Steinbeckathon 2012: The Wayward Bus

"The windows of the restaurant were screened against flies, and the screen door banged shut after every entrance or exit. Alice Chicoy hated flies. In a world that was not easy for Alice to bear or to understand, flies were the final and malicious burden laid upon her. She hated them with a cruel hatred, and the death of a fly by swatter, or slowly smothered in the goo of fly paper, gave he a flushed pleasure.

Just as Juan usually had a succession of young apprentices to help him in the garage, so Alice hired a succession of young girls to help her in the restaurant. The girls, gawky and romantic and homely—the pretty ones usually left with a customer within a few days—seemed to accomplish little in the way of work. They spread dirt about with damp cloths, they dreamed over movie magazines, they sighed into the juke box—and the most recent one had reddening eyes and a head cold and wrote long and passionate letters to Clark Gable. Alice Chicoy suspected every one of them of letting flies in. Norma, this most recent one, had felt the weight of Alice Chicoy's tongue many times about flies." - John Steinbeck, The Wayward Bus

This is the discussion thread for John Steinbeck's The Wayward Bus
Mark / msf59 will be hosting this thread.
Spoilers are welcome, but please indicate them in your message out of
respect for those who are reading at a different pace. Enjoy!



Steinbeckathon main thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/130105

I haven't decided yet whether I'll be reading The Wayward Bus or not but I'll certainly be following your comments.

I don't have my own copy of The Wayward Bus yet, and unlike Cannery Row before, I had the darndest time trying to find a quote from this book online since it's obviously not one of his most popular novels. I have no idea how the above fits into the rest of the story, but I found it via Google Books and it definitely made me want to read on! (I didn't, to keep the surprise for when I do get the book)

I had never even heard of The Wayward Bus until we decided to do this Steinbeck-a-thon. I did get my own copy at the U Bookstore. I'll probably try to read it early in the month.

Ellen, I cracked and decided to purchase a copy instead of borrowing the one ancient edition they have at the library. I'm not fond of browning pages, and judging by the quote above, something tells me I'm going to enjoy it.

Wait a moment, I need to catch my breath...I finally got over here to Ilana's lovely new G.R. thread. To be honest, I have not read this one either, I had barely ever heard of it, sad to say.

I will be monitoring the Read of course but I don't think I'll start the book until the end of the 1st week of Feb.

Ilana- The only copy my library had, (and it's a big Library) was also an ancient hardcover but fortunately I requested another copy, so I ended up with a clean softcover. Yah, for me!

Mark, looks like it'll be a wholly new experience to many of us. I'm very happy actually that we've ended up with a blend of some of his most known along with lesser known works for the Steinbeckathon, as I did want to expose myself and anyone participating to as wide a range of his books as possible. Do you remember who had suggested we include this particular title? Was it you or Paul or someone else?

It was me, thank you very much! I think I picked Sweet Thursday too, also because I had never read it. Yes, this mix is perfect.

Yes, I remember now you saying you wanted to pick up a few books of his you'd not read yet, Mark. I can't tell you how happy that we went ahead with this Steinbeckathon idea and that so many people seem to have an interest in it too. Really awesome. I'm already thinking of what other works of his I could get my hands on (there are plenty of others obviously), and also what other author I might want to concentrate on in 2013... ;-)

Ilana and Mark,

Our Steinbeckathon ROCKS!! I, too, am happy about the mix and this feels like it will be a nice frame around my year of reading. Awesome R us.

And humble, too. Always humble.

And humble, too. Always humble.

LMAO!

Yes, that would be my greatest quality indeed. ;-)

Well, humility might be overrated.

Got my copy of Wayward Bus (included with other short novels in an omnibus volume). This story is not familiar to me -and I am looking forward to it.
Ilana you are a champ - thanks for the work of setting this up for us.
Ditto Ellen's comments in #10...
Great suggestion Mark - later -

I still need to get a copy, probably from the library. I think I'll be joining in the second week of February as I have too much going on until then to be able to give it all of my attention.
Hope everyone enjoys as much as Cannery Row!

My bookmark has moved to near the middle of the book. (A very good read so far.) Considering the book was published in 1947, I am more than a little surprised at how risque some of the writing is. I thought everything written back then was squeaky clean. Apparently not! Oh, my! ;)

I read the first chapters now and met most of the characters. I wanted to wait, but got the book too early from the library, so have to return it by mid February. So far I can't make a connection to the title pictures posted above, looks like the story will take some important turn soon. My edition (Italian) also has a bus on the title, but it looks like a double decker which the one in the book cannot be.
Very good writing so far, similar to CR.

