Farewell to Charley

So, I was finally able to muster up the courage to finish "Travels with Charley." It may come as no surprise to my consistent readers that I have been experiencing great difficulty in trying to complete the 'Great American Road Trip Classic', but the weight of an unfinished favorite bore down on me like 1000 pounds of lead, and this morning I bested my foe. To my dismay, the end brought about little resolution (as it does every time I read this book) and I finished feeling as if I still wanted more. "Travels with Charley" is just one of those novels that you wish wouldn't have to end: The story is every bit as entertaining on page 1 as it is on page 201, and although the story inevitably diminishes towards the end, I think to this day that Steinbeck had grown tired in his old age and had hastily finished Charley. There is no good way to end an exciting read, and I grow a bit sad knowing that it will be quite some time before I reach to this classic once again.


Every story must have an end: Any average high school student could tell you the parts of a story -- Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Conclusion -- as we are forced to learn and identify these principles within literature that we receive. This is far from my point, however, as my earlier statement is a bit more inductive than deductive reasoning. I know, as Mrs. Mahoney (my 11th grade AP English teacher) so dutifully explained, that the literary elements of a story are what give it purpose, and what encourage the reader to continue. However, my question is, what element causes the reader to want more? What makes us feel cheated at the end of a good book, simply because there is no more left to be read? What is the element that condemns hundreds of books to reside spine to spine like sardines on my bookshelves never to be moved, while others the spines are so broken from page turning enthusiasm that they almost vocalize their refusal to be removed or replaced on said shelves? These questions are of course rhetorical, but if you're out there Mrs. Mahoney, feel free to chime in!

It tends to always be a bittersweet occasion when we finish a period or era in our lifetimes. It is my opinion that this commentary can be carried from the smallest of life events (such as finishing a book) to the most grandiose life events (such as a family death). It is in our nature as humans to find both the best and worst in every situation and synergize the two into one complete experience that fulfills our needs for that particular situation. This is where I believe at least a partial solution to my previous questions reside. Rather than looking at the completion of one of my favorite novels as a disappointment, I should synergize my disappointment with my contentment and happiness that came from reading the book into an overall experience of "Travels with Charley." My temporary farewell to one of my favorite novels is melancholy at best, but it's just that, temporary. There will again come a time where I yearn for my most esteemed black poodle and naval captain, and it will give me great delight, to know that a tremendous experience is merely a page turn away.

A.S. Bloom