Bound for Glory (Plume) by Woody Guthrie Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Bound for Glory (Plume)
Book Review: Interesting account of legendary folksinger
Summary: 4 Stars
Heard the taped version of BOUND FOR GLORY, the autobiography of Woody Guthrie . . . he was the legendary
folksinger who traveled all over the US during the years
after the Great Depression--by boxcar, thumb and foot . . . the
songs he wrote and sang ("This Land Is Your Land," "Hard
Traveling," etc.) have become national treasures . . . I liked
this, in large part because of the narration of his son Arlo . . . my only regret is that I didn't get to hear more of the elder Guthrie's songs; rather, just small snippets were played.
Book Review: One of The Greatest American Novels
Summary: 5 Stars
Bob Dylan said Guthrie's Bound For Glory left even more of an impression on him than Keroauc's On The Road. Both are two of the finest pictures of America produced in literature.
Guthrie's protagonist, himself, is just an average poor citizen while Kerouac's, Sal Paradise, is a middle-class college kid. One may argue that Guthrie's character roams the US by consequence rather than choice, unlike Sal Paradise, but that's not true by the end. Guthrie, like Sal, would rather roam the country with his fellow man. Both books emphasize the hardships of the lower class, Guthrie's a bit more so. Perhaps that's why Dylan preferred it. Maybe he liked the folksy dialect Guthrie wrote in. I, however, can't distinguish a favorite. They're both close to my heart, two of the greatest works of literature to ever investigate America.
Book Review: THE OTHER REVIEWS DO NOT PRAISE THIS BOOK ENOUGH.....
Summary: 5 Stars
Wally Gator here, stepping in to do drop a little justice on the man Woody Guthrie. He's my new best friend, ever since I read his 1943 masterpiece BOUND FOR GLORY. Woody wrote a book unlike anything I have ever read before. A road story/ autobiography of the mans life up until that point, not your average song and dance man story, boy. The man wrote unique and witty stuff, yet true, sometimes painfully true. Observe if you will the following quote... "There is a stage of hard luck that turns into fun, and a stage of poverty that turns into pride, and a place in laughing that turns into fight." ...Damned straight wisdom. Everybody knows its true, just needed to be put down in such a way. I think thru and thru this is what Woody Guthrie was trying to put down through this epic peice of American writing, damn straight wisdom. The whole story is a series of struggles, fought by himself, his family, and the countless characters he meets on the road, while hard travelin' in the formitive 20th century America (between the two World Wars). I took my sweet time reading this book, and really enjoyed soaking up the words and wisdom of Woody Guthrie. Its to bad he didn't write more books in his time, a true joy to read. You feel your heart plummet at some of his falls, yet you can't help but laugh at some of his struggles, and the whole time you get the notion that life really isn't that tough, and should be lived to its fullest. Easily relatable, even if it does take place in a different America, in a different time. There is a great little scene where he gets curious about this medicine that people keep buying during prohibition while he's working at a pharmacy. "I drank it all down, and when I woke up I was out of a job." Insanely awesome book. GET crackin' on this one!Book Review: Then is Now
Summary: 5 Stars
Other reviewers note that "Bound for Glory" is important for the view it gives us of our nation and people in Guthrie's time. It is also a must-read for today, a time when our nation is so divided between rich and poor with a a crashing, shrinking middle class. As in his time, many today have lost jobs, lost homes, gone hungry, and lost hope. Today, we are more removed from the land than in his time and less able to cope with poverty. Many today will find themselves in this book - and perhaps find also coping skills and hope needed to persevere and survive until they reach a better place.Book Review: Under read and underrated
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a really great book. It's hard to believe one man would be so talented as both songwriter and autobiographer. It all had a very Beat feel to it, but I might actually like it better than On The Road because it's got all the fantastic enthusiasm for living, but it's so completely devoid of pretense. It immediately jumped into my top 5.