I second Ellen's comments! A Steinbeck read is great on its own merit but even better reading them with so many enthusiastic 75ers.
I picked up my copy of The Wayward Bus yesterday and it looks like it will be a quick and interesting ride so I'm moving it up on my schedule and making it my first Feb. read.
BTW, copy I got is ancient. Red hardback without a dust cover so I like referring back to all those presented in post #1

I'm so happy to see so many participants! Cannery Row was such a perfect & popular lead-off, let's hope it continues with "TWB".

Found a copy yesterday at a used bookstore. It's an ancient paperback, with discolored pages, and a pulpy cover. But it was the ONLY copy and it was shoved in among about 50 copies of The Red Pony...

Picked up our library's only copy - a nice hardback with deckle edge pages. It's actually in really good shape, in fact it looks like a first edition. Do people do that - donate first edition Steinbecks to the public library? Anyway, I'm in. Can't wait to start!

Ooh, good to see some people are already reading! I'll be starting in a week or two (depending on my reading schedule, which I can't quite remember at the moment). Looking forward to the discussion, and I am curious why this one is not as well known as other Steinbeck works.

My copy is the fourth from the left in Ilana's covers above. I do rather like the Penguin Classics covers, so was happy with this one. But I'd also be happy with one of those slightly risque covers, they're awesome! :)

Thanks for setting up the thread, Ilana; and thanks for hosting, Mark!

I will start this in a week or two. It won't be my first read of the month but I want to get to it in the first half. Mine is also fourth from the left in Ilana's thread header. :-)

We have an extra day this February......

Started the book yesterday and I love the way Steinbeck gives the reader of sense of space. I felt grounded in Rebel Corners and his descriptive characters feel familiar. All this and I'm only on Chapter 2!

I think I probably have the same book Claudia has. It's a Library of America collection called Steinbeck: Travels with Charley and Later Novels 1947-1962. The "later novels" are The Wayward Bus, Burning Bright, Sweet Thursday, and The Winter of Our Discontent. If my memory is correct, they're all part of the Steinbeckathon except for Burning Bright.

I'm not sure exactly when I'll start The Wayward Bus but it should be some time within the next week. I'm looking forward to it.

Pat- I would like to get a copy of Steinbeck: Travels with Charley and Later Novels 1947-1962. I have a newer softcover of the early short novels and you need the pair, right?

I'm glad to see some people jumping in already. I plan to start in a couple days.

**Please be careful with spoilers, since so many are starting at different times. Enjoy!**

I never heard of The Wayward Bus and that was after I decided to have a Steinbeck category for my 12-in-12 and researched which 12 I wanted to read.

Ilana that quote certainly put me in the mood to read the book :)

Finished it a few days ago. I liked it a lot, although I don't think it's my favorite Steinbeck (I'm waiting to see if East of Eden knocks off either Grapes or Travels with Charley for that spot) but it had his trademark beautiful writing regardless. It also had a more straightforward style than Cannery Row's vignettes.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

As far as the characters go, there wasn't any one in particular that I was really pulling for, but all were interesting and most were sympathetic in their own right. Take Pimples for example, you feel bad for him in the beginning when he asks Juan to call him by his real name, and you're disgusted with him by the end when he throws himself on Norma. I was anyway! And Mr. Pritchard? Blech. Didn't like that guy at any part of the book. Which, in my opinion, goes to show Steinbeck's talent at creating complex characters that are able to elicit strong reactions.

Okay, I boarded the Bus today! Steinbeck's strong writing pulls you right in. I have read Cannery Row but did not read it last month. How is the writing style compare? This has a darker more mature tone than say Tortilla Flat or a couple of his earlier short novels. Am I wrong?

Also I am reading the Penguin Edition (2006). It has a nice introduction, (that I'll finish after the book) and a terrific set of footnotes at the back. Who was Clark Gable and Kit Carson, I guess for those reading this is the future. Although I'm not sure there are very many kids today who know who Gable is.

I'm not sure there very many kids today who know who Gable is

That's a scary thought but you're probably right.

What Pat said.

