• Travels with Charley in Search of America

  • By: John Steinbeck
  • Narrated by: Gary Sinise
  • Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (5,450 ratings)

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Travels with Charley in Search of America

By: John Steinbeck
Narrated by: Gary Sinise
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Publisher's summary

A stunning evocation of America on the eve of a tumultuous decade—and a moving elegy for more innocent times.

In September 1960, John Steinbeck and his poodle, Charley, embarked on a journey across America, from small towns to growing cities to glorious wilderness oases. Travels with Charley is animated by Steinbeck’s attention to the specific details of the natural world and his sense of how the lives of people are intimately connected to the rhythms of nature—to weather, geography, the cycles of the seasons. His keen ear for the transactions among people is evident, too, as he records the interests and obsessions that preoccupy the Americans he encounters along the way.

©1962 John Steinbeck (P)2011 Penguin

Critic reviews

"Pure delight, a pungent potpourri of places and people interspersed with bittersweet essays on everything from the emotional difficulties of growing old to the reasons why giant sequoias arouse such awe." (The New York Times Book Review)

"Profound, sympathetic, often angry...an honest moving book by one of our great writers." (The San Francisco Examiner)

"This is superior Steinbeck - a muscular, evocative report of a journey of rediscovery." (John Barkham, Saturday Review Syndicate)

Featured Article: Best Travel Audiobooks to Inspire Your Next Adventure


Travel stories are some of the easiest ways to escape: vibrant descriptions of faraway places, adventurous plot lines, and offbeat characters make it possible to journey without leaving home. Whether you’re a frequent traveler who wants inspiration for your next expedition, or you simply want to immerse yourself in an unfamiliar environment, we think you’ll love these stories. Discover a captivating listen the next time you’re craving an adventure.

What listeners say about Travels with Charley in Search of America

Average customer ratings
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Great book

A very good insight of what the country was like when he took this trip.

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An enjoyable listen

This was an interesting story. I read that there is controversy over whether or not he really went "on the road" and met all the characters he described in the book. But I thought he did a good job describing America of the 1960's.

I loved when he talked about his poodle, Charley. I thought those parts were highlights!

Gary Sinise gave an excellent performance. I'd listen to other books he narrates, if there are any!

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one of my favorites ever!

wonderful narration, really written exclamation point this is perhaps my favorite audio book of all time for its charm and character.

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Road trip!

I thought I would hear about “days gone by” ... except that one imagines Steinbeck if alive today would make the same decision to road trip for the same reasons and in nearly every place observe in some measure that which he so vividly describes.

Narrator Gary Sinise is excellent. I had no idea he could do voices and accents. Made the listen. Highly recommend

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American classic ... the best.

Couldn't stop listening. The author can paint pictures in you're mind with no effort at all! Enjoyed every mile with him

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My Travels with Steinbeck & Charlie

Loved this book. Listened to every word so excellently spoken by Gary Sinise…I was on the trip too. Laughed & teary eyed at times. Steinbeck’s thoughts are timeless about Americans…they are relevant today 2021.
I wish Steinbeck was still here so I could let him know how much I enjoyed this book. I’ll reread it again & again. (His East of Eden was a book I read years ago that I have always remembered too.)
John Steinbeck speaks to me…his way with meaningful words are like he’s here telling me his story with his encounters of everyday Americans anonymously.A joy to hear on Audiobooks. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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outstanding writing

I loved it..great story...especially the last two chapters. Ageless story so true today. Do not miss.

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Gary Sinise is a genius

What a talented narrator Gary Sinise is! This book is fantastic, not only because John Steinbeck wrote it. The narration is exquisite

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Good listen while driving!

I was required to read 2 John Steinbeck novels for English class in high school (Of mice and men, and grapes of wrath.) it’s never as much fun to read when it’s “required”, and you don’t get to choose the book.

So I think this is the only Steinbeck novel I’ve ever bought & red voluntarily! I think this author resonates with me much better now as a 57 year old reader than he did when I was 17 years old.

Wish he was writing new material today, this story is a little tougher to relate to in 2018...even though I lived through the time period he describes vividly in this cross country travelogue.

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Great read ...

Thoroughly enjoy this reading by Gary Sinise. His voice is perfect for John Steinbeck. The story was very “visible”.

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