Twain’s book is a perfect example of what’s now called the “transformational journey.” The best of the on-the-road books show inner growth on the part of the traveler. My very favorite choice from those old book club selections was The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This painting of Huckleberry Finn and Jim was done by Norman Rockwell. I added “Lilliputian” and “Brobdingnagian” to my “See Spot run. With its outrageously imaginative plot, characters, and fabulous wood- engraved illustrations, Gulliver’s Travels was another favorite of those classics. I still have many of those book-club novels, like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland with illustrations by Tenniel. The book plates came later, when I had learned to write my name in cursive. I was barely old enough to read when my mother signed me up for a book-of-the-month club of children’s classics. It tells the story of Odysseus’ harrowing ten-year journey, mostly by ship, to reach Ithaca after the Trojan War. Attributed to the Greek poet Homer, it was composed almost 3,000 years ago. Much has been written about journeys, starting with the epic poem, the Odyssey. The human itch to hit the road goes way back.
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