Small spoilers up to chapter V:
I am in chapter V, and my first impression is that - while the writing is similar to CR - Steinbeck is taking the opposite approach here. In CR the location was anything but beautiful and the characters at first all seemed dubious. Here we start with an idyllic setting and seemingly normal, happy people. And quickly we get a glimpse at the shadows in their lives. And the casualness with which Steinbeck presents this dark side to us makes it even more drastic.
(Maybe the mosquito - or is it a fly in the English original? - was a foreshadowing. It was "humanized" like the animals in CR. It was all happy with the coconut cake. And then... dead and discarded)

I've gotten a copy of the second volume of the Library of America collection of Steinbeck, from the library. It's the volume that contains The Wayward Bus, so I'll all set now. I'll probably start it this weekend or next week. 227 pages, quite readable print. I don't recall reading any of the LofA editions before.

> Deern, I finished the book a few days ago & I agree with you about this book being the counterpoint to Cannery Row.

I've read up to chapter 9 or 10. It's interesting, but I'm setting it aside for a week or so to read some non-renewable library books, then I'll come back and finish it up.

>Deern - Your post makes me think maybe I should go back and read Cannery Row. How does Steinbeck make Monterey anything but beautiful?

I found this interesting: Steinbeck pitching this book to his editor: "My bus is something large in my mind. It is a cosmic bus holding sparks and back firing into the Milky Way and turning the corner of Betelgeuse without a hand signal."
Wow, I wonder if John was into peyote or something?

I had to look up Betelgeuse: "...is the eighth brightest star in the night sky and second brightest star in the constellation of Orion."
Like I said Wow!

From the footnotes:
"Baby Ruth: A candy bar introduced in 1920 by the Curtis Candy Company and ostensibly named after Baby Ruth Cleveland (d. 1904), the infant daughter of President Grover Cleveland (1837-1908)."

I'm at the 75 page mark. I've been savoring it slowly, which it deserves. I love the description of Mr. Pritchard (pg 34), as he is faced down in the diner by Alice. He sounds like a Tea Party member.

How about Ernest Horton and his fake feet?

Small spoilers up to chapter V:
#31 Nathalie, I was astounded to see that they'd turned the fly in the cake into a mosquito! If you've read the quote I put in the intro message, you know that flies are an important element in the story... there's even a description of the fly as it cleans itself and tried to take flight... unforgivable. Another translator who should be shot! Or... ok, maybe just tortured a bit. ;-)
End of spoiler

I finished chapter 10 last night, and finding this to be a gripping read. DEfinitely glad I went and purchased the book after all, as I can see myself revisiting it in future. I'm loving all the tension and drama!

#38 Betelgeuse: didn't Douglas Adams talk about it in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy? Maybe there was some weird time warp in which Steinbeck was able to read that book, which was obviously published much later than The Wayward Bus... but you never know with those hallucinogenics, all kinds of weird juju stuff can happen, and I know from experience! :-)

Spoiler alert up to Chapter 10

I jotted down this passage from The Wayward Bus because, for me, it's one example how Steinbeck uses the weather to create tension and exemplifies what's transpiring on the bus. As it pulls out of Rebel Corners I can sense that we're in for quite a ride.

"The air was still but up high a wind was blowing, bringing legions of new clouds over the mountains, and those clouds were flat and they were joining together and moving in on one another as they hurried across the sky.........There was a hush on the land and a great activity."

Just typing those sentences make my fingers tingle and I wonder how it felt, for Steinbeck, to write those words for the first time.

Steinbeck - in the abstract - does so not appeal to me. But reading his writing is a completely different story. He makes it seem so effortless how can I help but like his books? My copy of the Wayward Bus was printed in 1947 and looks - well, just like a book that has been around for 64 years - only in a well-worn rather than a on-its-last-legs kind of way.

How is everyone doing so far? I just stopped at chapter 14. It's impressive how fast the narrative is, I find myself, forcefully, slowing down to savor the prose.

I hope Elliott Pritchard gets his simply for referring to hIs wife as little girl! Grrr

Just stopping in to see how this month's installment of the Steinbeckathon is going. I haven't yet started reading, but it sounds like it's another winner.

Just started ... love it already :)

#38 Thanks so much for posting that quote. I read it in the book, but passed right over it. As Fourpawz says, he makes it all look so effortless that I just glide along, barely noticing the craftsmanship—appreciating it it, most definitely, but I'm not able to take in all the subtleties all at once. He's such a terrific writer. Makes me really happy that we decided to profile him over the whole year, and this book in particular is a winner as far as I'm concerned.

