mrjoe's review
2.0
As a big fan of many Beat writers, this book was a disappointment. Perhaps Sinclair's road trip is too late by decades. The Gary Snyder visit is interesting, because Snyder is very well practiced at handling this sort of fly-by literary tourism. He's gracious, but also insightful enough to ask Sinclair what he wants. And it's clear that Sinclair doesn't know.
That's OK for a road trip book I suppose. It's a journey of discovery, right? But all I discovered was that I was bored. Reading about what Sinclair and his wife ate at some hotel on their way to visit old Beat icons put me to sleep. Better interviews would have helped. Imagine what Geoff Dyer could have done with this trip (besides adding sex and drugs).
That's OK for a road trip book I suppose. It's a journey of discovery, right? But all I discovered was that I was bored. Reading about what Sinclair and his wife ate at some hotel on their way to visit old Beat icons put me to sleep. Better interviews would have helped. Imagine what Geoff Dyer could have done with this trip (besides adding sex and drugs).
More...