Pela Estrada Fora

That was it. I closed the book, talked to a friend about it, threw a few things into a backpack, and we bought a ticket for the first train leaving the station. It was around ’91 or ’92, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget. It was a book that marked entire generations, but nowadays, when everything is so certain and just a click away, that spirit seems to be gone. Until one day. Freedom and Fado.

There are some interesting facts about this book that attracted me to read it. I first heard about it from Cory Doctorow's Little Brother. Then I found this page (dennismansker.com/ontheroad.htm) useful to put in context the journeys distance and the type of cars. The reading was entertaining and it is an interesting analysis on friendships.

It is a classic and the prose is beautiful and filled with energy. I liked but didn't love it. The basic fullness of shit that motivates all the characters but Dean most of all kind if brought me down.

I probably would have connected with this more if I had read it back when I was in my late teens early twenties. But it was still fairly fun, and there's definitely a driving, propulsive sort of flow that made it easy to keep plowing away at it. There are individual portions that are really beautiful and touching even though they might be intermingled with some act of stupidity or recklessness. Overall I enjoyed it, although it won't induce me to make any lifestyle changes.