My only question at this point is I'm wondering how come it didn't get more recognition? I just got to chapter 14, so maybe further on, or maybe the ending didn't satisfy? I can't really see that happening, as I have no expectations at all, but just quite literally enjoying the ride, no matter—or probably because of—how rough the circumstances get!

>44 Smiler69: My only question at this point is I'm wondering how come it didn't get more recognition?

From Wikipedia: "Although considered one of Steinbeck's weaker novels at the time of its original publication, The Wayward Bus was financially more successful than any of his previous works."

ETA: Maybe it was one of those cases of panned by the critics; loved by the masses situations?

Big Steinbeck fan, not so much Cannery Row, but off to find my copy of the Bus!

I'm just past the halfway point in this new-to-me book having just finished Chapter 9. Once again, Steinbeck has pulled me in with his well-drawn characters and his dazzling descriptions. Ch. 9 ends with: "The bus went into second gear for the last climb. Now it was in the gap at the top and then it emerged and turned sharp left, and below was the valley gloomy with gray clouds, and the great loop of the San Ysidro River gleamed like dark steel under the glowering light." Glowering! Steinbeck comes up with the perfect word to fit the mood. I'm ready for the descent into the rest of the story.

Nathalie, I'm as outraged as Ilana that the fly became a mosquito in translation!

39: Charlotte, Thank you for the laugh. I too am reading a first edition from 1947 - the year of my birth! I appreciate the description of "well worn rather than on its last legs." I like to think of that as a description of my body as well!

*Slight Spoilers* Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors, but once again, he rankles the female side of me. He names a rusty old cantankerous bus "Sweetheart" while he has his character Louie refer to women as "pigs."

I really like that new word Steinbeck added to my vocabulary. Glowering! Simply perfect.

Yes, Donna,Sweetheart, pigs, little girl, very irritating to say the least. Reminds me of the one and only time my husband referred to me as Toots! If looks could kill he'd be six feet under.

Just finished chapter 19. Wow! Just when I've written off Van Brunt as a cardboard character Steinbeck throws a curve.

I'm right behind you, Lynda, ducking all those curve balls in the last few chapters. What a game.

And what a ride Steinbeck and Sweetheart took us on!

I know this isn't a useful comment, but the book gave me a terrible craving for coconut cream cake! I had to buy Raffaellos today (coconut pralinés probably unknown outside Central Europe). No cravings for caramel cream cake - the idea alone makes my teeth ache-, raspberry or lemon cake though.

Oh - and I finished the book last Sunday and
spoilers
while I liked it a little less than CR, it seems to stay longer with me, I might even add another half star to my rating.

In CR we get all those dubious people and see them at their very best, planning for one great moment, and the book ends on such a positive note. Here we see people not at their worst (okay, maybe some of them), but simply the way they are.

I liked that it all takes place in the course of only one day. One day that brings them all together and the next day their lives will just go on - and I'll never know how, maybe this is why I keep thinking about this book.

The people in CR have been neighbours for years. They all have their roles in their little community and the "event" gives them the opportunity to show a different, maybe nicer bit of themselves. There's no need for most of the WB characters to be terribly nice. They are strangers and will remain strangers.

spoiler end

I finished the book a couple of days ago.

Some slight spoilers ahead:

I agree with Donna and Lynda that the way women are sometimes referred to in this book is disturbing. Funny, because we're just having a discussion over on the Cannery Row thread about that, and I was saying I wasn't bothered by the attitude toward women there.

Here, those names "pig", "little girl" really got on my nerves, but I felt like Steinbeck was putting those words into the mouths of those specific characters to help define for the reader the kind of men they are. Louie is a disgusting pig himself, and "little girl" man has barely grown up himself and acts like a three-year-old who thinks the world belongs to him. I don't for a minute think Steinbeck himself would have referred to women that way, which mitigates the irritation I felt towards the characters.

I haven't even cracked the cover of this book but I can't resist chiming in. "Pig" is, to me, a particularly offensive word to use for other human beings. I don't know why (pigs are actually quite smart and cleaner than anyone gives them credit for, so I understand), but it's a humiliating term. The women characters in CR were whores and not much more than that, but I wasn't offended. I could somehow keep in mind the time and context ---- and it's okay with me that Steinbeck was almost solely interested in men's psyches and experience. I don't mind when a woman author concentrates almost exclusively on woman characters, leaving the male characters to be less than fully multi-dimensional. I guess I can give Steinbeck the same permission.

