Book description
An unusual and witty travel book about the United States of America. At
the age of fifty, when most people have settled for the safety of
routine, R. K. Narayan left India for the first time to travel through
America. In this account of his journey, the writer's pen unerringly
captures the clamour and energy of New York city, the friendliness of
the West Coast, the wealth and insularity of the Mid-West, the
magnificence of the Grand Canyon...Threading their way through the
narrative are a host of delightful characters-from celebrities like
Greta Garbo, Aldous Huxley, Martha Graham, Cartier Bresson, Milton
Singer, Edward G. Robinson and Ravi Shankar to the anonymous business
tycoon on the train who dismissed the writer when he discovered Narayan
had nothing to do with India's steel industry. As a bonus, there are wry
snapshots of those small but essential aspects of American life-muggers,
fast food restaurants, instant gurus, subway commuters, TV
advertisements, and American football. An entrancing and compelling
travelogue about an endlessly fascinating land.
