Travels with Charley in Search of America

I was looking for an audiobook that didn't mention killing or romance on the cover and settled on this one. I have read no John Steinbeck since high school and figured it was time I found out what the Of Mice and Men author was up to later in life.

The packaging generously refers to Steinbeck as "middle-aged" when he wrote this in '62, but make no mistake -- he was 60 when he wrote this and most definitely a grumpy old man. Feeling he doesn't know America anymore (wisely recognizing that success puts celebrities into bubbles where they no longer interact with normal people), he ditched his identity and went on a road trip to circle the mainland United States, saying good-bye to his wife, but taking his dog along with him (because, you know, it's the 1960s and these are manly priorities).

In typical grumpy old man fashion, Steinbeck seems to interact with every one and every place with the same preconceived notions he started with. Towards the end, I hear him say a few times "I have never been against progress, BUT--". And some of his ideas are pretty dated now. He talks a lot about the escalating nuclear tensions of the Cold War, and waxes long about how mobile homes are going to be the next big thing for the middle class. But he's also funny, and usually guffaw-out-loud-type funny.

I think the biggest delight was hearing Gary Sinise read it. He nails Steinbeck's grumpy old man perfectly, but also becomes a host of other characters, displaying a range he's never been allowed to show in movies.