But "pigs"? That's gonna bother me.....

#51: Louie was he the bus driver but who was 'pig'? The old lady? I already returned my book to the library, so I can't look it up anymore. I probably missed it, because swear words of the worst sort in Italian usually go unnoticed. And 'porca' would be one of the milder options. :-)

Overall I didn't find the book misogynistic. The "little girl" behaved in a very artificial little girl way and clearly wanted to be treated accordingly. Or maybe I should say they both had gotten themselves into that strange situation over the years, they deserved each other. I didn't feel any pity for them.

And no pity for Alice either. In the beginning yes, but that was over soon.

I actually liked the characterisation of the women here. After CR and "Of Mice and Men" I didn't expect Steinbeck could write women so well. He didn't make them nice, but for me they felt quite real.

#52 Ellen, please don't let that deter you from reading the book. Taken out of context, that expression "pig" certainly seems unforgivable. And I do happen to have a lot of respect for pigs who are indeed smarter and cleaner than we think. But that knowledge mostly comes to me from the movie "Babe", so what do I know. ;-)

(see my answer to Nathalie for more, but slight spoilers ahead)

#53 Nathalie, Louie the bus driver is beautifully described by Steinbeck, and I loved that the author didn't make any direct judgments about him, but just left the reader to make up his or her mind about him based on his attributes. One of this man's lovely habits is to refer to all women he considers as eligible as "pigs". As Steinbeck makes clear, Louie is the sort of man who thinks any woman he finds remotely attractive to be within his reach and therefore a "pig". What's interesting to me is that this expression is clearly a projection on his part, because he certainly seems to fit the description of a man we would tend to define as one such animal, even though it is clearly an insult to the suidae family!

I think the only pig I saw in those pages was Louie! Steinbeck had an incredible ear for listening to regular people talk. I'm sure he must of heard some dirtbag use that word.

What Mark said.

I finally managed to include some comments on The Wayward Bus on my thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/130501

57: "Oh, Mr. Steinbeck, behave". I love that line. I too was surprised by the underlying (and sometimes blatant) bawdiness in the book.

My review is on the book's home page.

"The ditches beside the road under the high growth of weeds became the home of weasels and bright-colored water snakes, and the drinking places for birds in the evening. The meadow larks sat all morning on the old fences in the spring and whistled their yodeling song. And the wild doves sat on the barbed wire in the evening in the fall, shoulder to shoulder for miles, and their call rang down the miles in a sustained note."

And this short passage, shows how very little things have changed. It's Mildred musing about her father:
"Her father was frightened of a strange bed or a foreign language or a political party he didn't belong to. Her father truly believed that the Democratic party was a subversive organization whose design would destroy the United States and put it in the hands of bearded communists."

#57 I look forward to reading your comments once I'm done putting down my own. Might start working on that now in fact.

#58 Donna, I've said the same on your thread as you probably know by now.

#59 Mark, that second quote also captured my attention when I was reading the book. I love the reference to the 'bearded communists' and the explanation for it in the notes clarified it brilliantly!

My admiration for Steinbeck just grows and grows. I had heard of The Wayward Bus but never read it and if it hadn't been for the Steinbeckathon, I'm sure I never would have as it didn't even look remotely interesting to me. Boy, was I wrong. I'm also glad I read it as an older adult; I don't think I would have really understood or appreciated it as I do now.

SMALL SPOILER:

It was quite a ride! Ma and Pa Pritchard, horrible from start to finish (that baby talk part, ugh). High hopes for Mildred though. I think she'll do well in life. Such full-fleshed characterization in such a short book. Perfect sense of place.

Thank you to those who have brought this year-long project to us. There are four books in the Steinbeckathon I haven't read. Looking forward to all the books, even the re-reads.

#54 > Have no fear, Ilana! I've got this on the very top of my little stack of books that are going on vacation with me. I will read it and I'm looking forward to it. Like you said on one thread or another, I may find myself reading all twelve of the books we've chosen for our Steinbeckathon!

I finished The Wayward Bus a few days ago, and I think Mr. Steinbeck was ahead of his time - this book had all the ingredients for a reality show. Take a group of people that have nothing in common, place them in an environment that they have no control over, add the potential for disaster, and then turn up the heat. A recipe for behaving badly. And yet, instead of just letting the story play out and leaving us to guess at motivating factors, Steinbeck gives us an inside peek into these individuals hearts and minds.

