Ronald A. (rarendt) reviewed on + 107 more book reviews
I first came across this book in paperback years ago, and thought it was one of the best things I had ever read. I raved about it so much my wife gave me a hardcover copy which I still have. I ran across the cd version 5 or 6 years ago, took it on my next road trip and enjoyed it again. Since then, the audio version has accompanied two of my friends on road trips, but I doubt that I'll listen to it again, so feel free to claim it.
This was William Least Heat-Moon's first book and probably his most successful though he has written several since. The "Blue Highways" title has a double meaning. The author, an English instructor without tenure, was declared surplus by the U of Missouri; at about the same time, he and his wife separated. He was in such a blue funk he decided on a long road trip to clear his mind. Since he detested Interstate highway driving (I do too), he set out to circumnavigate the continental United States using non-freeways as much as possible - these were mainly marked on road maps in blue in those days.
Much like John Steinbeck in "Travels with Charlie", he outfitted a pickup truck with a camper shell and slept and ate there for most of the trip, although his was certainly a much lower-budget endeavor than Steinbeck's, and I thought a much more enjoyable work since he's a lot less opinionated than Steinbeck was in his book. Altogether an enjoyable read/listen, especially if you can do it on a long road trip.
This was William Least Heat-Moon's first book and probably his most successful though he has written several since. The "Blue Highways" title has a double meaning. The author, an English instructor without tenure, was declared surplus by the U of Missouri; at about the same time, he and his wife separated. He was in such a blue funk he decided on a long road trip to clear his mind. Since he detested Interstate highway driving (I do too), he set out to circumnavigate the continental United States using non-freeways as much as possible - these were mainly marked on road maps in blue in those days.
Much like John Steinbeck in "Travels with Charlie", he outfitted a pickup truck with a camper shell and slept and ate there for most of the trip, although his was certainly a much lower-budget endeavor than Steinbeck's, and I thought a much more enjoyable work since he's a lot less opinionated than Steinbeck was in his book. Altogether an enjoyable read/listen, especially if you can do it on a long road trip.
Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
