Travels with Charley

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The Wychwood December/January 2009/10 Vol30No5 Book Club Travels with Charley At a party in 2001 a We have read a wide variety friend and I discussed of books from classics to the idea of starting a newly published, but we do Reading Group. We put have a rule that they must be an article in The in paperback to keep the cost Wychwood asking if down. The member anyone would like to presenting the book gives a join a new group. We short introduction and then decided to limit it to ten we discuss what we thought members enabling of the book - sometimes this everyone to participate is quite long and heated, and meetings to be other times it’s very short! accommodated in the We have a cup of tea, a average sitting room! biscuit and a chat to finish We get together from off. I have read a lot of September to April with books that I would otherwise no meeting in December when everyone probably not have read; most I have is very busy. In March and April we each thoroughly enjoyed but there has been suggest books for the following year and the odd one that I wish I had never then take it in turns to host the meetings picked up! and present the book for that month. Gail Huntingford Our Latest Read This September we read Travels with mobile home cum all-terrain vehicle Charley by John Steinbeck, my choice so hoping to journey across every US state, I introduced it. First published in 1962, leaving his wife (the third Mrs S) to only six years before Steinbeck’s death, rendezvous only a couple of times. With it is an account of his travels with an a black President in the White House it amusing and faithful companion Charley, now seems extraordinary to read his a black standard poodle purchased in account of the cheerleaders in New Paris. As a group we found few of us had Orleans trying to prevent school read Steinbeck’s first successful novel, integration, who turned up daily to shout Tortilla Flat published when he was 33 abuse. What a contrast with the rest of years old, this was followed by titles we the book full of lyrical descriptions of were familiar with such as Cannery Row, beautiful places. Steinbeck was sad to see The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men so much land being built over, and and East of Eden. thought surely a time must come to limit There is so much in Travels with population and save the marvellous Charley; politics, history, religion, wilderness. philosophy - all his life’s interests in one Do read this book - and have a map of epic - and what a journey! He set off for the USA to hand. a year in a specially converted vehicle Janet Shackle 17 .

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