This book left me with the same feeling that I get from some theme park rides - it was an exhilarating ride, but it left me feeling slightly nauseous. The writing was beautiful, but the characters were ugly, or perhaps we just saw them in a moment of ugliness. They were three dimensional but flat (versus dynamic) characters, with the exception of Mildred. You just know that they will recover from their bus ride gone wrong and be right back where they started.

My review is here. I didn't hate the book, but I didn't absolutely love it either. I am glad that I read it, and I will be curious to see what everyone else thinks.

*edited to fix the link to my post

Mamie- Thanks for your wonderful comments on "the Bus". I agree that most of the characters are pretty unpleasant but there is something that drew me in, regardless...Steinbeck's genius?
I hope you join us on the other Steinbeck reads throughout the year.

Oh yes, I thought I'd drop by and post a link to my review which I just posted on Tuesday.

I'm already looking forward to The Winter of Our Discontent, which book I've received from BookDepository and look forward to cracking open come March!

I've finally started The Wayward Bus and, about 50 pages in, I don't yet dislike the characters. I love Steinbeck's writing but I can see that this is headed in a tough direction...... I'm avoiding reviews until I complete the novel. :-)

Okay, I'm a few chapters in now. Steinbeck's use of language and his ability to capture human motivations and complexities are wonderful. On the down side, in this case, I can say that I'm not finding a sympathetic character yet..... :-(

Ellen, there are no sympathetic characters in this story. Just go for the ride and enjoy the observation of human behaviour...

Yes, Ilana, I agree. I completed the book this morning and here's a link to my review (which I wrote before reading others' reviews, so I will now be interested to see how much we overlap in our reactions).

I also finished The Wayward Bus, a couple of days ago, and reviewed it today.

Here is the last part of my review

"From the first page when we are introduced to Rebel Corners I was immediately drawn into the story. Steinbeck writes beautifully with a real understanding of nature and character. I might not like the people very much but he captures it all so well that this is a 5 star read for me."

Finished The Wayward Bus this morning. I agree with everyone. I didn't like the characters, but I found it an interesting read. I love his description of the area and time period. This was another book that makes me wish I had a time machine!!!

Hmmm... my bad.
I finished this awhile ago and forgot to say so. I loved it almost as much as Cannery Row.
The characters are less than desirable - but very real as portrayed by Steinbeck. Glad I wasn't really on that bus! Sheesh!
Steinbeck brings me to places I would never go and introduces me to people I would never meet otherwise.

I finished this one last night, it was great! Just the book I needed to help me out of my book funk!

Chelle, I'm glad the second novel in our Steinbeck expedition pulled you out of that book funk!

Steinbeck brings me to places I would never go and introduces me to people I would never meet otherwise.

Agreed, and I'll add to that that he makes me read about places and people I probably wouldn't be interested in reading about were they described by any less talented author.

#73 I second what Ellen said Chelle!

For the most part, I think everyone enjoyed our 2nd Steinbeck pick. I've also enjoyed everyone's reviews, so much so that I didn't even have to write one. Sneaky Mark.
I might not get to it, until mid-month or later, but I plan on joining the group for Winter of Our Discontent. I did read this one many years ago and remember it being very good.

Oh, finished the book some days ago, but have been too busy to pop by here. (Sorry.)

I did like it. Beautiful language, great characters (although not always lovable).

I read the intro (I think I have your editon, Mark) beforehand because I was "warned" it was an allegory, and I don't really do allegories. The intro drove me batty, it reminded me too much of High School English classes! And it didn't explain the allegory, so I still have no idea what it was about on that level. :)

But on my straightforward plot-driven level, it was a great read.

Loathed the manipulative Mrs Pritchard. But not as much as Louie the bus driver. (I'm glad he wasn't driving Sweetheart! I don't think I could have put up with him in a book for more than the few pages he was in TWB.) The younger female characters were more appealing, although Norma's neediness drove me batty.

I don't think I could have put up with him in a book for more than the few pages he was in TWB

I know what you mean Tania, he was dreadful, but at the same time I've discovered I seem to get a perverse enjoyment out of characters that are horrid, or in other words, I love having someone I can unabashedly love to hate. Mrs. and Mr. Pritchard were definitely among those, though everyone seemed like an angel compared to Louie.

