a fine road trip recollection and meditation from an age when roads were merely trails and hunches. If nothing else, his observations on the American Indians with whom he lived make this an American classic. Twentieth century road trips pale by comparison.