Road Trip: Escape To Everywhere!
Six books about asphalt, adventure and finding yourself on the highway
FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS
Journalist Raou Duke and his volatile attorney, Dr Gonzo, drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas in a massive, red Chevy Impala convertible loaded with narcotics, stimulants and hallucinogens. The pair embark on a surreal, multi-day bender through the neon-soaked casinos, kitsch hotels and sun-baked desert highways of Nevada
ON THE ROAD
Sal Paradise, an aspiring young writer, and Dean Moriarty, a charismatic ex-con, crisscross North America in a manic search for freedom and authentic experience. The book emphasises the thrill of movement over the final destination; Kerouac's fast-paced 'spontaneous prose' mirrors the rhythm of a speeding car and changing landscapes.
THE LEISURE SEEKER
Ella, who has terminal cancer, and her husband John, who has advanced Alzheimer's, decide to 'kidnap' themselves from their adult children and doctors and flee Detroit. They hit the highway in their vintage Winnebago, and travel down Route 66, aiming for Disneyland where they plan to recreate a favourite family vacation.
THE ROAD TRIP
Addie is forced to share a tiny Mini Cooper with her ex-boyfriend, her sister and two other people as they travel to a wedding in Scotland. The agonisingly cramped, 400-mile road trip from Chichester to Scotland alternates with flashbacks detailing how Addie and Dylan first fell passionately in love - and how it all spectacularly fell apart.
THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD
After losing his cosmetics empire, Charles Wang packs his family into a station wagon to drive from Bel-Air to New York. Amidst roadside mishaps and intense arguments, the forced proximity transforms a disconnected group into a fiercely loyal unit. The story switches viewpoints, giving each character a distinct, memorable voice.
ZEN AND THE ART OF MOTORCYCLE MAINTENANCE
A father and son take a 17-day motorcycle trip from Minnesota to California. On the long highway ride, the dad explores the concept of 'quality as he tries to reconcile modern technology and human spirituality.
Underneath the philosophising lies a moving story about a father battling past madness to reconnect with his son.