I finished The Wayward Bus this morning. I had started reading early in the month, and then let it sit for a while. Once I picked it up again, the reading just flew by.

I enjoyed this novel a lot. Steinbeck excels at describing people and places, evoking sense of place so that you feel as if you are there. This novel seemed very movie-like and visual; I kept imagining how different scenes would be staged.

I also noticed that the times that Steinbeck presents here seemed so like our own times; the post-war return of soldiers, the years of economic downturn, the divisions of "haves" and "have-nots." But, then again, these are probably themes that are, unfortunately, eternal.

I'd recommend this (I gave it four stars), and I'm really looking forward to The Winter of Our Discontent.

Karen O.

>77 wookiebender: If you don't really do allegories, you might have a tough time with Steinbeck overall. He did love his allegories.

He may love his allegories, but he writes a decent story around them. :) I'm okay with that, it's when there's no good story hanging on the allegory that it fails as an entertaining read for me.

I'm reading the intro to The Winter of Our Discontent in the hopes that I'll be more aware of the allegory within. I don't think of myself as "doing" allegories, either, wookiebender. I guess I need to look for King Arthur and Sir Lancelot in the characters....

King Arthur and Sir Lancelot?? I thought it'd be more likely we'd get Richard III et al, given the title!

Yes, I think there's a bit of Richard III in there, too, but the introduction-writer, at least, believes that Steinbeck is fairly taken with the Arthurian legend(s).

eta: I guess we should carry this on over on the TWoOD thread....... oh well, good book conversation happens where it happens. :-)

I bought TWB weeks ago, but had to finish some other odds and ends first, and then lost it! As a result, I didn't finish it until a couple of days ago. This was the review I left on my thread.

My second Steinbeck this year. My English teachers would be proud of me. I've deliberately kept away from the thread this time so I could read it without prior knowledge, just out of interest to see what I got from it before finding out others' thoughts.

The characters are a pretty unattractive bunch, some in appearance and others in their innermost souls. Sex is a constant, love is nowhere to be seen, and everybody's inner life is hidden to everyone else. The passengers are in fact in as bad a way as the bus. They need repairs as much as it does. They seem to be prevented from taking the easier routes, often by matters apparently out of their control just as the bus is stopped by the river. They too are stuck in ruts, just like the bus.

There's a nastiness about this that was missing from Cannery Row, although the people and the locations are so close. The violence towards women is a lot worse, and the number of people that wish others out of the way is alarming.

So I have mixed thoughts about it. I would hesitate to say I enjoyed it, because I was repulsed by so many of the characters, both by the way they lived their lives and by their actions throughout, but it did grab me, and of course, the writing was outstanding.

However, I've read it, it can go in the pile and we move on.

85: There's a nastiness about this that was missing from Cannery Row

Well put.

#85 Jen, that was a great review of The Wayward Bus and pretty much sums up how I felt about it too.

Thank you, fellow Steinbeckistes

I thought those that commented above that Cannery Row and The Wayward Bus were mirror images of each other got it absolutely right. I don't know if the Steinbeckathonmeisters had considered that when they arranged them back to back, but it worked for me.

Nothing in Cannery Row made my skin crawl the way the passengers on that bus did.

Wow, this "Bus" keeps on truckin'! I love it.

I don't know if the Steinbeckathonmeisters had considered that when they arranged them back to back, but it worked for me.

Firstly, the term "Steinbeckathonmeisters" made me smile. I wish we'd had such foresight in our planning, but as it happens, it was just a happy coincidence. I loved your review too Jen. I'm surprised none of us thought to make an analogy between the condition of the bus and that of the passengers, but I think you really put your finger on it.

I hope others feel encouraged to pick up this book and post their comments and observations in the months to come!

Ah, Steinbeckathonmeister Smiler69, my thanks for your kind comments.

An education in medieval literature is a blessing when it comes to metaphor and allegory. Any insight should be credited to Beowulf and Chaucer :-)

Jen, you have an education in medieval lit? How cool is that. I hope you keep reading Steinbeck with us so we can learn more from your allegorical thinking. Not my strong suit..... My dad was an English prof (Shakespeare and Chaucer, mostly) and I wish that had not scared me away from it the way I think it did. Oh well. I have LT to make up for it. :-|

I liked "Steinbeckistes" and "Steinbeckathonmeisters". As Ilana said, I only wish we were as thoughtful as you suggest. But I do tend to believe these things have a way of unfolding to our advantage. Serendipity lives!

