Travels with Alice (ISBN 0374526001)

Amazon.com Review:
Calvin Trillin goes through life one step behind his appetite. He says he's just a Big Hungry Boy from the Midwest, but he's also one of the funniest American writers around, writing a palate pilgrimage through Europe and the Caribbean, where Trillin fantasizes of an Italian West Indies island of Santo Prosciutto "whose steep hills are green with garlic plants." Trillin gives free play to other obsessions (like taureaux piscine), but most of the travels are happily fueled by thoughts of breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Travels with Alice:
It was a mistake to buy this book. It was so boring that I did not finish it. Having read a more recently published book about The life and death of Alice, I expected a better book.

Should have been titled "Travels with Calvin":
After hearing Mr. Trillin speak on a public radio talk show, I thought I'd love to read one of his books, as I found him so amusing. As it turns out, I found this book very boring. I've traveled in many of the countries he mentioned but found his descriptions of food and place uninteresting and found myself skipping over many parts trying to get to something interesting. Little mention was made of Alice. His two daughters played a bigger part in the rendition and it was mostly about Calvin. I don't know if I'd care to try another of his books.

Efficient delivery:
Travels with Alice arrived within two weeks after it was ordered. It was in perfect condition as described, though it was a used copy. I find that the choices of books I have made with Amazon are always aptly described. Amazon is where I order all of my books and CDs.

A funny travelogue:
Calvin Trillin has been traveling with his wife (Alice) and his daughters for years, mainly on holidays, and he wrote this funny book about it. His main interest is food, but Alice is also very fond of views. He deplores the fact that Alice is a three meals a day person! He makes you feel as if you're traveling with them and has a new angle on a lot of things. If you like a funny (maybe not always super accurate) travelogue, this book is for you!

3.5 stars. Sweet, funny, wry, but not perfect.:
This is my second Trillin book, after Tepper Isn't Going Out Today. I quite enjoyed that book, and when the most recent Alice book came out and was being promoted, I became interested in going back to some of Trillin's earlier works, especially those featuring Alice. This slight volume was a nice, easy read with family vacation stories fairly universal in this culture. Kids with fussy appetites, parents balancing out "just hanging around" vs "force-feeding culture down the kids' throats", etc etc. Trillin's got a nice wry, easy-going manner that I found comfortable and friendly. There were times I found myself skimming the overdone descriptions of the food he enjoyed. I get that that's one of Trillin's "things" - he's a foodie. But it's just not all that interesting when described to such the nth degree. I enjoyed, most of all, passages involving his interactions with his two daughters. Funny and sweet without being cloying or sentimental. If I have one complaint with the book, it's that the titular Alice makes only rare, and not especially interesting, appearances. Trillin seems not that interested in the experiences his wife had on their trips, or in the experiences he shared with his wife on their trips. Very interested in his own deal. Which is fine. But given the title, I had hoped for a bit more in the way of a loving, fun reflection on their shared experiences. Good book, recommended.