"Roads: Driving America's Great Highways," by Larry McMurtry

"Roads: Driving America's Great Highways," by Larry McMurtry, (New York: Simon and Schuster; 2000), 206 pages. ISBN 0-684-86884-9.

At the end of the 20th century, Larry McMurtry decided to drive a selection of America's great interstate highways, namely, interstates 10, 40, 70, 80, 90 (the great east-west roads) and interstates 5, 25, 35, 75, and 95 (the north-south roads). There was no other reason than curiosity, just a desire to look around with the realization that as old age approaches, he needed to do it then while he was still able to do so. His approach was to jump on a plane, fly to a location, rent a car, and drive via one of the great interstate highways to his home in Archer City, Texas. The product is a book arranged by journey and highway, each comprising McMurtry's observations, recollections of previous journeys along the same road, his observations, an occasional historical note about the area he's driving through, and a note about any writers that came from that area.

The strength of this book is that it is successful on a number of levels. On one level, its an interesting travel book. Its not like the detailed explorations of backwoods America, like the books of William Least Heat Moon and Annie Proulx; this book is a contemplative narrative of the major migration and freight roads of America. On another level its autobiographical. McMurtry dips into his novelist, screenwriting, and book selling past to explain how cities, roads and life have changed over his lifetime. The book is also a regional literary bibliography. During McMurtry's parallel career as an antiquarian book dealer, he learned about the origins of many authors and the settings of many novels and other books. This knowledge is sprinkled  throughout the book, like seasoning, and adds depth and flavor to his travel story. For example, in the chapter on his trip south through Minnesota, he writes about notable local authors from the past, and books about the region he's observing, such as George W. Featherstonhaugh's A Canoe Voyage Down the Minney-Sotar.  Many of us would not known of this book, and the many other mentioned by McMurtry, if they were not included in these pages. These historical diversions are everywhere in this book, making the book better for them.

This book will be enjoyed by readers that like travel stories, road trips, and autobiographical reflections of a notable American writers.