#91 I'm also completely lost when it comes to metaphor and allegory, having never read, much less studied medieval literature. So I join Ellen in hoping you'll share your knowledge with us as we continue on this year.

#92, #93 OK I'm scared now, guys.

Sometimes a connection just jumps out. I'm no allegory guru.

Mind you, that would be quite an interesting job to have on your CV, now that I think about it.

Next time I apply for a job, I might try adding that to my list of professional experiences. :-D

No pressure, Jen. Just hang in there with us and share your thoughts.

What Ellen said. :-)

I enjoyed this book a lot, though it took me awhile to get through it (and awhile to remember to come back over here). Thanks, Steinbeckathonians, for a great choice! Not sure if I'll manage the March book, but I'll definitely be back for more Steinbeck this year.

You know, Steinbeckathonians actually sounds like a genuine nationality, but maybe I just need to get some sleep now.

035. The wayward bus
Finished reading: 1 March 2012



In The wayward bus Steinbeck describes how a group of people, a seemingly random sample from society, get along for a day while they are stuck in the middle of nowhere. Through the fabric of their palaver emerges the sense of deep loneliness, sexual repression and a craving for belonging. There are hidden dreams and façades suggesting success, which is longed for but not (yet) attained.

The setting, the so-called middle of nowhere, is quite clearly described, and even to modern readers recognizable as a place quite out of the way, a place one would have little hope for betterment. While some live there, others get stuck temporarily, as their bus makes an unscheduled stop. Causes for the bus to stop may be fate, as with the torrential rain that threatens to wash away the bridge, accident, as with the mechanical failure of the bus, or purposeful mishap, as the driver intentionally steers the bus into the mud, where it gets stuck in a rut.

However, in all cases, the state of being sidetracked seems temporal. The title The wayward bus suggests that the bus is turned away from the main road, or its destination; wayward being the short form for awayward meaning "turned aside" or "turned away," a word Steinbeck may have encountered in his reading of Malory's Le morte d'Arthur, which reads:

And therewithal she turned her from the window, and Sir Beaumains rode awayward from the castle, making great dole, and so he rode here and there and wist not where he rode, till it was dark night.

Likewise, their location, incidentally the starting point of the bus, is named Rebel Corners, a place historically associated with self-imposed laziness and ignorance.

The wayward bus is in its core an optimistic, hopeful story. As the characters are essentially stuck in the rut temporarily, the novel clearly shows the way out. Nicknamed sweetheart, the bus will eventually go on, and find its way back, away from Rebel Corners and on to its destination, and from there to any other place. Everyone may at some stage find themselves stuck at crossroads, and Steinbeck's message is that love and belonging are the path out of the mire.



Other books I have read by John Steinbeck:
Burning bright
The acts of King Arthur and his noble knights

Great review Edwin! I like the idea about being stuck at crossroads. It often takes such an event to stimulate a move of any kind.

Just a reminder to all you Steinbeckathonians, if you're looking for more allegorical fun head on over to The Winter of Our Discontent Thread http://www.librarything.com/topic/133360. We're waiting for you :0)

Edwin- Thanks for sharing your excellent review! I hope you can join us for more Steinbeck. You have some great books to look forward to.

Lynda- Thanks for the link. I'm starting "Winter" today.

I am also starting The Winter of Our Discontent today. As I will be extremely busy with my work all of March, I can only post reviews with a delay.

I came to the "Steinbeckathon" a bit later, so I still have to catch up reading Cannery Row, which I will read this month. I finished The wayward bus on March 1, but it took me a while to write and post the review.

Glad you're joining us, Edwin. Your review of TWB is very good. I hope you enjoy Cannery Row as much as so many of us did.

Post your reviews whenever you're able, Edwin. Your insights are very helpful.

#99 Thanks for posting your review here Edwin. I always find it endlessly fascinating how we all have these different points of view on the same books. I look forward to your comments on Cannery Row. It was one of my favourites out of the three we've read up till now (with The Wayward Bus coming in close second), though from the few novels I've read, Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath top the bunch so far.

Thanks for all the kind comments on my two reviews. I have my main thread over at Club Read 2012, as my annual reading aims for 200 books per year. Many members there also have a thread on 75-challenge, and I noticed the "Steinbeckathon". I am already enjoying it a lot.

I will also try to participate in some of the other group reads. For the March Mystery theme read, I am now deep into Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco.